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Talking to Janus about how 2005 was one of the best things ever and I wrote this on the spot trying to explain. He said to turn it into a story but I think this is as effective as it's going to get for me. This one's for you, Rob.So let me tell you something about the Turaga.Way back in Metru Nui,they were Toa.Toa who became monsters.After all they had facedthey came back to their cityand now it's infested.That was the Toa realizing that sometimes,they can't protect what they love.Fighting a losing battleagainst everyone and everything.They saw their city reduced to cobwebs.They saw their own kind betray them in primal madnessand they can't forget that.So they step back into their cityunrecognizable,irreconcilable.The streets are empty save for the clatter of Visorak crawling back to their webs.Something's out there in the shadows but they don't care.Vakama visits the forge where he once worked as a Matoranand finds, perhapsthe shell of a Vahkistrangled by a withering vine that trails off into the furnace,and he remembers all that the city had faced and wonand how much they lost.But all he can see now are these websall leading straight back to the Coliseum.Wrapped around the statue of his hero, the great Lhikan.Defacing the Great Temple where they were transformedinto the Toa Metru, defenders of their city.They who were once hunted and imprisoned by their own leader.And now there's nothing they can do to save their city.There's no coming back home.There will only be the bitter taste of victory,followed by a short farewell,then they will turn their backs to the cityand condemn it to entropy.And this!They win the battle!Their true forms are restored!Their friends are saved!As they head out to board the boat,Whenua glimpses the entrance to the Archives.He imagines the terrifying beasts once caged belowand he wonders what is happening to them now;mutant behemoths screaming in the dark.But there's nothing therejust an open entranceand a silence.So they board the boatand push offnone of them look back as they try not to thinkabout what once happenedabout their fellow Matoranwho will remember nothing of the glory of Metru-Nuiand so they live out their liveson the tropical paradise of Mata-Nuisuppressing these memories.Ignoring the instinct to share old jokes with their brothers and sisters.Because none of them remember,none but these six.And when they hold council,it starts with a look shared from one to the next.Sometimes Matau starts it,sometimes Nuju.But none of them want to say it.Nobody wants to speak the one thought shared by all:"Remember Metru-Nui?" ---
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A ruined Protodermis Statue stood watch over the area. This Protodermis Goliath, slowly crumbling to the earth. Its visage unrecognizable, it's solemn watch deteriorating. Viewing this desolation and ruin was my purpose I made my way to the Vahki hive. The few Visorak ignored me, I am not their to them. Their spindly legs moving easily through the rubble of the old Vahki hive. The Vahki's decayed mechanical bodies lied limp, having been shut off on patrol. The Visorak's webs covered their bodies, allowing little room for truly recognizable parts. A single cold eye stares up at me, the Vahki's other eye completely shattered. It's silence seems consuming, rather than decaying. A group of three Visorak meander their way through the rubble and ruin. They are among the last left, the last of a migrating species, recently relieved of their rulers. A chance that should never have happened, but as they pass, they jostle a control panel. There is a slow creaking as old systems, unused in years, come back to life. There is a screech as a gear sticks, and it momentarily comes to a halt. A clunk, and the turning truly starts, the webs being pulled apart, the gears turning anew. There is clicking, and the pods around me begin to open. It takes a moment, a moment that feels longer than it is, but the eyes slowly begin to glow. A much dimmer glow than it once was, and broken by cracks and chips. A Vahki pulls itself out of its pod, its left arm falling off as it does so. All around me, the once silent guardians begin to rise. As they all slowly stand, not only here, but across the entire city, the old programs take a while to become active. The Vahki stand motionless for what seems to be many minutes, as their programs begin to activate. As they activate, their eyes lock onto the Visorak, instantly recognizing a threat, moving out in battalions to combat the perceived threat. There is clanking, and the Vahki begin their march, unable to run anymore. Missing limbs are seen anywhere. Most Vahki are limping, a few are completely unable to walk, attempting to pull themselves across the ground towards the threat that has presented itself. Some tumble over and shut off, the last of their meager existence spent. The noises begin to alert the Visorak, and suddenly, the Vahki begin to truly come to life, moving faster, rushing at the somewhat perplexed Visorak. The Visorak screech, running towards the force of Vahki, pincers clanking together. It is a slaughter. A mad slaughter. The Visorak stood no chance against a force so overwhelming. Many Vahki are also slaughtered, but they number so greatly that the numbers are almost unnoticed. I breeze through the streets, watching the carnage unfold. There were two or three misshapen, broken Vahki to every Visorak they fought. I watched a certain fight, between a Vohtarak Visorak and three Kheerahk. The Visorak threw them off, attempting to get away, but was quickly attacked by a Kranua that had shifted its body to sand underneath the Visorak. It was smashed back to the ground by the Kranua, and tackled by the three Kheerahk Vahki. This was the sort of carnage happening across the entire city. It didn't take long, only a few hours, but the Vahki had taken back the city. They stood up straight, if they could, and marched as units to their respective metrus, most limped, some made their way without their back legs, slowly following with only their forelegs. I breezed along, watching as they resumed their patrols, resuming their slow march around Metru Nui... I found my way back to my body, and ended my walk outside. But I didn't forget what I had seen, and one day, I went back. I went back, and at first, the city seemed silent, but slowly, slowly, I heard a noise. Krisssshhh. Clank. Krisssshhh. Clank. Krisssshhh. Clank. Slowly a Vahki came into view. It was dragging its leg, causing the sound I had hear. The patrol had resumed their march, and continued the job they had once had, in spite of the Matoran that they no longer had. A quiet, eternal patrol, in a ruined dream of a city.
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I've been working on yet another storyline, I can seem to finish any Bionicle Storylines that I start...oh well. In my book, I plan to have Sidorak return. I made an upgraded version of him for my storyline, and it turned out quite well. I personally think the green looks better on him than the original red. As for what other changes I made besides the obvious ones, I modified the arms so that instead of one arm being really lose, and the other being really tight, now both arms are in between lose and tight. Front: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Joev14/MOCS/Super-Sidorak/super_sidorak_front.jpgBack: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Joev14/MOCS/Super-Sidorak/super_sidorak_back.jpgSide Pose: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Joev14/MOCS/Super-Sidorak/super_sidorak_side.jpgChest Layers: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Joev14/MOCS/Super-Sidorak/super_sidorak_chest_layers.jpgOriginal Sidorak (For Comparison): http://biosector01.com/wiki/images/d/d7/Sidorak.PNG
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Bionicle Web of ShadowsTheme: There are four themes to this movie:1. Pride goes before a fall; it doesn't pay to be overconfident2. It is best to consult with others to avoid walking into a trap (Matau)3. “I only lead those who choose to follow me. That’s the difference between being a leader, and a tyrant like you.”(Vakama)4. “Unity, Duty, Destiny. It starts with unity.” –Rahaga NorikThe directors tried to create a movie with multiple themes and universal application, much like Shakespeare or Crime and Punishment. What they got was a mess, completely incomprehensible. There is also what the characters interpret theme #1 to be, side themes that only apply to certain characters, and themes that are expressed that don’t even apply. One example of that is Rahaga Norik’s conversation with Vakama: “That is something you can’t change.” “Watch me.” And then Vakama does exactly what he says he would, except not quite in the way he imagined when he was talking to Norik. The key to defeating all the Visorak was having Vakama in charge of them and setting them free, which tatters a lot of the other themes stated above. If Vakama hadn’t done what he did, the whole story would fall apart, leaving any themes to the contrary with a giant hole in them.Main Character: MatauSurprised? Who is the first person who we see after the Toa land? Matau. Who is the guy who shows up after the transformation? That would be Matau. Who saves the day at the end, and practically hogs the camera the entire movie? Three guesses. This movie, unlike the other two, is told in third-person limited, with the camera jumping between Vakama and Matau. This nicely explains all of the other film’s peculiarities, like the other Toa practically not existing for most of the film, because in Matau’s mind, they don’t. We have just logged on to the All Matau, All the Time channel for most of the film – and now a word from our sponsor, Sidorak…which is portrayed precisely as Matau views him. That’s probably where the credit music came from, and the whole thing was a nightmare in Matau’s head. The best way to interpret this film as that, and consider the novel Web of Shadows (which was vastly better than the movie) as what really happened. * * * While I am on the subject of novels, I have to admit that this movie deviates the most from its movie novelization. This is just an opinion, not really an insight, but I think they should have told this story like they told LoMN, and included scenes from that epic Challege of Hordika Battle. The deviation on the chronology between book and movie is so bad that different reasons are cited for Vakama going out and betraying the others.Secondary Major Character: Vakama (duh!)While Vakama exhibits some of the characteristics of taking the lead again, and having to have the theme explained by Matau, which is usually the secondary character’s role, but because nothing is as it should be in this film, I’m just going to throw it out. Web of Shadows is vastly different from the other ones in almost every other respect, so why not this one? And I’ve already explain the whole Matau-as-main-character thing. The story is so sad, demented and messed up, that it even tears up any whiffs of theme and narrative structure. At least, any that make sense. Oh, and also we must establish that Vakama owns the world, even though he is chewed at the expense of the theme, but not really. We have gone back to the Fire-bashing of MoL, because it is easier.All that above nicely explains why nobody liked this movie: Vakama is beat up, nobody can get what the theme is, and nobody likes Matau. The End. Oh, wait, we still have to do the film.The Very First Scene · So we start off with a giant silver fingernail slicing into Makuta’s now red prison. Red, and thus fire, is on the Dark Side now, kiddies. This is supposed to tell us that Roodaka is our Makuta rep in this film, and unlike the previous two films, His Dark Lordness fails to put in an appearance. Also, it is a symbol of Roodaka’s damage to Vakama, harkening back to the Red Toa Rock in the last film, and basically saying that there is a Makuta trapped inside Vakama, which is a theme from 2005 that otherwise didn’t make it in this film – the darkness inside yourself, remember that? · Web of Shadows is a really strange title. It could refer to the actual physical web, or the web of deceit Roodaka spins around Vakama. The Visorak aren’t much more than Roodaka’s third arm. The name Visorak goes back to the sun-sheilding “visor”. They are a shield from the light, particularly the light of truth. That’s part of the reason we don’t see any visions in here, and it is their Hordika poison that keeps all those wonderful AI glitches from happening. Also, it might be important to note that Visorak and Vahki are enemies of Vakama, and it is kind of a giveaway that the Visorak end up being Vakama’s instruments. When you see a V, look for a connection: Vakama, Vahi, Voporak all have to do with time; Velika is a foil of Vezok and Vezon, (the guy who gives unexpected wisdom vs. the two crazy cool dudes, and the centrality of Voya Nui is likely the fulfillment of the prophecy given to Vakama in Time Trap, and it goes back to the “daggers of death” = enemies (like the enemies of Vakama). Not all beginning consonants are significant; M and T are overused so much that they worthless. But that is another topic altogether, and it is probably a list of funny coincidences. The Storm to the Fall · In case you haven’t interviewed Kongu lately, you know that all Toa of Air love water, especially wild, turbulent water. So, the perfect way to start off the Toa of Air’s worst nightmare is: a rainstorm, a crash, and having to be bailed out by Whenua. Keep in mind Matau is driving; that is important later. · Matau really doesn’t like wild animals either. Remember that the Toa’s base of operations in this whole sequence was Le-Metru: he probably doesn’t like his neighborhood being run over by it. · “We faced the Makuta and won. I doubt a bunch of crusty relics are going to give us much trouble, right?” The ultimate statement of pride, but it is pretty stupid since the Visorak aren’t “crusty relics”. And Matau’s comment about walking into a trap doesn’t really make sense, since they walked about two hundred feet onto the island, only to get nailed. Our Main Character is already espousing themes that don’t make since, and we are only a few minutes in. As Nokama would say later, “This is not Vakama’s fault.” Well, it wasn’t. · Introducing the picture of overconfidence who conveniently gets killed at the end: Sidorak. The pride-goes-before-a-fall theme is rather pervasive – this movie attacks self-reliance and independent action. Lego failed to consider its audience, a lot of people who believe in independent creativity. This movie is almost anti-Lego. · You’ll notice that the Champion Complainer Onewa’s mouth is muffled by the web, a slight against his personality. · Also, if you go by the books, Nokama is a foil of Roodaka. Her dialogue in this movie is a lot like she has lost Vakama to Roodaka. (there is a lot of bad romantic connotations in this film, too) Roodaka is a little friendly towards Makuta; and we know how Matau feels about Nokama, so the movie is a complete shipper’s paradise. · The fall scene: Like the two movies that repeat stuff at the beginning and the end, this repeats the fall itself. · “I can’t just change” says Vakama, and then he does, turning into Hordika. · Most of Matau being the Main character comes from the fact that Greg wanted Matau to betray the others, not Vakama. In that situation, Vakama would probably fight Matau to get him back using his zen persuasive skills which he doesn’t have. (that’s Nokama’s and Roodaka’s domain) Switch the roles, and you get WoS, with Matau pushing Vakama over the edge, Matau relizing his awful mistake, learning some hard lessons and trying to convince Vakama that he’s changed. That’s why that keeps getting brought up. · The fall is a representation of the Toa’s fall from glory into ugliness. Roodaka and Sidorak, our examples of pride and conniving disunity, observe. Nokama is the last to fall, indicating that there is still some good left in her. (one of the best music sequences ever). Vakama’s leaving, the Great Temple, and Roodaka. · Before you dis the Rahaga’s propellers, it’s a symbol. The Toa are the lead weight, indicating that darkness within theme again. The Rahaga have not been weighted down or have fallen from glory, and they can move up and down the range from nobility to foolishness with ease. Height is a prime symbol…overcoming darkness moves you up in height, which is why all the protagonists fly or climb up at the end. The Rahaga can already go up there, but they have come down to the Toa’s level to help them. · Roodaka magically gets a huge Makuta Rock in her private chambers. Even though the tiny heartstone had to be painfully cut from the Makuta prison, a giant Makuta communication stone can easily be bought in Vortixx Mart. · The next thing is Matau complaining about Vakama, and everyone trying to calm him or stop him. Then the Rahaga appear and explain their condition. This is important: What splits up the team is not Matau’s earlier comments, but the idea that the Matoran’s Rescue should be postponed in order to cure the Toa’s affliction. All the other Toa want to find Keetongu first; Vakama does not. All Vakama cares about is the Matoran; he is completely selfless when he leaves. His “I’ll show them all” comment is his expression of wanting to prove that his position is right. It is Roodaka’s influence that warps his better-than-Matau’s intentions. This is misunderstood by everyone in the film, especially Rahaga Norik. · All that explains Rahaga Norik’s comment about the Matoran being in the most capable hands: the fact that Vakama was willing to sacrifice everything for them, even his own sanity, shows that he will be the paramount person to keep them safe. Even Rahaga Norik’s comment about the Toa needing Vakama to lead them is factual; Vakama doesn’t care about the others as long as the Matoran get saved. In fact, Vakama would probably love to leave them behind, especially Matau. The whole thing is exacerbated by Hordika venom and misunderstandings. · Remember that scene when the Toa were trying to get to the Great Temple and were stopped by Vahki? That’s usually the Toa trying to return to their value system, to try to do what is right. This time, it is the venom that won’t let them in; only the Rahaga, who transcend the levels of good and bad, can get in. · According the novel WoS, Vakama is trying to two-time Roodaka into giving him command of the horde, than use it against Roodaka. This isn’t evident here, giving the audience the impression that Vakama is crazy. He does succeed, however. Remember, Vakama owns the world, even when crazy. · Vakama destroying the Great Temple is pretty much his statement of saying that his values don’t matter to him anymore. · Then, in a complete failure to get the point, the other Toa decide to expedite their search for Keetongu in order to save Vakama, who left them over that very thing. And then we slide over and show something out of Disney. · And in a complete contrast to Disney, Vakama bangs on Sidorak’s door, with a few imprisoned Rahaga to add to the picture. · “To save Vakama, you must use your new skills and ablities, not be rid of them.” No duh. Can’t listen to your leader who has been telling you that for the last 30 minutes. The End[*]Vakama is sick and tired of recalcitrant Toa who won’t listen to him, so what comes out of his mouth is “Bow down and pledge your allegiance…to me!” If he hadn’t added the addendum, “And…to Sidorak”, I’m almost certain that the other Toa would have done exactly as he said. Still running, Toa?[*]“Put me down.” Don’t pull me up to the level of truth. I don’t want to see what is. And I definitely don’t want you to either, you traitor.[*]In the final piece of irony, the first time Sidorak says something not prideful, he gets destroyed.[*]Then we have the second fall, which is stopped by Vakama, not by the Rahaga.[*]And then there is that famous Vakama quote: “For some reason, he doesn’t scare me anymore.” Makuta fought against his destiny; but Roodaka twisted and corrupted it. Roodaka is worse than Makuta; where Makuta failed to get Vakama to switch sides and become evil, Roodaka succeeded.[*]And then the magically appearing airships, which provide that round linkage of Matau driving something, which is exactly how we started.[*]End Matau’s Dream and Movie Three
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The ShieldEver thought about the Toa Haga special edition sets from '05? The sets were cool, and the only was to get the shields included were through those sets, and only in 2 colors. After loosing my Iruni shield, I figured, Hey, why not build one out of a visorak head body. They came in 6 colors (7 if you include the gold one in the coloseum) and were more common. Above is an example of one from one of my moc's. I can build them in 5 out of six colors, so I can get almost a standard team (full team if I can find one in brown, and mabey a toa of light if I get the gold one.) it is a simple design, basically a turaga body with a handle. It works on both the old hand and the 3 fingered hands. Will post instructions soon.
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Fronthttp://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/bionicle/images/5/56/Snapshot_23.jpg Sidehttp://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/bionicle/images/5/56/Snapshot_24.jpgBackhttp://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/bionicle/images/2/22/Snapshot_25.jpg What started off as my attempt to make Axonn turned into an overly top heavy armoured.. thingy..Funny thing was i originally intended to create an awesome foot for a MOC. But then i decided to attach it to a modified, stripped down axonn torso, As you can see, weve got many layers of armoury goodness. and a Vahki head for good measure, and Matoro's Ice Claws chucked in.Also, i didnt make any legs. this is because [*]The foot i created ended up being body armour[*]I SUCK at making legs. I try to make legs that reflect the body, but they end up being too long and too weak to support the body. so i skipped it. Ill probably attach axonns legs or something. Now before we begin, please just.. dont.. just dont tell me its blurry. I know its blurry. So assume you have already posted the comment saying its blurry and move on. If you want instructions thats fine, i just need to make them.PS: i dont think youll want instructions, seeing as its..lets say.. not the best MOC on the forums haha I called him Vahki Hordika, as it looks like a vahki, but like Uber-fied. Bring on the criticism
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So I've started up a rewrite of my second comedy, the ever-popular Ask Matau!. I decided that in addition to reusing the old questions as they appeared in each chapter, I'll also be adding in additional questions that anyone sends in with the new forums. So, Ask Matau! is once again accepting questions! Send them in, please! Lewa0111
