OFFICIAL Bionicle 2015 Topic

[LegoSWfan]

I prefer the old logo, to be honest.

[Toa Smoke Monster]

I just saw the CGI commercial. It was great! I'm glad that these kind of Bionicle commercials will be in Gen 2 as well.

 

The only thing that would've made it better would be if it had shown off Gali, Onua, and Pohatu more. But not every set can get a lot of screen time in thirty seconds, I guess.

[Zeb]

I just saw the CGI commercial. It was great! I'm glad that these kind of Bionicle commercials will be in Gen 2 as well.

 

The only thing that would've made it better would be if it had shown off Gali, Onua, and Pohatu more. But not every set can get a lot of screen time in thirty seconds, I guess.

I'm still waiting for someone to take the narration-less versions of the character videos and try doing their own voice-overs. (Just imagine the parodies... "I AM OMEGA TAHU!!!")

[Blastcage]

Ya'll said these were available on WalMart.com...when I search on the website, i do not see them listed. YOU'RE ALL LIARS AND ARE UNDER ARREST. Anyways, I went to an actual WalMart today...nothing. Ah well, they rarely break the street date here in the Newnan area.

[Diend]

Checked 2 wal-marts and 2 Targets today and found nothing! The stores were still getting out all of last wave's power rangers and WWE stuff anyway, so I figure they'll do a huge clean out now before Christmas and then load up all the new toys after, like Bionicle.

 

This is in Bridgeport/Trumbull/Fairfield CT, for anyone local.

[dviddy]

I prefer the old logo, to be honest.

Is there anything from G1 you -don't- prefer over the new line? You're getting a little broken record-ish.

[Voltex]

 

 

Alright, let's let that particular conversation drop, shall we?

 

On a lighter note, if anyone's interested, I've taken the liberty of grabbing the videos directly from the LEGO site.  They're fairly high bitrate and 720p, so if anyone's interested in good-quality screencaps from them (for example, here's Ekimu's funeral), I'd be happy to make them.  There'll still be some artifacting (especially in high-motion scenes), but that's unavoidable.

 

Would you be able to make a screencap of each of the Toa?

 

 

Sorry for the wait!

 

 

Thanks! These will be very useful.

[Zeb]

Ya'll said these were available on WalMart.com...when I search on the website, i do not see them listed. YOU'RE ALL LIARS AND ARE UNDER ARREST. Anyways, I went to an actual WalMart today...nothing. Ah well, they rarely break the street date here in the Newnan area.

They were there yesterday! And they sold out! And here's proof:

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/40996351?www=true&productRedirect=true

[LegoSWfan]

 

I prefer the old logo, to be honest.

Is there anything from G1 you -don't- prefer over the new line? You're getting a little broken record-ish.

Nope. G1 takes top priority for me. But I'm sorry if I sound broken.

[masterchirox580]

For all the British users I have a UK site that is offering the sets for pre-order, they are now listed at a site known as TheHut.com, my mother only likes to go through amazon so I have to wait till they start offering them(should be soon). 

[Takametru007]

For anyone who has the new sets:

 

Does the new gear function actually work to knock off masks? It looks like with the friction gears they move too slowly to get enough force for that- and do the masks come off easily enough when either the "brain" or the mask itself is struck? It's cool that they brought those features back, but do they actually work like the old knock-the-mask-off-game did?

[fishers64]

I do appreciate that it uses the same music as the story animations. Even though it's not the most iconic theme music (I much prefer Ninjago's), using it consistently across media does help to give the new Bionicle theme a distinct sound.

Bionicle! Biiiooonicle!

 

I'll take the new theme music over that any day. While I will concede that the Ninjago theme is catchy, it doesn't fit the feel of Bionicle at all. Bionicle needs a bit more of a grand and epic feel, and I think this theme does the job. Plus also the characters through out this have a state of regality and elegance to them, and this theme reflects that. Catchy theme tunes IMO are more punchy, but they also are more down-to-earth and than high-fantasy elegance. 

 

Though Bionicle is a bit more versatile in its music styles. I was just listening to a completely unrelated song the and thought it would fit with Bionicle 2008, and it is very punchy. But 2008 is not very regal or elegant or poetic like 2001 - it's a big messy war. 

 

Speaking of which, what do you guys think the Mask of Ultimate Power even does? The Mask of Creation obviously has creation powers, and the Mask of Control has controlling powers... but what exactly is "Ultimate Power"? Control over all 6 elements? Control over every power in the entire universe combined? Control over shadows and evil bad guy stuff? Control over Time?

The MoUP has control of all six elements. 

 

As for the Vahi, there's already a Temple of Time on the island. Obviously, time is important, and they are not trying to hide it. Why everyone links it to time travel is a misnomer considering that the Vahi doesn't allow you to time travel. It was explicitly banned from that story. All that it tells me is that someone ran around the island drawing Vahi for fun, and animators feel like chucking it in anywhere they can, even in places where it doesn't make sense. It's like Stan Lee in Marvel. 

[Lyichir]

 

I do appreciate that it uses the same music as the story animations. Even though it's not the most iconic theme music (I much prefer Ninjago's), using it consistently across media does help to give the new Bionicle theme a distinct sound.

Bionicle! Biiiooonicle!

 

I'll take the new theme music over that any day. While I will concede that the Ninjago theme is catchy, it doesn't fit the feel of Bionicle at all. Bionicle needs a bit more of a grand and epic feel, and I think this theme does the job. Plus also the characters through out this have a state of regality and elegance to them, and this theme reflects that. Catchy theme tunes IMO are more punchy, but they also are more down-to-earth and than high-fantasy elegance. 

 

Though Bionicle is a bit more versatile in its music styles. I was just listening to a completely unrelated song the and thought it would fit with Bionicle 2008, and it is very punchy. But 2008 is not very regal or elegant or poetic like 2001 - it's a big messy war.

 

I suppose I wasn't clear. When I referred to Ninjago's theme, I wasn't referring to The Weekend Whip—I was referring to the Ninjago Overture, the main recurring theme in the TV show and advertisements. I feel that it's generally a lot more complex and interesting than the new Bionicle's music, and more effectively evokes the world of the theme it represents.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Here is the original video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjcbyezMVFs

Also includes Toa clips without narration.

 

I actually prefer these character animations without narration... really awesome music and the sound is well-mixed. The narration just seems redundant now that I think about it - it's good for the actual episodes for sure though.

 

Also that CGI trailer was EPIC! Almost feels cartoonish in just the way it is presented, and that definitely fits the aesthetic style of the online animations. Still glad to see CGI commercials are still a thing. Could have done without the laser sounds but the Toa beating up those Skull Spiders looked dope.

 

I just saw the CGI commercial. It was great!   I'm glad that these kind of Bionicle commercials will be in Gen 2 as well.

 

The only thing that would've made it better would be if it had shown off Gali, Onua, and Pohatu more. But not every set can get a lot of screen time in thirty seconds, I guess. 

30 seconds isn't much time - this is just like that Glatorian trailer where they only had time to show off Malum, Gresh, Strakk and Skrall (in a sense). I can only hope they made a commercial showcasing Gali, Onua, and Pohatu, but if they didn't this makes sense, since Lewa, Kopaka and Tahu seem to be the posterboys of this year.

 

-NotS

Edited December 17, 2014 by Nidhiki of the Shadows

[fishers64]

I suppose I wasn't clear. When I referred to Ninjago's theme, I wasn't referring to The Weekend Whip—I was referring to the Ninjago Overture, the main recurring theme in the TV show and advertisements. I feel that it's generally a lot more complex and interesting than the new Bionicle's music, and more effectively evokes the world of the theme it represents.

I'll agree with you on this. However, it should be minded that Bionicle never had much of a consistent theme at all. So any theme they use now is going to not ring as true, whereas Ninjago has always had that theme. 

 

Picking any theme to represent the whole of Bionicle is patently absurd. The closest I think would be the Mata Nui theme that plays here, given its mechanical feel. The new theme is actually closer to that, with a slightly smoother flow and less of a mechanical, robot feel - as well it should. 

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Honestly, Bionicle has had many MANY themes throughout its original run, but I am sure the three that resonate the most with lots of fans are probably the variations of the Mask of Light theme or Matoran by Nathan Furst and The Bionicle Music from the Powerpack, just because of how often they were used (probably the closest thing to a recurring theme). Also I see a lot of fan-videos that use Nathan Furst's soundtracks, so that seems to be the definite Bionicle music style composition-wise for many.

 

But Nathan Furst's music is written for a feature film and the Ninjago theme is written for a television show. Even The Bionicle Music (which I posted above) is a fairly simple song with a good beat, which is perfect for commercials. This theme in the new character animations has to be short and I think people are expecting too much for a song designed for a 30 second advertisement. 

 

-NotS

[LegoSWfan]

Just give us the classic music.

[Lyichir]

 

I suppose I wasn't clear. When I referred to Ninjago's theme, I wasn't referring to The Weekend Whip—I was referring to the Ninjago Overture, the main recurring theme in the TV show and advertisements. I feel that it's generally a lot more complex and interesting than the new Bionicle's music, and more effectively evokes the world of the theme it represents.

I'll agree with you on this. However, it should be minded that Bionicle never had much of a consistent theme at all. So any theme they use now is going to not ring as true, whereas Ninjago has always had that theme.

 

Picking any theme to represent the whole of Bionicle is patently absurd. The closest I think would be the Mata Nui theme that plays here, given its mechanical feel. The new theme is actually closer to that, with a slightly smoother flow and less of a mechanical, robot feel - as well it should.

 

I know it's far too late to make a single theme that defined the old Bionicle. That's why I was hoping for something, catchy, recognizable, and iconic to be used for the new theme from the get-go.

 

The Ninjago overture is epic and sweeping and uses very classically Asian instruments and rhythms to create a sound that is unique to the Ninjago theme. I feel that maybe if the new Bionicle music HAD been given more of a mechanical, robotic feel, it might have succeeded at being just as distinctively Bionicle. As it is, the new Bionicle music is so generic as to be forgettable. And as such I fear that it's liable to be replaced completely when Bionicle branches off into other media like movies.

 

Just give us the classic music.

...Sigh. Why does it not surprise me that you'd pipe up with something inane like that. The classic theme used such a wide range of vastly different musical styles that no single song from it could ever represent the theme as a whole. I wanted something that COULD do so, for the new theme. So I don't even know what you mean by "the classic music". The Power Pack music? The movie soundtracks? Move Along? Cryoshell?

 

The new music isn't bad, but it's just as generically heroic as Nathan Furst's scores for the original Bionicle movies. And I had wanted something more like the original Bionicle music from the MNOG and Power Pack—something with a distinct identity that was unique to Bionicle alone.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Lyichir

[Nescent]

Honestly, Bionicle has had many MANY themes throughout its original run, but I am sure the three that resonate the most with lots of fans are probably the variations of the Mask of Light theme or Matoran by Nathan Furst and The Bionicle Music from the Powerpack, just because of how often they were used (probably the closest thing to a recurring theme). Also I see a lot of fan-videos that use Nathan Furst's soundtracks, so that seems to be the definite Bionicle music style composition-wise for many.

 

But Nathan Furst's music is written for a feature film and the Ninjago theme is written for a television show. Even The Bionicle Music (which I posted above) is a fairly simple song with a good beat, which is perfect for commercials. This theme in the new character animations has to be short and I think people are expecting too much for a song designed for a 30 second advertisement. 

 

-NotS

 

Thanks for posting that music, it brought back great memories   I like the 2015 music that we've heard, but it is repetitive in each one of the 30-second videos. After three or so videos I was kind of sick of those strings...

 

Just give us the classic music.

 

Do you even want anything to be new in the reboot? 

Edited December 17, 2014 by Dark Blue

[Aanchir]

I suppose I wasn't clear. When I referred to Ninjago's theme, I wasn't referring to The Weekend Whip—I was referring to the Ninjago Overture, the main recurring theme in the TV show and advertisements. I feel that it's generally a lot more complex and interesting than the new Bionicle's music, and more effectively evokes the world of the theme it represents.

One of the things I love about Ninjago's soundtrack that few BIONICLE soundtracks have ever really been able to capture is that like the soundtracks of Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, My Little Pony Equestria Girls, or even The LEGO Movie, it literally sounds like the type of music the inhabitants of its world might actually make. Some of the Mata Nui Online Game music had that feel, but the BIONICLE movie soundtracks rarely did. The music reflected the story but it failed to reflect the world in which that story took place.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Aanchir

[LegoSWfan]

Lyi, the movie track and move along.

 

Dark blue, no.

[Makaru]

I really have to The Bionicle Music by "Lewa", it wore a lot of hats. It had sections that were tribal, sections that were industrial, and parts that were just straight up rock.

 

It was sampled and mixed in many different ways. It made up the end boss theme for Makuta in MNOLG. It was used in commercials. It was even used to promote the Vahki in an entirely fitting and appropriate way three years after it was made. People generally enjoy the sound of it.

 

But it was never really used as a wholesale "theme", which is a shame. There is a wealth of motifs that, when taken out and added to different styles of music, could have provided a wide range of amazing and memorable go-to tracks.

 

 

The new music is pretty nice, but it's sort of just "there"? It doesn't make a huge impact, and doesn't stray away from "safe" in terms of background music. I had to look up some videos just to remember what it was again. Not a really good start.

[admiraltyphoon]

http://i.imgur.com/1AaVskU.jpg

 

In case you wanted to know how does the new head look in animated form.

 

 

[LegoSWfan]

Looks like beast machines cheetor...

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

http://i.imgur.com/1AaVskU.jpg

 

In case you wanted to know how does the new head look in animated form.

We found Lewa's bird-eating grin!

 

Also on the discussion of music - it's definitely more difficult to create a memorable soundtrack than just to compose music that fits. Nathan Furst's compositions are not only pleasing to the ears but also complex and full of character - contrast that to the more "generic" soundtrack in TLR and we get a world of difference. John D'Andrea's soundtrack certainly fits the film but does not add to character or setting. It's more pronounced in accentuating key points in the film but not actually subtly influencing the viewers emotions and involvement in the story. Now Ninjago, obviously being a daytime show, needs to have recurring leitmotifs and themes that are catchy and more involved to affect the audiences emotions, and as a result the music often ends up being composed with that in mind (also, the fact that the show is the main source of media every year and has the same composer ensures the musical themes are all consistent). 

 

The music composed for these commercials were composed with advertising in mind. That means either creating some memorably catchy tune or just something that fits the atmosphere. Obviously, Bionicle always goes for the latter and as a result we get sometimes really unmemorable commercial music. The person they hired to do the music was probably told to make a soundtrack for a "Fantasy Epic" and took the conventions of that genre and made something that could fit within the universe without actually giving it a distinct feel that is unique to the franchise. Heck, it could just be stock music for all I know - but the point is that it fits, which is its first and foremost goal. Seeing as the narration seems to overpower the music in every episode, it seems to me that this music was only written to give us a sense of atmosphere to establish the genre and nothing else.

 

I believe The Bionicle Music was written for the Power Pack, which justifies its length and different musical styles. If I am incorrect, it is definitely an achievement in how well composed it is for a 30 second commercial.

 

EDIT: Whoever changed the expression to bird-eating grin, thank you, that's a good replacement but it kind of disturbs me because of the first scene in Tale of the Toa 

 

-NotS

Edited December 17, 2014 by Nidhiki of the Shadows

[Nescent]

Is anyone else bothered by the way Kopaka seems to float in the CGI trailer? Maybe he's grabbing onto the ice wall behind him, but he really seems to be levitating.

[Toa Of Virtues]

Is anyone else bothered by the way Kopaka seems to float in the CGI trailer? Maybe he's grabbing onto the ice wall behind him, but he really seems to be levitating.

It could be the recoil from his weapon, but it's still a bit of a stretch. Cartoon logic; sometimes you have to throw away physics to make something look cool.

[admiraltyphoon]

 

Is anyone else bothered by the way Kopaka seems to float in the CGI trailer? Maybe he's grabbing onto the ice wall behind him, but he really seems to be levitating.

It could be the recoil from his weapon, but it's still a bit of a stretch. Cartoon logic; sometimes you have to throw away physics to make something look cool.

 

Kopaka is so cool that he doesn't need physics. There, I explained it.

 

Same could go for the other toa.

[LegoSWfan]

Or Lewa held him up.

 

[Banana Gunz]

I like the music used, but I do agree I wish it were more unique and iconic, something people will always remember. Either way, it's still cool and feels like something Bionicle would use.

[Toa Borox]

Could he be in slowmotion, though?

[Toa Green Ninja]

It's just a short air moment with his elemental powers. The force of the blast "pushed" him up in the middle of a leap.

[Toa Borox]

I really should make a G1 Toa Nuva Vs G2 Toa thread.

I honestly believe based on what we know so far, G2 Tahu has a pretty good chance of beating his older incarnation.

[Nescent]

Could he be in slowmotion, though?

It may have been in slow motion, but he absolutely floats up. In the middle of a jump, he stops flying backwards and begins to rise straight up.

 

I'm going to chalk it up to careless animation, or what Toa Green Ninja said. Personally I think it looks pretty bad, though.

[LegoSWfan]

I really should make a G1 Toa Nuva Vs G2 Toa thread.

 

I honestly believe based on what we know so far, G2 Tahu has a pretty good chance of beating his older incarnation.

Nope

[Toa Borox]

 

I really should make a G1 Toa Nuva Vs G2 Toa thread.

 

I honestly believe based on what we know so far, G2 Tahu has a pretty good chance of beating his older incarnation.

Nope

 

Please....I beg you...

[Bfahome]

The fact that Tahu Nuva has two fewer swords and two fewer knees clearly gives him an advantage.

[Aanchir]

 

I really should make a G1 Toa Nuva Vs G2 Toa thread.

 

I honestly believe based on what we know so far, G2 Tahu has a pretty good chance of beating his older incarnation.

Nope

 

You do realize your posts are starting to seem less like the posts of a BIONICLE G1 fan and more like a parody of the posts of a BIONICLE G1 fan, right?

[LegoSWfan]

How? Please, in lighten me. >

[Toa Of Virtues]

Now now, let's not start a war here. Let's just all be glad that we can watch Tahu lavaboard just like he did in his glory days