Hero Factory Movie In The Works

[fishers64]

I think the Bionicle movies did a good job of conveying risk, danger, and so on, and they were only rated PG. Being just a Bionicle fan probably shouldn't negatively affect watching a Hero Factory Movie, in and of itself. The downfall of those movies was cheesy one-liners (IMO, if there was one). That doesn't mean that an HF movie has to be that way, even rated PG - I've seen a number of G and PG rated movies that don't have that problem. But it is likely that it will be that way, given that the Bionicle movies and the HF TV episodes so far have had them - otherwise good movie with not-so-great dialogue. But upping the film rating won't neccessarily remove the problem.

Edited May 31, 2012 by fishers64

[Toa Zaz]

Actually, I think the Bionicle films had way more problems than just cheesy lines- plot holes, poor characterization, bad voice acting/casting, story inconsistencies, etc., and there were certainly attempts to make it unnecesarily kid-friendly (A scene where a Rahkshi steps on a Kolhi ball was actually cut because they thought it'd make the villains too "mean." No joke.), but at least the first couple Bionicle flicks didn't shy away from a little danger every once in a while. Upping the film rating might fix said issues, though, because targeting a (partially) older audience might make them stops trying appeal exclusively to little kids by throwing in all that stupid dialoug, as well as maybe (probably not, though) having the audience have to suspend disbelief a little less.

[fishers64]

Actually, I think the Bionicle films had way more problems than just cheesy lines- plot holes, poor characterization, bad voice acting/casting, story inconsistencies, etc., and there were certainly attempts to make it unnecesarily kid-friendly (A scene where a Rahkshi steps on a Kolhi ball was actually cut because they thought it'd make the villains too "mean." No joke.), but at least the first couple Bionicle flicks didn't shy away from a little danger every once in a while. Upping the film rating might fix said issues, though, because targeting a (partially) older audience might make them stops trying appeal exclusively to little kids by throwing in all that stupid dialoug, as well as maybe (probably not, though) having the audience have to suspend disbelief a little less.

The day that Lego tries to make a movie to appeal to adults will likely be the day that the Earth's rotation reverses direction. Sad, but true. They sell toys to kids, so the movie will be aimed at kids to try to sell the toys.

[bonesiii]

Well I'm sorry for being a bio fan.

I'm ashamed this has been brought up again. I'd thought even the most severe HF bashers had retired the title of "true BIONICLE fan."

Hey I said I'm a bio fan, does that truly change anything? Yea I don't like hero factory, heck I use to bash about it last year, but know I just tolerate the fact that it exists, I don't hate it. I said I'm sorry for being a bio Dan because there seemed to be mainly hero factory fans on here, and I felt like the only one who didn't.

The problem is you said "sorry for being a bio fan," assuming the other person wasn't one just because they like Hero Factory. It's a false dichotomy. You should have said "sorry, I just don't like Hero Factory," which would have been more straightforward and honest.

Sorry guys for the flame war I could or did start.

Guys, I'm gonna give yall some sage advice I had to learn the hard way from some wise BZPers years ago, which is to not read into people's posts things they didn't say, just because their wording might have been a little more concise then you wish it was. I understood what he meant; he did not say "true" fan; you put those words in his mouth, Angel Bob. His statement obviously implied he likes some things Bionicle did that HF doesn't do. That's his taste, and we should all respect that. Getting upset over nitpicking wordings is a recipe for pretty much always getting upset. Better to simply understand what they meant.That said, advice for betting wording is helpful, and thanks for being apologetic, Zacax.

Actually, I think the Bionicle films had way more problems than just cheesy lines- plot holes, poor characterization, bad voice acting/casting, story inconsistencies, etc., and there were certainly attempts to make it unnecesarily kid-friendly (A scene where a Rahkshi steps on a Kolhi ball was actually cut because they thought it'd make the villains too "mean." No joke.), but at least the first couple Bionicle flicks didn't shy away from a little danger every once in a while. Upping the film rating might fix said issues, though, because targeting a (partially) older audience might make them stops trying appeal exclusively to little kids by throwing in all that stupid dialoug, as well as maybe (probably not, though) having the audience have to suspend disbelief a little less.

Lol @ the Kolhii thing. And yes, I think we all agree there were many problems, but most of them can be, and usually are, simply accepted as minor flaws of the CGI nature of the film, and with a story as complex as Bionicle a few trivial inconsistencies are to be expected (as Reference Master though I can confirm that there aren't any that really have much consequence, except perhaps the UDD revival thing). Also, weren't there deaths in the final one? I could be remembering wrong though.Anyways, I can't help but notice you haven't answered my earlier question.What do we think, folks, do the HF heroes usually use their brains to solve problems? And if not, give examples where they didn't. I'm curious.

[ZTG]

Thanks bonseiiAnyways, as the people have spoken above, they are arguing between no higher rating or a higher rating. People saying the transformer trilogy sucked when t was pretty good, and comparing stuff like that to a Disney pixar movie (who mainly do heart warming movies) is kind series considering this is a Lego theme a toy set theme. Not saying I hate Disney nor saying that your ideas are stupid, but it seems a little bit weird to compare two completely different genre movies. After reading from people posting here is what should happen-enough action to not be a PG-13 movie-A good script-less to no cheesy one liners (only sarge can pull them off) -even though this is a kids theme, I'm pretty sure kids would want a little bit more action instead of lasers, without bullets*insert shoop do wop*-Domething nth kids and adults can enjoy-better sound effects

[bonesiii]

That makes sense, Zacax. I'd just clarify that as long as the reason for a PG-13 rating was clearly labelled as "fantasy violence" or "intense action", I don't think most parents would have a problem with it. At least for the target age of roleplayer boys of course, who imagine such things all the time.

[Axilus Prime]

This could be pretty cool. Just so long as they don't get some talentless hack like Michael Bay to direct this, it should do fine, but after seeing what happened with Transformers, I'm a little wary of having anyone other than LEGO having any control over a great franchise like this while bringing it to the big screen. Oh well. I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope that this ends up being awesome and does justice to the source material.~Kodan~

Michael Bay did a great job with Transformers. The only flaw was his stupid humor taking away from more potential cool stuff. (The ending of DOTM could have done a better job with Optimus vs. Megatron.) And if he directed this, with Lego preventing any bad humor (as it would, this being a kids franchise), it would most likely be a great movie.

[Lyichir]

This could be pretty cool. Just so long as they don't get some talentless hack like Michael Bay to direct this, it should do fine, but after seeing what happened with Transformers, I'm a little wary of having anyone other than LEGO having any control over a great franchise like this while bringing it to the big screen. Oh well. I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope that this ends up being awesome and does justice to the source material.~Kodan~

Michael Bay did a great job with Transformers. The only flaw was his stupid humor taking away from more potential cool stuff. (The ending of DOTM could have done a better job with Optimus vs. Megatron.)And if he directed this, with Lego preventing any bad humor (as it would, this being a kids franchise), it would most likely be a great movie.

I doubt he'd even want to do a movie of this. Not only is Hero Factory a riskier proposition for a movie (since it doesn't have the ginormous adult fanbase Transformers had), but no director or actor wants to be pigeonholed as a one-trick-pony. Michael Bay did a lot of varied films before Transformers. But if he took on Hero Factory, he'd quickly become known only as "the guy who makes robot movies."No, for this movie we'll be lucky to get a big-name director. And if we do, I feel it's more likely to be someone looking to expand their horizons to direct a different type of film than usual, instead of a tried-and-true sci-fi action movie veteran.

[Silver the Hedgehog]

Honesly, as previously said, I disagree with the fact that they completely market it to little kids. A PG-13 movie makes it for all ages, and it is not just targeted for 5-11, there maybe some 12-14-16 year olds still wanting to see something better then the show. Transformers was a great series, and some of the comedy they added into it made it better, if anyone disagrees with that, then they would have no sense of humor.

[Aanchir]

Honesly, as previously said, I disagree with the fact that they completely market it to little kids. A PG-13 movie makes it for all ages, and it is not just targeted for 5-11, there maybe some 12-14-16 year olds still wanting to see something better then the show. Transformers was a great series, and some of the comedy they added into it made it better, if anyone disagrees with that, then they would have no sense of humor.

Sure, it shouldn't be completely marketed to little kids, just as the sets aren't. But with that said, making it PG-13 would still eliminate almost two thirds of the sets' recommended audience (ages 6-12), and that's pointless. There exist lots of G-rated and PG-rated movies that all ages can enjoy, so it's silly to suggest a lower rating makes the movie unenjoyable for older viewers. On the other hand, a higher rating does make it unenjoyable-- in fact, without parental approval, unwatchable-- for younger viewers.Perhaps there are some older viewers who find themselves unable to enjoy G-rated or PG-rated films, but if they think TLG has something to gain by pandering to them at the expense of their core audience, then they're in need of a reality check. Edited June 1, 2012 by Aanchir: Rachira of Time

[Silver the Hedgehog]

I understand it, but I wanna see something more darker into the story, more then the show. PG-13 can still deliver to kids as young as 8-10, and some parents allow their children to watch that. I indeed would allow my child to watch a PG-13 Rated movie.

[Toa Nidhiki05]

Honesly, as previously said, I disagree with the fact that they completely market it to little kids. A PG-13 movie makes it for all ages, and it is not just targeted for 5-11, there maybe some 12-14-16 year olds still wanting to see something better then the show. Transformers was a great series, and some of the comedy they added into it made it better, if anyone disagrees with that, then they would have no sense of humor.

Sure, it shouldn't be completely marketed to little kids, just as the sets aren't. But with that said, making it PG-13 would still eliminate almost two thirds of the sets' recommended audience (ages 6-12), and that's pointless. There exist lots of G-rated and PG-rated movies that all ages can enjoy, so it's silly to suggest a lower rating makes the movie unenjoyable for older viewers. On the other hand, a higher rating does make it unenjoyable-- in fact, without parental approval, unwatchable-- for younger viewers.Perhaps there are some older viewers who find themselves unable to enjoy G-rated or PG-rated films, but if they think TLG has something to gain by pandering to them at the expense of their core audience, then they're in need of a reality check.

But that assumes most people care about the ratings, which really isn't the case. There are plenty of bad PG-13 movies that kids shouldn't even get close to, but there are PG-13 movies like Lord of the Rings or the Spider-Man movies which are rated so mostly for violence and are rather appropriate for kids. The ratings don't really decide what parents let their kids watch, parents do, and if they saw a Hero Factory movie rated PG-13 for 'fantasy violence' I doubt they would all decide not to watch it. -TN05

[ZTG]

It's more of why it's rated that rating rather then its rated that.

[ALVIS]

Sorry guys for the flame war I could or did start.

All is forgiven. It's my fault; I heard similar phrases all too much for a long while when HF bashing was in its prime, and I suppose a condescending post was by that point a reflexive response. :PIn the meantime, I don't think a HF movie would have to be PG-13, but I wouldn't mind if it was. Still, I'll end up watching it no matter what, obsessed as I am. XD

[ZTG]

I'm watching to see if it can be redeemed as a good story.

[Elemental Ussal]

Lego releasing a PG-13 movie just sounds wrong. They'd never do it. EVER. Particularly, I don't think Hero Factory would, just because of the targeted audience.That being said, I don't know what to think of a Pg-13 HF movie. I might like it, might not. It depends.

[Toa Zaz]

Don't forget, Lego did release a T-rated video game, so maybe a PG-13 rating wouldn't be out of the question.

Edited June 1, 2012 by Toa Zaz

[CyclonatorZ]

Don't forget, Lego did release a T-rated video game, so maybe a PG-13 rating wouldn't be out of the question.

Except that the only reason Bionicle Heroes DS recieved a T rating was because of the ESRB's rule that first person games automatically receive that rating - which thankfully they they have since recanted. If it had been released today, it would have almost certainly recieved the E10 rating. The point is, although they have licensed plenty of films based on PG-13 movies, it is very unlikely they are going to let a film based on one of their original products reach Transformers/Avengers/Indiana Jones/Lord of the Rings levels of violence. The whole reason TLC allows themes like that is that the legoification tones down any kid-inappropriate content present in the source material. Doing exactly the reverse by staring the heroes in a film with Michael Bay-style brawls is just insane, and thus (hopefully) not going to happen. I certainly don't want Preston Stormer turned into a bloodthirsty anti-hero whose idea of justice is excessive decapitation and executing already defeated enemies. Edited June 1, 2012 by ~~Zarkan~~

[Lyichir]

Honesly, as previously said, I disagree with the fact that they completely market it to little kids. A PG-13 movie makes it for all ages, and it is not just targeted for 5-11, there maybe some 12-14-16 year olds still wanting to see something better then the show. Transformers was a great series, and some of the comedy they added into it made it better, if anyone disagrees with that, then they would have no sense of humor.

Sure, it shouldn't be completely marketed to little kids, just as the sets aren't. But with that said, making it PG-13 would still eliminate almost two thirds of the sets' recommended audience (ages 6-12), and that's pointless. There exist lots of G-rated and PG-rated movies that all ages can enjoy, so it's silly to suggest a lower rating makes the movie unenjoyable for older viewers. On the other hand, a higher rating does make it unenjoyable-- in fact, without parental approval, unwatchable-- for younger viewers.Perhaps there are some older viewers who find themselves unable to enjoy G-rated or PG-rated films, but if they think TLG has something to gain by pandering to them at the expense of their core audience, then they're in need of a reality check.

But that assumes most people care about the ratings, which really isn't the case. There are plenty of bad PG-13 movies that kids shouldn't even get close to, but there are PG-13 movies like Lord of the Rings or the Spider-Man movies which are rated so mostly for violence and are rather appropriate for kids. The ratings don't really decide what parents let their kids watch, parents do, and if they saw a Hero Factory movie rated PG-13 for 'fantasy violence' I doubt they would all decide not to watch it.-TN05

Are you certain most people don't care? I'd think a number of parents would balk at the rating without looking at why it gets the rating it does. Yes, they might give their kids a pass for things like Spider-Man or Lord of the Rings, but those are classics, which the parents very well might remember from their youth (possibly with rose-tinted glasses, remembering the story but forgetting or ignoring the mature content). Hero Factory, on the other hand, is something new and different which many parents won't understand and may not even try to understand. It's not fair, but that's how it is.

[Silver the Hedgehog]

Any reasonable parent would at least see whats in the movie too.

[Lenny7092]

I'm watching to see if it can be redeemed as a good story.

Me, too. Edited June 2, 2012 by Lenny7092

[Lyichir]

Any reasonable parent would at least see whats in the movie too.

That's what many of you don't understand about marketing. You can't only market to reasonable people; there are too few of them. Movie marketing is about broadening the audience, and that means appealing even to the lowest common denominator. A PG-13 Hero Factory movie could be amazing, but I doubt it would be nearly as successful financially as one that was only rated PG.

[Silver the Hedgehog]

Sometimes I honestly feel like this story never really had anything worth it in the TV shows. I am also watching it to redeem itself, and show me that it is not for litttle kids. I am sure there are a lot of little kids who want it like this, but I am sure there are more old late bio fans that didn't get the full Bio years to want to see a theme that obviously seemed aimed for little kids. I enjoy the sets, and most of the story, but those cheesey one-liners just ruin it.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

First Transformers, then Battleship, now Hero Factory. What's next, a Hungry Hungry Hippos live-action movie?

They're making a Candyland movie.Why does everything have to be a movie now? It just ruins the source media.

[Elemental Ussal]

First Transformers, then Battleship, now Hero Factory. What's next, a Hungry Hungry Hippos live-action movie?

They're making a Candyland movie.Why does everything have to be a movie now? It just ruins the source media.

Maybe the television industry is just running out of inspiration.

Don't forget, Lego did release a T-rated video game, so maybe a PG-13 rating wouldn't be out of the question.

Except that the only reason Bionicle Heroes DS recieved a T rating was because of the ESRB's rule that first person games automatically receive that rating - which thankfully they they have since recanted. If it had been released today, it would have almost certainly recieved the E10 rating. The point is, although they have licensed plenty of films based on PG-13 movies, it is very unlikely they are going to let a film based on one of their original products reach Transformers/Avengers/Indiana Jones/Lord of the Rings levels of violence. The whole reason TLC allows themes like that is that the legoification tones down any kid-inappropriate content present in the source material. Doing exactly the reverse by staring the heroes in a film with Michael Bay-style brawls is just insane, and thus (hopefully) not going to happen. I certainly don't want Preston Stormer turned into a bloodthirsty anti-hero whose idea of justice is excessive decapitation and executing already defeated enemies.

Very true.

[Aanchir]

First Transformers, then Battleship, now Hero Factory. What's next, a Hungry Hungry Hippos live-action movie?

They're making a Candyland movie.Why does everything have to be a movie now? It just ruins the source media.

I always hate when people say this. In most cases, a movie doesn't affect the source material in any way whatsoever, unless the creators of the source material like the movie so much that they actively change the source material itself to be more similar to the movie.This is the case with all adaptations. A book, for instance, is just as good whether there's a really good movie based on it, a really bad movie based on it, or no movie at all. If a really bad Hero Factory movie is made, then there's no reason that fans couldn't just ignore it and continue enjoying the parts of the theme they actually like. The Avatar: The Last Airbender fandom certainly shows that-- nobody's about to disown the source material just because they think the live-action movie was a travesty.

[Bricknave]

I think a Hero Factory movie could be rated PG and still appeal to older audiences. There could be plenty of violence without any worries of reprecussion because the heroes would be robots, and robots don't bleed. Most of the projectiles in Hero Factory are laser-based, so bullets are out of the equation.As far as any human-versus-robot-villain violence goes, if there will be any, the villains could use a device to imprison any humans they encounter instead of killing them.The only two things left needed to keep older moviegoers in their seats is to have a good plot and the absence of cheesey jokes that don't have double meanings.

[Silver the Hedgehog]

I think a Hero Factory movie could be rated PG and still appeal to older audiences. There could be plenty of violence without any worries of reprecussion because the heroes would be robots, and robots don't bleed. Most of the projectiles in Hero Factory are laser-based, so bullets are out of the equation.As far as any human-versus-robot-villain violence goes, if there will be any, the villains could use a device to imprison any humans they encounter instead of killing them.The only two things left needed to keep older moviegoers in their seats is to have a good plot and the absence of cheesey jokes that don't have double meanings.

I finally figured out what I would want to see in a movie. You pretty much described it.

[iPenguin]

It will be like the bionicle movies. Kids will find it awesome and amazing. Everyone else will just snicker about it or passionately hate it.

[bonesiii]

It will be like the bionicle movies. Kids will find it awesome and amazing. Everyone else will just snicker about it or passionately hate it.

A lot of AFOLs, including me, like them for what they're worth. Mature adults need not snicker or hate children's stuff; that's a sign of insecurity (at least for me it would be, not to insult others ). It shouldn't be surprising that kids movies are targeted towards kids. :)Also, Aanchir is absolutely right on above, and totally stole my belated thunder lol.

[Toa Zaz]

...Except if you got a bunch of kids and showed them the Bionicle movies and/or Hero Factory, most of them would probably think they're mediocre, compared to the much more spectacular action movies out there. Really, the biggest Bionicle fans are probably us...

Edited June 4, 2012 by Toa Zaz

[Silver the Hedgehog]

I agree with that, especially the fact that the Fans of Hero Factory are 6-maybe 12 year olds( I being 12 and liking HF.)

[Lenny7092]

I hope that the Hero Factory live-action movie will be good and awesome! Hopefully, it would get a mix of positive ratings. I would think that the live-action movie would look similar to the Transformers movies: CGI robotic heroes and villains battling each other on the Planet Earth and humans getting involved in them, but the robots are exactly or about a size of a human or bigger than the human's size. I would also think that the story in the movie would about the Hero Factory Heroes trying to save Earth, its galaxy, the Heroes' own galaxy, Makuhero City, the Hero Factory corporation and building, and even the entire universe from the evil Von Nebula and his new evil army of newly united returned evil villains and/or newly created evil Villain Factory Villains once and for all or a different group of newly introduced different evil villains. Also hopefully, the movie would have a lot of action, fighting, adventure, and a little bit of funniness. Also, the movie would look similar to the Avengers movie: a group of heroes protecting innocent people from an evil villain and his evil army and saving the Planet Earth from them.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Lenny7092

[Silver the Hedgehog]

I agree with all of the story for the most part.

[Lenny7092]

I agree with all of the story for the most part.

What do you mean that?

[Gresh9504]

I hope this is good. Does Hero Factory have people?

[Gatanui]

I hope this is good. Does Hero Factory have people?

Humans have appeared in HF media in the first year.-Gata

[Aanchir]

I hope this is good. Does Hero Factory have people?

Humans have appeared in HF media in the first year.-Gata

There was also the 2011 video introducing the new building system that was narrated by Professor Nathaniel Zib and introduced as an interview with designers from the "Earth-based" toy company LEGO. But 2010 definitely had the most real-world cameos with LEGO product ads (with a testimonial from Preston Stormer, of course!) and Earth-based call center recordings in the Hero Factory FM podcast, and of course the Hero Factory TV ads which featured villain characters attacking human kids.

[bonesiii]

I think all the Earth and human related stuff is canonically questionable, though. Earth seems to play no role in the story itself, just in promos. And all the beings everywhere featured in the story seem to be robots; no biological aliens here and there to make humans fit in if they were ever featured.This makes me think how it could work though -- a big question whenever sci-fi features Earth is how do you get past the problem that real-world humans don't know of whatever -- in this case hero robots? It used to usually be done by either saying it's classified or by putting it in the future, but the promo featurings make it sound like it's present-day and public knowledge. So if they do, it would have to be an alternate Earth similar to Transformers or the Marvel movies. So they could open the movie by somehow introducing that on this Earth, there are ads everywhere for calling Heroes, the government would be interested in the space travel and such, etc.Just a random theory among many ways it could be done, but it could be cool if so.

Edited June 7, 2012 by bonesiii

[Baron Von Nebula]

I think all the Earth and human related stuff is canonically questionable, though. Earth seems to play no role in the story itself, just in promos. And all the beings everywhere featured in the story seem to be robots; no biological aliens here and there to make humans fit in if they were ever featured.

Splitface is half-organic, and I think the Savage Planet animals were organic.Assuming the heroes are about human-size, they can be pretty inconspicuous. The villains are a lot more obvious. Maybe the heroes save the day, but the majority of humanity thinks the villains' evil plot was just a bunch of natural disasters (depending on what they do). Edited June 8, 2012 by Baron Von Nebula