‘Avatar: Aang – The Last Airbender’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed — Does It Live up to the Legacy?

The Avatar universe is officially returning with a brand-new animated adventure, and early reactions are starting to reveal whether the franchise has successfully captured the magic that made the original series so beloved.

‘Avatar: Aang – The Last Airbender’ has received its first Rotten Tomatoes score, currently sitting at 91% on the Tomatometer based on early critic reviews. While the movie has earned strong praise overall, reactions show that some critics believe the film’s biggest strength is also where it struggles the most.

The upcoming animated movie continues the story of the original ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ series, which ran from 2005 to 2008. The film follows Team Avatar as they meet Tagah, a surviving airbender, and join him on a mission to find an ancient airbending staff connected to restoring the Air Nomads.

The project marks the first major release from Avatar Studios, the division created by Nickelodeon in 2021 to expand the world of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ and ‘The Legend of Korra.’ Lauren Montgomery directs the film, with a screenplay from Tim Hedrick and Christopher Yost based on a story developed by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, Hedrick, and Kenneth Lin.

The voice cast includes Eric Nam as Aang, along with Dave Bautista, Jessica Matten, Román Zaragoza, Dionne Quan, Taika Waititi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ronny Chieng, Ken Jeong, Steven Yeun, Freida Pinto, and Ke Huy Quan.

Early reviews suggest that the movie succeeds in bringing back the emotional connection fans have with Team Avatar. Allyson Johnson from But Why Tho praised the film’s emotional impact, giving it an 8/10 and calling it “heartfelt and emotionally explosive” while saying it is a welcome return to the world fans know and love.

Collider’s Aidan Kelley also praised the movie’s animation, giving it a 7/10 and highlighting how impressive the visuals are. Kelley described the film as “drop-dead gorgeous from start to finish,” especially praising the return of detailed 2D animation.

However, not every critic was completely convinced. Frank Scheck from The Hollywood Reporter gave the movie a negative review, saying that while it explores serious ideas like the effects of power, the story sometimes feels rushed. Scheck wrote that the film can feel like it is moving quickly between action scenes without fully developing its deeper themes.

Here at Comic Basics, Hrvoje Milakovic, who had a more balanced reaction. Milakovic explained that the film tries to handle several goals at once, including being an emotional story, a big action adventure, and a bridge to future Avatar projects.

“My honest read on ‘Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender’ is that it is a good time held back by its own ambition,” Milakovic wrote.

He ultimately gave the movie a 6.5 out of 10, describing it as a solid experience for longtime fans while feeling that there was more potential beneath the surface.

The film’s release has also attracted attention after the entire movie leaked online before its official debut, leading members of the production team to criticize the leak. Despite that setback, fan excitement remains high, with many viewers eager to return to the world of Aang and Team Avatar.

‘Avatar: Aang – The Last Airbender’ will premiere at San Diego Comic-Con and receive limited theatrical screenings on July 24, 2026, before arriving worldwide on Paramount+ on July 25. Based on the early Rotten Tomatoes score, the movie appears to be a strong return for the franchise, even if some critics believe it could have gone even deeper.

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