In part one, we talk about some of the bigger mistakes Shyamalan made (there are far too many to mention them all and they have been well documented on other sites) and discuss how I would have done a Avatar movie series on a thematic level. Parts two through four are plot outlines for the three movies. Many of the ideas for my adaptation were inspired by jokes in Avatar: The Abridged Series which is a hilarious version of season one.
The Book of Water (Run time: ~2 hour 45 minutes)
Pilot- Animated introduction similar the one on the pilot episode of the show. (One of the few parts I thought Shyamalan got right in the movie was adapting the base plot of the pilot episode [the execution was terrible, but the plot was right], so we will be following the movie version of the pilot.) Sokka and Katara find Aang. Zuko sees the light and goes to the village, gathers up the elderly and sees Aang's tattoos in the process. He proceeds to threaten the village it convince Aang to get on his ship. Once onboard, Zuko reveals that he knows that Aang is the Avatar. Back at the village, Sokka, Katara and Gran-Gran suspect that Aang is the Avatar and the kids chose to go on the rescue mission. Aang breaks out without using the Avatar state and leaves with Sokka and Katara. Katara asks if Aang is the Avatar and why he concealed that fact. Aang's line, "Because I never wanted to be," is the segway into Aang's flashback from The Storm. Aang runs away because he cannot handle the pressure of being the Avatar instead of the childish reason given in the show. (Segment runs about 30 minutes)
Southern Air Temple- The Zuko plotline should be taken nearly word for word from the show, but when Iroh mentions the last time Zuko dueled a master we segway into Zuko's flashback from The Storm. Aang meets with Roku who proceeds to give us a massive exposition dump about the Avatar cycle, the Avatar state ("The Avatar state is one of pure energy. It cannot be controlled until you master the energy within yourself and that is far more difficult to master than all the elements combined. Do not even try for now. When you are ready, a guide will appear to help you."), the order he must learn the elements and Sozin's comet. Aang finds the bodies of dead monks and flies into an Avatar state rage alerting the world to his return. (Segment runs about 30 minutes)
The Blue Spirit- (The Blue Spirit and Jet are both very good and important episodes to the through-going plot of the series; however, The Blue Spirit does not work if Sokka or Katara know what's happening and Aang acts very out of character in Jet. We will solve this by running these two plots concurrently.) Aang is overwhelmed by being asked to learn the elements and save the world in less than a year and asks for sometime alone and the group agrees to meet up again in one week. Shortly after splitting up Aang is ambushed and captured by Zhao. Zuko comes to the rescue. (Segment run time about 15 minutes)
Jet- At the first dinner with Jet's gang, Sokka presses Jet for information about the state of the world. Jet states that Omashu, Ba Sing Se, and the Northern Water Tribe are still strongholds of freedom, but the rest of the world is essentially under Fire Nation control. The war had been a stalemate for decades until about 15 years ago when the Fire Nation started getting a lot of new technologies. One of the kids mentions a legend that there are still a group of airbenders at the Northern Air Temple. Otherwise as in the show. (Segment run time about 15 minutes)
The Northern Air Temple- This segment runs basically the same as the show. Schematics for drill, tanks and other Fire Nation weapons partially hidden and briefly shown. (Segment run time about 15 minutes)
The Waterbending Master and The Siege of the North- The Pakku was engaged to Gran-Gran reveal needs to be cut. It requires throwing a lot of exposition at the auidence and this movie is already exposition heavy. Katara learns of her healing ability when she is denied combat training. Katara's healing instructor cautions Katara that while she can heal burns and cuts it won't work on blunt force trauma. (This clears up several inconsistencies with Katara's healing abilty, especially why she doesn't use the spirit water on Jet.) Katara convences Pakku to train her by fighting him. More time should be spent developing the Yue/Sokka relationship. Iroh is asked to join Zhao's fleet and smuggles Zuko onboard. (Zuko isn't blown up.) As in the movie, Zuko should keep Aang in the city, so he doesn't look quite so stupid. War balloons are used. One or more of the firebenders at the Spirit Oasis should be captured. Otherwise the story proceeds as in the show. (Segment runs about 1 hour)
So there it is, a proper outline for a movie adaptation of the first season of Avatar. I had to cut out a lot, but I didn't change much. Check back next week as thing really start to change in season two and in two weeks when I mutilate season three.
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