Netflix's new live-action film, Avatar: The Last Airbender, is Netflix's biggest bet in 2024. Therefore, it is no great surprise that it has made it to Netflix's most-watched films list, taking the #1 spot.

The eight-episode first season was released last week (February 22) and already ranks above popular hits like "Love is Blind," "Resident Evil," and "One Day." Nevertheless, the jump to the top of the service's library was almost a foregone conclusion; Netflix seems to have been hyping "Avatar" in recent weeks to ensure that its large investment was not wasted.

If you haven't seen "Avatar: The Last Airbender" yet, you may be wondering if it's worth your time. That's where we can help. Here's everything you need to know about this new Netflix show and how it compares to the beloved original animated series.

Based on Nickelodeon's animated show of the same name, Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in a fantasy world divided into four countries, each named after one of the four elements: water, earth, air, and fire.

Each country is inhabited by a unique individual who can manipulate (or "bend") its corresponding element, but the legendary "Avatar" is a being who can control all four and is destined to bring peace to a war-torn land.

This legendary hero is a 12-year-old airbender named Aang (Gordon Cormier), who has been frozen in a giant block of ice for hundreds of years. Awakened by his two siblings, Katara (Kiaventio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley), who belong to the Land of Water, Aang sets out on a journey to master the four elements and fulfill the legend.

But Aang's journey was not an easy one. The ruthless Fire Nation is bent on world domination and obsessed with destruction. An additional obstacle is the exiled prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko (Dallas Liu). Zuko relentlessly pursues Aang in an attempt to capture him and restore his honor, with Avatar as his ally.

Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender has received a fairly lukewarm critical response. It currently holds a score of 61% on the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

This is quite a step down from the original show, which holds a perfect 100% rating on RT. However, at least the audience score is better at 75%, but still a steep drop from the 99% of the animated version.

Devan Coggan of Entertainment Weekly described it as "a charming but imperfect adaptation," noting that it "doesn't soar as high as the original cartoon." Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall found it appealing to longtime fans and newbies alike. This new "The Last Airbender" is entertaining enough for those new to the world, and respectful enough for fans of animation to remind them why they loved it in the first place."

Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter was less enthusiastic, saying, "Rather than breathing new life into a familiar world, this 'Avatar' only reminds us that some beloved properties might be better put on ice." And USA Today's Kelly Lawler declared that the show "fails in every respect," branding it "infuriating" in a particularly cutting sentence.

More mixed reviews came from Zaki Hasan of the San Francisco Chronicle, who described it as "a serious and admirable attempt to rekindle the magic of the original." And Cambole Campbell of Empire magazine said that strong casting "cannot save the show from a mess of uninspired craft and tone."

While the critical consensus is not overwhelmingly positive (though there is much praise for the young cast), Netflix is at least relieved that critics are almost unanimously in agreement that its adaptation is a step up from the 2010 film version

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The Last Airbender, directed by M. Night Shyamalan and often cited as one of the worst films of all time, scored an abysmal 5% on Rotten Tomatoes. I can say with confidence that Netflix's live-action animated feature is an improvement.

If you are an avid fan of Nickelodeon's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" or its excellent sequel show "The Legend of Korra," you may want to watch this Netflix series out of mere curiosity. And the good news is that Netflix didn't completely botch this adaptation, so you might like what you find.

If you haven't heard of Avatar: The Last Airbender, there is definitely an argument to be made that you should give this Netflix adaptation a chance. Strong cast, solid special effects, and a compelling story. However, critics say it doesn't live up to the original series, so you might want to give the animated feature a shot first (that is, if you don't mind animated features).

The good news is that it's super easy to watch the original "Avatar" show. Currently, all three seasons (61 episodes) are streaming on Netflix and Paramount Plus (the first season is also available on Amazon Prime Video). So if you really want to dive into the "bendy" world, I suggest you start with the animated show. Because it's the original and best version of Aang's adventures.