One of many many causes “Avatar: The Final Airbender” grew to become so standard is its colourful assortment of memorable characters. With its mix of episodic and serialized storytelling, we not solely get unimaginable character arcs that construct over a number of episodes and even throughout seasons, but in addition a myriad of smaller characters who seem briefly, however make extremely long-lasting impressions. Characters just like the Cabbage Service provider, whose single line was so standard that he grew to become a recurring gag, or the bard group whose sizzling single “Secret Tunnel” grew to become a fan favourite.
Netflix’s live-action remake of “Avatar: The Final Airbender” suffers from many points. Key amongst them is attempting to hit each single memorable second and character from the cartoon — even when they occur on the mistaken time and find yourself failing vital tales from the unique. Typically, the inclusion of small characters slows down momentum and comes throughout as distracting. However generally, the present does justice to the unique, and completely captures characters so cartoony they need to not work in live-action.
Such is the case of the funniest character from “Avatar: The Final Airbender,” recognized merely as The Boulder.
We meet the Boulder (performed by Kelemete Misipeka) within the second episode of Season 2 when Staff Avatar goes searching for for an Earthbending instructor for Aang. They arrive throughout a wrestling enviornment the place The Boulder is obliterating his enemies — till he’s totally humiliated by Toph (Miya Cech). He’s enormous, he refers to himself within the third individual, and he’s totally hilarious. He’s the Boulder, and he is the perfect factor about “Avatar: The Final Airbender” Season 2.
The Boulder is a legend within the ring
“Avatar: The Final Airbender” is a really cartoony present. It grabs inspiration not solely from the bodily comedy of basic “Looney Tunes” cartoons, but in addition anime, with the characters’ eyes rising comically massive, their arms turning into rubber, and their faces able to doing unimaginable expressions. However the Boulder is one thing else solely.
Clearly impressed by Dwayne Johnson’s time as The Rock, the Boulder is knowledgeable wrestler who at all times refers to himself within the third individual (as Johnson used to do again within the day), however with the bravado and absurd confidence of ’80s Hulk Hogan. The Boulder serves an vital narrative operate, in fact, as he’s meant to signify hubris and likewise showcase the other ways an individual can flex their energy by bending. The Boulder is a giant, hulking man who makes use of bending as sheer energy, a showman and an athlete. However the second he meets Toph, the Boulder is solely unable to maintain up together with her unimaginable but extra refined bending.
The producers of “Avatar: The Final Airbender” reportedly tried to get the true Rock to voice the character (by way of the Bending the Parts podcast). When that did not pan out, the character was voiced by Mick Foley, also referred to as Cactus Jack, a wrestling legend. In line with Foley, it helped that he might do a fairly first rate imitation of the Rock.
The Boulder’s preliminary look is hilarious as a result of it brings wrestling to the world of “Avatar.” There is a theatricality to the Boulder that we do not see in any of the opposite characters. It elevates the foolish dialogue and makes it nearly larger-than-life — earlier than he’s instantly taken down a notch or three by Toph.
