Polygon has published a positive review of "Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender," declaring it the first worthy successor to the original 2005–2008 animated series after nearly two decades of disappointing follow-ups, including a widely panned 2010 live-action film and a Netflix adaptation criticised for lacking the charm of the source material. Director Lauren Montgomery, who worked on the original Avatar, The Legend of Korra and acclaimed DC animated films, gives the movie a tone the reviewer likens to a Superman story, positioning Aang as a lone survivor of a lost culture confronting a formidable new adversary.

The film opens with a flashback to a young Aang and his mentor Monk Gyatso before shifting to an adult Aang still burdened by unresolved trauma from surviving genocide, with the plot centring on his pursuit of a group called the Denied after they steal a recovered Air Nomad artefact. Old friends Sokka and Fire Lord Zuko feature in smaller subplots that show how the characters have matured, while the review singles out Dave Bautista's performance as Tagah, an ancient airbender compared to Superman villain General Zod, as a standout element that gives Aang a genuinely formidable antagonist.