Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui
Encyclopedia
Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui is the second film in the Bionicle
series and is a prequel
to Bionicle: Mask of Light
. This movie follows the 2004 storyline and was created using Lego
elements from the Bionicle series, and was released as a direct-to-DVD
.
In this movie, Vakama recalls events that took place long before the classic Bionicle stories at Mata Nui, during which he, along with his friends Nuju, Matau, Onewa, Whenua, and Nokama were chosen to be the new Toa of the island of Metru Nui. To save the city, they must prove themselves worthy Toa, find their mask powers, and protect the "Heart of Metru Nui". However, they also find themselves caught up in the schemes of the ruthless Makuta Teridax, the main antagonist and villain of the Bionicle series.
The film has many scenes taking stock footage
from itself. The film was received with mixed reviews, with some noting the filling in of plot holes from the last movie. The series continued to be noted for its visual effects and musical score. It was followed by a sequel, Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows
.
) describing a land that existed before Mata Nui called Metru Nui. The residents of the great city believed that the warriors known as the Toa
would protect them, but eventually they were all defeated, save for one named "Lhikan".
Lhikan travels throughout the entire city, giving Toa stones to six Matoran: Whenua, Nuju, Matau, Onewa, Nokama, and Vakama. After giving the last stone to Vakama, Lhikan is captured by two Dark Hunters called Nidhiki (who refers towards the Toa as "brother") and Krekka. Vakama later meets the other Matoran at the Great Temple in Ga-Metru; there, they are transformed into six new Toa. After Vakama has a vision, they all set out to recover the six Great Disks hidden throughout Metru Nui, believing that it would prove to Turaga Dume (the city’s leader) that they are worthy Toa.
Upon retrieving the disks (Vakama's disk was among Morbuzakh vines), the Toa bring the disks to the Coliseum. However, Dume issues that "small gifts" won't confirm them as Toa. He then tests them by starting a sea of rising metal in the Coliseum. When the six fail to cross it, and Dume denounces them as "imposters", he unleashes the Vahki (the city's law enforcers) upon them. In the process, Onewa, Nuju, and Whenua are sucked into a massive vortex and imprisoned while Vakama and the others escape the Coliseum by leaping into a chute system. However, the Dark Hunters follow them and manage to get the flow of the chute reversed. The Toa escape, but are left dangling from a dangerous height. While swinging to a tower, Matau falls, but is saved when he discovers that his blades can grant him flight.
When the Toa reach the ground, Vakama discovers that the Great Disks can be fused together. He then spots Lhikan’s "spirit star" soaring overhead; as long as it burns in the night sky, it means that Lhikan is still alive. They hitched a ride on a Vahki transport to follow the star. When they arrived in Po-Metru, they encountered the Dark Hunters once more. Just when a battle is about to ensue, a herd of beasts called Kikanalo stampeded through canyons. As the Toa were fleeing, Nokama discovered that her mask allowed her to speak and understand the language of the Kikanalo. After stopping the stampede, she spoke to the leader of the herd and learned that Lhikan was taken to the Canyon of Unending Whispers. They were then taken to a large canyon guarded by Vahki. They managed to bypass the Vahki and the Dark Hunters with the help of the Kikanalo and Matau's newly discovered mask power of illusion.
While the previous events occurred, Onewa and Whenua were unsuccessfully trying to break out of prison. They then met a Turaga. He explained that mask powers are needed to escape, and how they could be found. He then had the Toa perform seemingly pointless tasks. Eventually, Onewa and Whenua got into a fight in which Onewa discovered that his mask power was mind-control. Nuju then discovered his mask power, Telekinesis, and created a way out.
Whenua found his mask power, night-vision, and provided illumination in the tunnel with his mask. They were then reunited with the other three Toa. When they debated where Lhikan was, the Turaga removed his helmet and revealed that he was Lhikan. Vakama finds a small canister holding Dume and learned that the Dume from before was an impostor. A squadron of Vahki suddenly attacked and the group fled on a spare transport.
Meanwhile, "Dume" had summoned the Matoran to the Coliseum to be placed in the spheres. By the time the Toa arrived, it was too late; all the Matoran were now asleep. The false Dume then removed his mask and revealed himself to be Makuta Teridax. He plunged the Great Spirit Mata Nui into slumber and began absorbing energy from the city. He then absorbed Nivawk, Krekka, and Nidhiki, thus killing them. Whenua located the Matoran (through x-ray vision), who were underneath the Coliseum and stored in canisters. After surveying them, they realized that only a few of the Matoran can been carried on the transport and the rest would have to wait. They gathered as many of the spheres as possible, and began their journey out. Along the way, Vakama begins carving the Mask of Time from the disk when all visions he had previously seen reappeared and he came to a revelation: Teridax wanted control of time. To save the Matoran, the Toa must "follow the light". But as they neared, Teridax, now an immense winged being, attacked.
Vakama attempted to use the Mask of Time when he confronted the Makuta, but Teridax then launched an attack. Because the Mask of Time only slowed time, Vakama could not avoid it. Just then, Lhikan leaped in and took the blow. The Mask of Time was knocked off of Vakama, and Teridax flew after it.
As Lhikan lay dying, he explained to Vakama the Toa's duty to the Matoran. He then gave Vakama his mask and died. Anguished, Vakama discovered his mask power: invisibility. Just as Teridax was about to use the Mask of Time, Vakama knocked it away, and the mask fell into the sea. Teridax, enraged, attempts to kill Vakama. After a deadly battle, Vakama managed to trick Teridax into grabbing a towering boulder which slammed him into a wall. The Toa gathered and, combining their powers, sealed Teridax in a protodermis prison. The Toa continued towards the light and arrived on the island of Mata Nui.
When all the Matoran Spheres were placed on the beach of Mata Nui, the Toa discharged energy into the spheres, becoming Turaga in the process, and awakened the Matoran. One of the Matoran, Takua, led Vakama to a Matoran whose mask was shattered. Vakama gave this Matoran, Jaller, Lhikan's mask and its shape changed to become his. The film then ends with the other Matoran cheering while the symbol of the Three Virtues (Unity, Duty, and Destiny) appeared in the sky.
For the visual style of the film, director David Molina stated “We wanted to give this audience a bigger view of the BIONICLE world – more environments, larger vistas.” Also, “The island of BIONICLE 2 is something like Manhattan
, with lots of commerce and large buildings. The first film was very intimate, very organic. Metru Nui is more mechanical, so it has a different feel.”
Talking about the camera work, director Terry Shakespeare said "We really concentrated on depth of field with the camera," Comparing the two Bionicles, he felt "The first film had primary colors that were coded to the areas and a younger feel. For BIONICLE 2, we opened it up – the palette had to be more sophisticated, more realistic with earth tones, so we desaturated the characters."
Most of the animation was created in Taiwan
by a company called CGCG. The process of creating the movie, from storyboarding to delivery of the film took 12 months. Molina additionally added that the pipeline and process for creating this film was faster and more refined than the original Bionicle movie. “Our strength is bringing characters to life and not just robots,” added Shakespeare.
's Toonami aired several scenes from the film along with the first Bionicle movie Mask of Light
. The film was first screened on October 6, 2004, at the El Capitan Theatre
in Hollywood, California. Cartoon Network
aired the movie for the first time less than two months after its release on December 18, 2004, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
Though reviewers were still skeptical as to the toy promotional nature of these films, several noted their marked improvement over the original Bionicle movie, including its filling in of major plot holes that had been present in the first film. It was also noted for its references to The Lord of the Rings
, Star Wars
, The Matrix
, and Excalibur
. Some found the short but complicated introduction of characters and places to be difficult to follow, and the story itself hard to follow. There was also concern that the Bionicle brand promotes violence, running counter to the LEGO
themes of patience and careful construction. A sequel entitled Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows
was released in 2005.
Bionicle 2 was nominated at the DVD Exclusive Awards for Best Animated Premiere Movie. It was also nominated for best director and best original score. Bionicle was nominated at the 32nd Annual Saturn Awards for Best DVD release. It was also an iParenting Media Award winner for Best Home Video/DVD. Two awards were won by the studio that created Bionicle 2 at the 27th Annual Telly Awards. It also won the Golden Reel Award
for Sound Editing in a Direct to Video Release.
The film was well received among BIONICLE fans,with it holding a "Fresh" rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes in the user section.
Bionicle
Bionicle is a line of toys by the LEGO Group marketed primarily for 5- to 16-year-olds. The line was launched on December 30, 2000 in Europe and June/July 2001 in Canada and the United States. "Bionicle" is a portmanteau constructed from the words "biological" and "chronicle"...
series and is a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to Bionicle: Mask of Light
Bionicle: Mask of Light
Bionicle: Mask of Light: The Movie is the first direct-to-video Bionicle film based on the Lego toy series, made by Miramax Films with the help of Lego. It has sold over 40 million copies worldwide since its release....
. This movie follows the 2004 storyline and was created using Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
elements from the Bionicle series, and was released as a direct-to-DVD
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
.
In this movie, Vakama recalls events that took place long before the classic Bionicle stories at Mata Nui, during which he, along with his friends Nuju, Matau, Onewa, Whenua, and Nokama were chosen to be the new Toa of the island of Metru Nui. To save the city, they must prove themselves worthy Toa, find their mask powers, and protect the "Heart of Metru Nui". However, they also find themselves caught up in the schemes of the ruthless Makuta Teridax, the main antagonist and villain of the Bionicle series.
The film has many scenes taking stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
from itself. The film was received with mixed reviews, with some noting the filling in of plot holes from the last movie. The series continued to be noted for its visual effects and musical score. It was followed by a sequel, Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows
Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows
Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows is the Annie Award-nominated third Bionicle movie installment. It is also the second movie in the Bionicle timeline, as of 2005. The visuals are completely computer-generated...
.
Plot
The film begins with Turaga Vakama (Christopher GazeChristopher Gaze
-Biography:Gaze is a the founding Artistic Director of the annual Bard on the Beach Shakespeare festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Best known as Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, Christopher Gaze has performed in England, the USA and across Canada...
) describing a land that existed before Mata Nui called Metru Nui. The residents of the great city believed that the warriors known as the Toa
Toa (Bionicle)
In the fictional Bionicle universe certain Matoran are destined to become Toa: heroic warriors of great strength and power. The Toa's duty is to protect the Matoran and maintain peace in the universe. They usually work together in teams, with each member representing an element...
would protect them, but eventually they were all defeated, save for one named "Lhikan".
Lhikan travels throughout the entire city, giving Toa stones to six Matoran: Whenua, Nuju, Matau, Onewa, Nokama, and Vakama. After giving the last stone to Vakama, Lhikan is captured by two Dark Hunters called Nidhiki (who refers towards the Toa as "brother") and Krekka. Vakama later meets the other Matoran at the Great Temple in Ga-Metru; there, they are transformed into six new Toa. After Vakama has a vision, they all set out to recover the six Great Disks hidden throughout Metru Nui, believing that it would prove to Turaga Dume (the city’s leader) that they are worthy Toa.
Upon retrieving the disks (Vakama's disk was among Morbuzakh vines), the Toa bring the disks to the Coliseum. However, Dume issues that "small gifts" won't confirm them as Toa. He then tests them by starting a sea of rising metal in the Coliseum. When the six fail to cross it, and Dume denounces them as "imposters", he unleashes the Vahki (the city's law enforcers) upon them. In the process, Onewa, Nuju, and Whenua are sucked into a massive vortex and imprisoned while Vakama and the others escape the Coliseum by leaping into a chute system. However, the Dark Hunters follow them and manage to get the flow of the chute reversed. The Toa escape, but are left dangling from a dangerous height. While swinging to a tower, Matau falls, but is saved when he discovers that his blades can grant him flight.
When the Toa reach the ground, Vakama discovers that the Great Disks can be fused together. He then spots Lhikan’s "spirit star" soaring overhead; as long as it burns in the night sky, it means that Lhikan is still alive. They hitched a ride on a Vahki transport to follow the star. When they arrived in Po-Metru, they encountered the Dark Hunters once more. Just when a battle is about to ensue, a herd of beasts called Kikanalo stampeded through canyons. As the Toa were fleeing, Nokama discovered that her mask allowed her to speak and understand the language of the Kikanalo. After stopping the stampede, she spoke to the leader of the herd and learned that Lhikan was taken to the Canyon of Unending Whispers. They were then taken to a large canyon guarded by Vahki. They managed to bypass the Vahki and the Dark Hunters with the help of the Kikanalo and Matau's newly discovered mask power of illusion.
While the previous events occurred, Onewa and Whenua were unsuccessfully trying to break out of prison. They then met a Turaga. He explained that mask powers are needed to escape, and how they could be found. He then had the Toa perform seemingly pointless tasks. Eventually, Onewa and Whenua got into a fight in which Onewa discovered that his mask power was mind-control. Nuju then discovered his mask power, Telekinesis, and created a way out.
Whenua found his mask power, night-vision, and provided illumination in the tunnel with his mask. They were then reunited with the other three Toa. When they debated where Lhikan was, the Turaga removed his helmet and revealed that he was Lhikan. Vakama finds a small canister holding Dume and learned that the Dume from before was an impostor. A squadron of Vahki suddenly attacked and the group fled on a spare transport.
Meanwhile, "Dume" had summoned the Matoran to the Coliseum to be placed in the spheres. By the time the Toa arrived, it was too late; all the Matoran were now asleep. The false Dume then removed his mask and revealed himself to be Makuta Teridax. He plunged the Great Spirit Mata Nui into slumber and began absorbing energy from the city. He then absorbed Nivawk, Krekka, and Nidhiki, thus killing them. Whenua located the Matoran (through x-ray vision), who were underneath the Coliseum and stored in canisters. After surveying them, they realized that only a few of the Matoran can been carried on the transport and the rest would have to wait. They gathered as many of the spheres as possible, and began their journey out. Along the way, Vakama begins carving the Mask of Time from the disk when all visions he had previously seen reappeared and he came to a revelation: Teridax wanted control of time. To save the Matoran, the Toa must "follow the light". But as they neared, Teridax, now an immense winged being, attacked.
Vakama attempted to use the Mask of Time when he confronted the Makuta, but Teridax then launched an attack. Because the Mask of Time only slowed time, Vakama could not avoid it. Just then, Lhikan leaped in and took the blow. The Mask of Time was knocked off of Vakama, and Teridax flew after it.
As Lhikan lay dying, he explained to Vakama the Toa's duty to the Matoran. He then gave Vakama his mask and died. Anguished, Vakama discovered his mask power: invisibility. Just as Teridax was about to use the Mask of Time, Vakama knocked it away, and the mask fell into the sea. Teridax, enraged, attempts to kill Vakama. After a deadly battle, Vakama managed to trick Teridax into grabbing a towering boulder which slammed him into a wall. The Toa gathered and, combining their powers, sealed Teridax in a protodermis prison. The Toa continued towards the light and arrived on the island of Mata Nui.
When all the Matoran Spheres were placed on the beach of Mata Nui, the Toa discharged energy into the spheres, becoming Turaga in the process, and awakened the Matoran. One of the Matoran, Takua, led Vakama to a Matoran whose mask was shattered. Vakama gave this Matoran, Jaller, Lhikan's mask and its shape changed to become his. The film then ends with the other Matoran cheering while the symbol of the Three Virtues (Unity, Duty, and Destiny) appeared in the sky.
Production
Plans were in place before the release of the first Bionicle movie to create a second movie. The directors Terry Shakespeare and David Molina did have some input into the storyline, though most of the mythology had already been sketched out.For the visual style of the film, director David Molina stated “We wanted to give this audience a bigger view of the BIONICLE world – more environments, larger vistas.” Also, “The island of BIONICLE 2 is something like Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, with lots of commerce and large buildings. The first film was very intimate, very organic. Metru Nui is more mechanical, so it has a different feel.”
Talking about the camera work, director Terry Shakespeare said "We really concentrated on depth of field with the camera," Comparing the two Bionicles, he felt "The first film had primary colors that were coded to the areas and a younger feel. For BIONICLE 2, we opened it up – the palette had to be more sophisticated, more realistic with earth tones, so we desaturated the characters."
Most of the animation was created in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
by a company called CGCG. The process of creating the movie, from storyboarding to delivery of the film took 12 months. Molina additionally added that the pipeline and process for creating this film was faster and more refined than the original Bionicle movie. “Our strength is bringing characters to life and not just robots,” added Shakespeare.
Reception
Cartoon NetworkCartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's Toonami aired several scenes from the film along with the first Bionicle movie Mask of Light
Bionicle: Mask of Light
Bionicle: Mask of Light: The Movie is the first direct-to-video Bionicle film based on the Lego toy series, made by Miramax Films with the help of Lego. It has sold over 40 million copies worldwide since its release....
. The film was first screened on October 6, 2004, at the El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre is a fully restored movie palace at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is owned by Pacific Theatres and operated by the Walt Disney Company. It serves as the venue for many of Walt Disney Pictures' movie premieres...
in Hollywood, California. Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
aired the movie for the first time less than two months after its release on December 18, 2004, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
Though reviewers were still skeptical as to the toy promotional nature of these films, several noted their marked improvement over the original Bionicle movie, including its filling in of major plot holes that had been present in the first film. It was also noted for its references to The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
, Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
, and Excalibur
Excalibur (film)
Excalibur is a 1981 dramatic fantasy film directed, produced and co-written by John Boorman that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Adapted from the 15th century Arthurian romance, Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, Excalibur features the music of Richard Wagner...
. Some found the short but complicated introduction of characters and places to be difficult to follow, and the story itself hard to follow. There was also concern that the Bionicle brand promotes violence, running counter to the LEGO
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
themes of patience and careful construction. A sequel entitled Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows
Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows
Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows is the Annie Award-nominated third Bionicle movie installment. It is also the second movie in the Bionicle timeline, as of 2005. The visuals are completely computer-generated...
was released in 2005.
Bionicle 2 was nominated at the DVD Exclusive Awards for Best Animated Premiere Movie. It was also nominated for best director and best original score. Bionicle was nominated at the 32nd Annual Saturn Awards for Best DVD release. It was also an iParenting Media Award winner for Best Home Video/DVD. Two awards were won by the studio that created Bionicle 2 at the 27th Annual Telly Awards. It also won the Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award may refer to:* Golden Reel Award , presented by the Genie Awards to high-grossing Canadian films...
for Sound Editing in a Direct to Video Release.
DVD release
Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui was released on DVD on October 6, 2004 in the United States. It was praised for its high quality picture and 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. The DVD included a number of documentaries including the making of the movie and associated toy line. There is also a featurette entitled "The Legend Revealed" that has a brief question and answer session with the production team. Some critics were concerned that the DVD makes too much of an attempt to sell the Bionicle product.The film was well received among BIONICLE fans,with it holding a "Fresh" rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes in the user section.
Cast & Characters
- Alessandro JulianiAlessandro JulianiAlessandro Juliani is a Canadian actor, singer, and voice actor. He is notable for playing Tactical Officer Lieutenant Felix Gaeta on the Sci Fi Channel television program Battlestar Galactica, and Emil Hamilton in Smallville...
as Toa Vakama - Christopher GazeChristopher Gaze-Biography:Gaze is a the founding Artistic Director of the annual Bard on the Beach Shakespeare festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Best known as Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, Christopher Gaze has performed in England, the USA and across Canada...
as Turaga Vakama (narrator) - Gerard Plunkett as Turaga Dume
- Tabitha St. GermainTabitha St. GermainTabitha St. Germain is a Canadian stage actress. She has made the transition from stage work to voice work, and has since become one of the core female voice actresses working with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Anime :* .hack//Roots - Asta, Nazo Grunty* Black Lagoon -...
as Toa Nokama - Michael Dobson as Toa Lhikan & Krekka
- Brian DrummondBrian DrummondBrian Drummond is a Canadian actor. He also serves on the board of directors for the New Westminster-based Urban Academy along with his wife, Laura Drummond, also a voice artist. He and his wife serve as vice-president and president, respectively.- Career :Drummond was born in Salmon Arm, British...
as Toa Matau & Toa Onewa - Paul Dobson as Toa Whenua & Nidhiki
- Trevor DevallTrevor DevallTrevor Devall is one of the various voice actors who works for Ocean Group, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Trevor has performed various anime roles, most notably Mu La Flaga of Gundam SEED. Other anime roles include Mukotsu of InuYashas Shichinin-tai, as well as the multiple faces of...
as Toa Nuju - Lee TockarLee TockarLee William Tockar is a Canadian voice actor and visual artist who works for several studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is also a writer of children's literature, a musician, sculptor, illustrator and collected painter...
as Makuta Teridax & Kongu