Tomorrow, October 19, 2007, the fifth episode of season 3 (Book 3) of Avatar will air on Nickelodeon at 8:30 PM EST. Then on October 30, 2007, the first DVD featuring the first five episodes of this awesome Nickelodeon cartoon will be available for you to purchase courtesy of Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment. Just like the past two seasons, Nickelodeon will release the show in five episode increments before releasing a full season DVD, which often contains bonus features unlike each individual volume. In truth, the Avatar volumes offer little more than the actual episodes.
Avatar: The Last Airbender follows the story of Aang and his friends. Aang is the last airbender, which means he’s the last known survivor from the Air Temples, home of the Air Nomads. The world in which he lives was made up of four nations, the Air Nomads, the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, and the Earth Kingdom.
Each of these areas has groups of people known as benders, who can bend the elements in each region, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. The only person who can bend all four is the Avatar. The Avatar just happens to be Aang, and in his latest incarnation (he’s reincarnated from past lives in a cycle with his last life as a member of the Fire Nation when he was known as Avatar Roku) he just happens to be an Air Nomad.
Having been trapped in an air bubble that was frozen underwater while stuck in the Avatar state (a spiritual state that apparently allowed him to stay the age of 12) in the cold Southern waters, two young members of the Southern Water Tribe, Katara and her brother, Sokka, find Aang and release him from the frozen ice that prevented the air bubble from breaking. A hundred years have passed since Aang was first encased in the bubble and a lot has changed. The Fire Nation has wiped out the Air Nomads. They’ve destroyed part of the Southern Water Tribe. Their goal is to take over the world. It is up to Aang, Katara, Sokka, and a blind, earth bender, named Toph, to work together and save the world from the ruthless Fire Nation.
In Season Three (known as Book Three – Fire), the Fire Nation has welcomed home Prince Zuko, the son of the Fire Lord, who had been banished with the quest of capturing the Avatar if he ever wished to return. His sister, Princess Azula, the evil and sinister favorite child of the Fire Lord, has informed their father that Zuko killed the Avatar. While the Fire Nation celebrates Aang’s apparent death (he was badly injured in a battle with Azula at the end of Season Two), Aang and the gang have snuck into the Fire Nation and donned disguises in order to learn about the region and prepare for a battle to take down the Fire Lord.
There are five episodes included on the Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 3 Vol. 1 DVD. The episodes are #3.1 – “The Awakening”, #3.2 – “The Headband”, #3.3 – “The Painted Lady”, #3.4 – “Sokka’s Master”, and #3.5 – “The Beach”. In these episodes, you learn about how Katara has nursed Aang back to health and find out about the life of those who live in the Fire Nation. It is not how Aang remembered it when he used to visit his friend Kuzan over 100 years ago, but Aang and the Avatar gang are able to bring something to these sheltered and sometimes suffering people.
The audio and video quality of Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 3 Vol. 1 is on par with what you would see while watching television. I didn’t have any problem hearing or seeing anything on this disc. The sound is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo sound and it is presented in a full screen format. There is one bonus feature on the DVD for Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 3 Vol. 1. This is audio commentary presented by the Cast and Crew of Avatar.
Bottom Line: By now, you should know I’m a fan of this series. I highly recommend it for those over the age of ten, who are mature enough to handle cartoon violence. This show is excellent and has a good solid message of good vs. evil, like many cartoons have had before it. If you enjoy adventure and action, then definitely give Avatar: The Last Airbender – Book 3 Vol. 1 a try. You won’t be disappointed.
| Rating: |  |
Technorati Tags: Avatar, The Last Airbender, DVD Review, Book Three: Fire, Vol. 1, Nickelodeon, Aang
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
—
Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
2 Comments