Mask of Light 10th Anniversary

[CHTrilogy]

It's just too bad I'd boycotted Miramax though, after hearing about what they did to The Thief and the Cobbler. (Miramax released MoL in the first place, did they not?)

[Zuju]

At the risk of being repetitive...wow. I can't believe it's actually been a whole decade.

[Neelh]

I didn't like Bionicle when it came out. It took half a year after its release for me to even try it.

 

My brother's version was pirated, though I didn't realise until 2006-ish, but since we had to get rid of the VHS player, my parents bought me the actual, honestly, 100% Lego was paid for it originally DVD earlier this year.

 

I'll be sure to watch it on the anniversary. I might even stream it for my friends as well.

[Kanakalackin]

Definitely gonna watch it. One of the first movies that I've seen. *Pulls out paper and pencil* time for some art!

[~ShadowBolt~]

I really should get all 4 of the DVD's for old times sake.

[Zestanor]

10 years, huh. I only have it on VHS, but I've watched though it so many times I could probably preempt evey spoken line. 'The Toa of Water approaches! The Toa of Wat--"

Edited May 22, 2013 by Zestanor

[Queen of Noise]

T'KUAAAAA

 

YOU COULD HAVE BEEN LAVA BONES, KOLI HEAD!

[Madara: Mangekyou Master]

Wow. The decade has flown by. I remember bringing MoL with me to Sweden shortly after it came out. :') Good times.

[Makuta of Time]

I just saw it today on 'the site that we frequently use, but who's name is blocked' on my PS3.

[Hexann]

Wow... It's really been TEN years. I remember how I first got my DVD. My mom told me I could either have the movie or a pair of those foam Hulk fists where when you hit them, they growl like the Hulk and say "Hulk smash!" I got the fists, but after a while, they started to give me a headache, so we returned them to Wall-Mart and bought MoL. Ahhh, memories...

OMGSH, I USED TO HAVE THOSE TOO!

 

*Ahem*

 

The tenth anniversary of one of the greatest movies of all time. What a year to behold.

Edited May 29, 2013 by Damaracx 7.0

[slifer3000]

I remember going to walmart that one day it came out (maybe my parents knew it came out, and planned accordingly) but when I got there I saw it and said "dad can I get that?" he replied "ofc, that's what we came here for"

 

So i came home and watched it with my older brother

It's funny, i watched it and wondered where the Kal were... I was a Bio noob

[Timelady Gallade]

I was only 1 when it came out..... I feel really young...lol

[slifer3000]

I was a 4 year old when bionicle came out :0

[Zestanor]

I was a 4 year old when bionicle came out :0

 

I was as well in 2001. And somehow, I managed to follow the gist of the story at that young age.

[Aznat the Defender]

I was around five when bionicle came out. I remember getting mctoran jaller from a trip to mcdonalds and falling in love with bionicle for the first time.

soon after i bought a gali set and my 10 year journey began

hard to believe it's been 10 years since mask of light, and three years more than that since it began. good times good times

[Chromatic Ninja]

Well! This certainly makes me feel old!

 

~Tay

[Valyou]

10 years now?

I still need to get the first two movies. I have the last two.

 

And you some of you guys got into BIONICLE when you were four? I was four when it first came out, and my mom remembers seeing them in stores, but never got any until Christmas 2005, when she got some Voya Matoran and a Vahki. I am jealous of you folks.

[X-Ray]

Ah, Mask of Light. I haven't seen that movie in a while, but I used to watch it all the time. I got it for my birthday back in the year it came out, and I watched it with my friends at the party. Now I think about it, I know some smaller kids who I could introduce to the Bionicle saga via this film. Then again, I wonder if that's such a good idea. What's the recommended age limit for this movie again anyway?

 

X-Ray

Edited June 21, 2013 by X-Ray

[Rarity]

10 years? Wow, I feel old now.

 

Hard to believe it's been 10 years since MoL.

[dcresistance]

Ten years... I remember getting the movie for my birthday, and I watched it twenty-three times in a row right after I got it. Good times.

[Neelh]

Ah, Mask of Light. I haven't seen that movie in a while, but I used to watch it all the time. I got it for my birthday back in the year it came out, and I watched it with my friends at the party. Now I think about it, I know some smaller kids who I could introduce to the Bionicle saga via this film. Then again, I wonder if that's such a good idea. What's the recommended age limit for this movie again anyway?

 

X-Ray

 

U for this, PG for the rest.

[<Reverb>]

Ah, I remember when I got MoL and watched it for the first time. Good times.

 

Can't believe its been 10 years.

[Toa Zaz]

The climax to the movie had so many things that made no sense that it bordered incomprehensibility.

• How and why Takanuva built the Ussanui.
• Why Takanuva went to face Makuta by himself, especially when everybody* went after him later.
• The vertical entrance to Mangaia, as Hahli wouldn't have been able to climb back up.
• Hahli miraculously surviving the Ussanui crash. Lucky her. She could have died or something. Pretty convenient that she could fit in the compartment designed for housing Kraata, too.
• For some reason there's a giant gate in Makuta's lair. It somehow has to do with reawakening the Great Spirit. I don't know.
• Makuta challenges Takanuva to a Kolhii match. He should've just smited the inexperienced novice Toa right then and there.
• Makuta and Takanuva play Kolhii with balls of energized Protodermis that they can magically summon and hurl into the air. Despite making contact with the Protodermis they are not transformed or destroyed. Now, I looked it up on BS01 and it said that the staffs of light and darkness can somehow turn energized protodermis into balls of light and shadow. This makes absolutely no sense because 1. the balls of light and shadow still resemble energized Protodermis. 2. Why energized Protodermis, of all materials? And if the staffs can turn ANYTHING into light or shadow, then why doesn't Makuta just turn Takanuva into shadow and absorb him or something? 3. Both Takanuva and Makuta are capable of creating light and shadow from nothing, so why do they bother to use the dangerous energized Protodermis?
• Takanuva leaps and bounds off of pillars dozens of feet in the air impossibly, especially for a inexperienced Toa.
• Hahli gives some speech about how she and Jaller love(d) the island, that's irrelevant to saving Takanuva.
• Everybody goes to save Takanuva after they didn't before for no adequately explained reason.
• *"Everyone" is supposed to include many Matoran, if not every Matoran on Mata Nui. Yet, aside from Hahli, absolutely none of them are there.
• Everyone walks in casually chatting or something, when they should have been on their guard.
• Makuta says something about how he's helping Mata Nui and how sleep spares him pain or something. This makes absolutely no sense and is never explained or alluded to again.
• Takanuva jumps at Makuta while screaming.
• Takanuva takes Makuta's mask off for no particular reason.
• When Takutanuva opens the gate, none of the other Toa help him. Heck, Onua or Pohatu probably could've easily destroyed it.
• Takutanuva somehow uses his own life force to bring Jaller back to life.
• The gate collapses, seemingly trapping the Toa and Turaga and Matoran on the other side.
• When the gate collapses on him, Takutanuva disappears completely and the Avohkii slides out from under it.
• There is a UDD symbol on the floor for no particular reason.
• Turaga Vakama does this bizarre ritual thing where Jaller, Hahli, and the Avohkii are all strategically positioned on the UDD symbol to bring Takanuva back somehow. This makes absolutely no sense.
• Throughout the bizarre ritual thing, the Toa Nuva hold hands for no particular reason.
• It cuts to a narration that shows Jaller and Hahli with golden Kanohi.
• They say something about a glorious city or something that is random and bizarre and has nothing to do with anything else in the movie. The end.

[Makaru]

 

The climax to the movie had so many things that made no sense that it bordered incomprehensibility.

 

To be fair, that is fairly consistent to the rest of the movie.

[Aanchir]

The climax to the movie had so many things that made no sense that it bordered incomprehensibility.

I'm just going to go ahead and say that most of those things made perfect sense to me at the time, most still make sense to me, and those that didn't generally didn't (and still don't) matter. An item-by-item refutation would be a waste of everyone's time, but let me go over a few highlights...I believe how and why Takanuva built the Ussanui were established in the books (from Rahkshi parts, and to get into the Mangaia, respectively). But within the context of the movie, the first question was irrelevant (it's like asking how the Ga-Matoran built the water pump in the MNOG — they just did) and the answer to the second question is obvious based on what he did with it.The "why did Makuta challenge Takanuva to a Kolhii match" thing made perfect sense. Makuta is a trickster. He saw a novice Toa and decided to toy with him and get his guard down. That's how he operates. He did the same thing with Vakama, and the same thing with Matoro (albeit in a less confrontational context). I always see complaints about the Kolhii match with Makuta and how there should have been a proper fight instead, and I have to shake my head because I can't even fathom how some people have such a hard time realizing how much cooler a Kolhii match is in a narrative sense (it's one of those "playing chess with Death" things), and how perfectly it fits with Makuta's established personality.Note also that the "rules" about Energized Protodermis and how it behaves were not established until 2004. Neither was the term energized protodermis — back then it was just protodermis, "the stuff of life", and by nature its effects were almost entirely unpredictable. It transformed the Toa Nuva, imprisoned the Bahrag, and was used as a resource for crafting by the Matoran. The fact that it had ANY forms besides a mysterious silvery and slightly gel-like liquid was not even hinted at.Some of the things you claim don't make sense are purely symbolic, and make perfect sense within the context of the narrative. Others, like Hahli's speech, aren't the least bit confusing. It's a motivational speech, thus she says motivational things. How perplexing. :sarcastic:So in general, if you look at these things from every angle you can imagine and you STILL can't make sense of them, well, just remember that Greg Farshtey had the MST3K mantra in his sig for a reason. And god help you if you ever read anything by Neil Gaiman. The amount of symbolism and ambiguity would probably drive you nuts. Edited June 27, 2013 by Aanchir: Rachira of Time

[Makaru]

just remember that Greg Farshtey had the MST3K mantra in his sig for a reason.

 

Ironically, whenever I watch any of the Bionicle movies, I spontaneously burst into Mike Nelson.

 

"And our brave, brave sir Takua bravely ran away, away."

[Shadow Destroyer]

Wow... that long already?

Edited June 28, 2013 by Shadow Destroyer

[T.B.O.C]

 

The climax to the movie had so many things that made no sense that it bordered incomprehensibility.

• How and why Takanuva built the Ussanui.
• Why Takanuva went to face Makuta by himself, especially when everybody* went after him later.
• The vertical entrance to Mangaia, as Hahli wouldn't have been able to climb back up.
• Hahli miraculously surviving the Ussanui crash. Lucky her. She could have died or something. Pretty convenient that she could fit in the compartment designed for housing Kraata, too.
• For some reason there's a giant gate in Makuta's lair. It somehow has to do with reawakening the Great Spirit. I don't know.
• Makuta challenges Takanuva to a Kolhii match. He should've just smited the inexperienced novice Toa right then and there.
• Makuta and Takanuva play Kolhii with balls of energized Protodermis that they can magically summon and hurl into the air. Despite making contact with the Protodermis they are not transformed or destroyed. Now, I looked it up on BS01 and it said that the staffs of light and darkness can somehow turn energized protodermis into balls of light and shadow. This makes absolutely no sense because 1. the balls of light and shadow still resemble energized Protodermis. 2. Why energized Protodermis, of all materials? And if the staffs can turn ANYTHING into light or shadow, then why doesn't Makuta just turn Takanuva into shadow and absorb him or something? 3. Both Takanuva and Makuta are capable of creating light and shadow from nothing, so why do they bother to use the dangerous energized Protodermis?
• Takanuva leaps and bounds off of pillars dozens of feet in the air impossibly, especially for a inexperienced Toa.
• Hahli gives some speech about how she and Jaller love(d) the island, that's irrelevant to saving Takanuva.
• Everybody goes to save Takanuva after they didn't before for no adequately explained reason.
• *"Everyone" is supposed to include many Matoran, if not every Matoran on Mata Nui. Yet, aside from Hahli, absolutely none of them are there.
• Everyone walks in casually chatting or something, when they should have been on their guard.
• Makuta says something about how he's helping Mata Nui and how sleep spares him pain or something. This makes absolutely no sense and is never explained or alluded to again.
• Takanuva jumps at Makuta while screaming.
• Takanuva takes Makuta's mask off for no particular reason.
• When Takutanuva opens the gate, none of the other Toa help him. Heck, Onua or Pohatu probably could've easily destroyed it.
• Takutanuva somehow uses his own life force to bring Jaller back to life.
• The gate collapses, seemingly trapping the Toa and Turaga and Matoran on the other side.
• When the gate collapses on him, Takutanuva disappears completely and the Avohkii slides out from under it.
• There is a UDD symbol on the floor for no particular reason.
• Turaga Vakama does this bizarre ritual thing where Jaller, Hahli, and the Avohkii are all strategically positioned on the UDD symbol to bring Takanuva back somehow. This makes absolutely no sense.
• Throughout the bizarre ritual thing, the Toa Nuva hold hands for no particular reason.
• It cuts to a narration that shows Jaller and Hahli with golden Kanohi.
• They say something about a glorious city or something that is random and bizarre and has nothing to do with anything else in the movie. The end.

 

 

1. To easily get to Mangaia, if I remember correctly. It was supposed to be hard to get down there. The kraata in the Ussanui would lead it there.

2. The one and only Toa of Light fights against a shadowy villain? That's how I took it anyway.

3. I wouldn't assume it'd be too hard. Unless I'm mistaken, it wasn't too far down, as it lead into a tunnel leading to Teridax's lair.

4. I assume she didn't hide in the kraata containers. If I remember, the book says something about about her being in the back of the Ussanui somewhere. That probably isn't right, but I don't know right now, my copy of the book is in storage.

5. It was an entrance out of the MU, leading to tunnels which came out onto the surface of Mata-Nui. It's a way of leading up to the island, and it also allowed Teridax to communicate with the rest of the Matoran Universe while still keeping them unaware of Metru Nui and the rest of the universe.

6. Part of Teridax's plan.

7. No idea on this one.

8. He probably had greater agility and stamina as a Toa.

9. Moral-boosting. She was saying that we all loved Mata Nui, and so did Jaller, so we should help Takanuva defeat Teridax.

10. Moral was boosted? The Toa Nuva probably went to help Takanuva. I also believe they thought they were awakening Mata Nui in some way, so they all went.

11. They weren't going to go to the trouble of animating all the matoran. It would have been distracting to the fight scene, and kind of weird in general. I mean, that'd be about 1014 people in that chamber.

12. They should have been nervous. Do you expect 1000 people to all be quiet? Either way, the Toa Nuva would have protected them, and Makuta would have been busy in the fight with Takanuva.

13. He was attempting to confuse Takanuva, saying that he was actually helping Mata Nui, probably to try and make him rethink what he was doing.

14. Which instance? I remember the one where he figured out he had trapped all the matoran down there in Teridax's lair, which is deserving of a scream. How would you feel if all of your elders, friends and heroes were trapped because you made a mistake?

15. It would weaken him, which would make sense if you were fighting him.

16. It was an incredible strong and heavy gate, Neither Pohatu or Onua can manipulate metal, and there would be no reason to endanger themselves when Takutanuva insisted upon doing so, and letting them escape. I assume it was strong enough to not be damaged by either Toa if it crushed a suit of protosteel armor.

17. He infused part of his own life force to bring Jaller back.

18. They weren't trapped, I think. They probably found a way around it or got rid of it somehow, since the door didn't seem to be there when the Piraka were looting the lair (again, don't have Legacy of Evil on me, not sure if I'm correct.)

19. Artistic difference. The book describes it as it broke the fusion, releasing Takanuva on the other side, leaving Teridax's body to be crushed by the door.

20-21. No idea. If the book is correct, Takanuva came out from the other side of the gate relatively okay. The revival scene was just weird in all aspects.

22. Symbolic of unity, perhaps?

23. Not intentional, I believe. Their masks are probably just appear that way due to Takanuva being so bright.

24. Foreshadowing about Metru Nui, which is rediscovered by the matoran at the end of the movie. It's the island shown at the ending.

 

 

Those probably aren't all correct, as I don't have any of my book with me as of current, and BS01 isn't working for me atm. It's kind of weird to think it was nearly 10 years ago now... makes me feel a little bit old.

[xccj]

Alright, one more year until the 10th anniversary of the best Bionicle movie. :PBut yeah, MoL was fun, especially since it was the first Bionicle movie, the first movie Lego had ever produced, and probably the first movie I was really excited to get as soon as it was released.Still have complaints tho. The characters didn't look very much like the sets, and Takua's character was completely ruined. But the other characters weren't that bad, and although there were other inconsistencies, it was still a good movie, just kind of a let down compared to some of the earlier forms of the Bionicle story, IMO. But the Kopaka vs Rahkshi scene in Ko-Wahi was still one of the best out there.

[Aanchir]

Alright, one more year until the 10th anniversary of the best Bionicle movie. :PBut yeah, MoL was fun, especially since it was the first Bionicle movie, the first movie Lego had ever produced, and probably the first movie I was really excited to get as soon as it was released.Still have complaints tho. The characters didn't look very much like the sets, and Takua's character was completely ruined. But the other characters weren't that bad, and although there were other inconsistencies, it was still a good movie, just kind of a let down compared to some of the earlier forms of the Bionicle story, IMO. But the Kopaka vs Rahkshi scene in Ko-Wahi was still one of the best out there.

How was Takua's character ruined, exactly? He didn't have much of an established personality before Mask of Light, and what we knew of him before the movie mostly fits with his portrayal in the movie: that being that he had a very independent streak, that his wanderlust and love of adventure really kept him from fitting in with the other Matoran, and that he tended to stumble into important events rather than actively seeking to be a part of them.I've heard complaints that Onua didn't seem to fit with his earlier characterization, which I think are a little more valid, considering early story descriptions pegged him as quiet and reserved rather than boisterous like he was in the movie. I've also heard complaints about Jaller's characterization not really meshing with how he spoke and acted in MNOLG, which is also a valid concern (though all things considered, I prefer his MoL characterization). Takua, though, really just had what little we knew of him fleshed out.I suppose he seemed a lot less irresponsible in some of his scenes from the 2002 animations, such as when he confronted the Bohrok in Ga-Koro. But then again, he did more or less the same thing in Onu-Koro in MoL. That heroic impulse seems like something that he doesn't really acknowledge except when he finds himself in a situation where it's impossible to ignore, and Mask of Light is largely about him learning to recognize and embrace it.At least that's how I interpreted it at the time. Maybe I just didn't invest the same amount of thought in the BIONICLE franchise prior to 2003, and so it was easy when watching Mask of Light to reframe the story chapters I had already experienced in the context of that movie. Certainly I was very experienced at reframing stories that had already transpired within the context of new ones — in the early naughts, I easily convinced myself that Throwbots was somehow related to BIONICLE (perhaps as artificial Toa that had been built by Matoran on another world), that Ice Planet 2002 was connected in some way to Rock Raiders, and that Alpha Team's Ogel was somehow related to the Brickster from LEGO Island (not a hard conclusion to arrive at, considering that LEGO Island used the name "Ogel" for the evil island the Brickster wanted to build).And in a certain sense, the level of mystery in BIONICLE encouraged reframing your understanding of what had come before according to new story developments. How else was one to reconcile that the Bohrok, which had seemed like a unique and new threat with their own motivations, were just another part of Makuta's plan to force the Matoran into submission?

[Sir Kohran]

How was Takua's character ruined, exactly? He didn't have much of an established personality before Mask of Light, and what we knew of him before the movie mostly fits with his portrayal in the movie: that being that he had a very independent streak, that his wanderlust and love of adventure really kept him from fitting in with the other Matoran, and that he tended to stumble into important events rather than actively seeking to be a part of them.

 

Some of the problem is that his 'character arc' (of which these traits are a part) had already been resolved in the MNOLG, at the start of which he is a nameless wanderer, but by the end of which he is hailed as a hero and welcomed back into his community. Subsequently, the Bohrok episodes don't portray him as a reckless wanderer, but as organising the retaking of Le-Koro and marching to the defence of Ga-Koro. So his portrayal in Mask of Light is effectively a huge step backwards for him.

 

And I'd argue that the movie really takes his 'irresponsible' streak way too far, making his character much more extreme than what you describe, to the point where he is annoying and repulsive rather than appealing or identifiable. Let's examine his actions and attitude through the movie and how they reflect on him:

 

 

- He wanders off into Ta-Wahi for no apparent reason on the very day of the grand Kohlii match in which he is meant to participate. This makes him look either idiotic or utterly careless.

 

- He saddles Jaller with his own task as soon as he can. This makes him look both selfish and cowardly.

 

- He mocks his Turaga when they set out. This shows disrespect for the person who gave him guidance and his home.

 

- After Makuta demands the Avohkii in exchange for Jaller's life, he abandons Jaller but still leaves him with the mask. Therefore he both leaves Jaller in danger of losing his life, and also betrays his friendship with him.

 

- He tells the Toa he is no longer with Jaller because they were separated. This makes him a liar.

 

- Pulling Jaller back from the cliff edge is his only good deed as a Matoran in the entire movie.

 

 

You may say "no-one's perfect", but I would think that a main character should be at least modestly likeable.

 

I've heard complaints that Onua didn't seem to fit with his earlier characterization, which I think are a little more valid, considering early story descriptions pegged him as quiet and reserved rather than boisterous like he was in the movie.

 

I suppose it's this very quietness that led to this recharacterisation. He gets just two lines in the MNOLG, and his bit with Krana'd Lewa is his only starring scene in the comics. I don't really mind the movie portrayal because his previous portrayals were never particularly special or significant.

 

But then again, he did more or less the same thing in Onu-Koro in MoL. That heroic impulse seems like something that he doesn't really acknowledge except when he finds himself in a situation where it's impossible to ignore, and Mask of Light is largely about him learning to recognize and embrace it.

 

He tries to attack a hulking monster wielding a huge staff with...a Kohlii stick, and is then scooped up by Lewa and told to flee. Later, at Kini-Nui, he and Jaller are surrounded, have to be rescued by the Toa and do nothing in the ensuing fight. Then they flee from Turahk only for Takua to be frozen in fear whilst Jaller effectively takes his own life on Turahk's staff.

 

This is the problem with trying to have Matoran as main characters in the central story - they just aren't big or powerful enough to really participate in its events. I find it very telling that Takua's character arc has to be completed by him transforming into a Toa, rather than him accomplishing anything heroic as a Matoran.

Edited June 30, 2013 by Sir Kohran

[Aanchir]

 

How was Takua's character ruined, exactly? He didn't have much of an established personality before Mask of Light, and what we knew of him before the movie mostly fits with his portrayal in the movie: that being that he had a very independent streak, that his wanderlust and love of adventure really kept him from fitting in with the other Matoran, and that he tended to stumble into important events rather than actively seeking to be a part of them.

Some of the problem is that his 'character arc' (of which these traits are a part) had already been resolved in the MNOLG, at the start of which he is a nameless wanderer, but by the end of which he is hailed as a hero and welcomed back into his community. Subsequently, the Bohrok episodes don't portray him as a reckless wanderer, but as organising the retaking of Le-Koro and marching to the defence of Ga-Koro. So his portrayal in Mask of Light is effectively a huge step backwards for him. And I'd argue that the movie really takes his 'irresponsible' streak way too far, making his character much more extreme than what you describe, to the point where he is annoying and repulsive rather than appealing or identifiable. Let's examine his actions and attitude through the movie and how they reflect on him:- He wanders off into Ta-Wahi for no apparent reason on the very day of the grand Kolhii match in which he is meant to participate. This makes him look either idiotic or utterly careless.- He saddles Jaller with his own task as soon as he can. This makes him look both selfish and cowardly. - He mocks his Turaga when they set out. This shows disrespect for the person who gave him guidance and his home. - After Makuta demands the Avohkii in exchange for Jaller's life, he abandons Jaller but still leaves him with the mask. Therefore he both leaves Jaller in danger of losing his life, and also betrays his friendship with him. - He tells the Toa he is no longer with Jaller because they were separated. This makes him a liar. - Pulling Jaller back from the cliff edge is his only good deed as a Matoran in the entire movie.You may say "no-one's perfect", but I would think that a main character should be at least modestly likeable.

 

You fail to acknowledge the amount of pressure he was under in almost all of those situations. He wanders into Ta-Koro because wandering is what he does, and having one major obligation that day doesn't mean he has to sit around and do nothing for the rest of the day. Saying he and Jaller were "separated" was not a lie; they were separated when Takua chose to go his own way. There's a difference between lying and being purposefully vague, even if neither is especially honorable. Leaving Jaller with the mask was his attempt at letting Jaller decide his own fate, rather than risking Jaller dying or the mask being lost because of his own cowardice. Yes, he was really not doing anything to help Jaller at that moment, but being threatened by a malevolent spirit doesn't exactly encourage rational decision-making — he very genuinely thought that Jaller and the mask would be safer if he weren't the one responsible for them. And if mocking teachers, political leaders, or superiors automatically makes you a disagreeable person, then the agreeable people I've known in life have been few and far between.Meanwhile, rescuing Jaller from the cliff wasn't his only noble action as a Matoran. What about rushing into the face of danger to try and protect Onu-Koro from the Rahkshi? Or doing his best to keep the Mask of Light away from the Rahkshi in Ko-Wahi? Remember that at that point, he thought the mask was the Rahkshi's target, not him or Jaller, so by taking the mask with him onto the lake he MADE himself a target. He has moments of heroism, but in general he tries to avoid getting into situations that call for him to make those kind of decisions.I found Takua in Mask of Light extremely likeable and easy to relate to. Does that mean I'd have done all the same things as him in all the same situations? Of course not. But he felt very real in that he wasn't prepared to think of himself as a hero and had a very legitimate fear of ending up in situations where other people's welfare depended on him. Even in Quest for the Toa, the Mata Nui Online Game and the 2002-2003 flash animations, he only took responsibility for other people's lives when there was no other option. As a chronicler, he had some responsibility to keep a record of major events on the island, but generally didn't seek to be the lead player in those events.

 

I've heard complaints that Onua didn't seem to fit with his earlier characterization, which I think are a little more valid, considering early story descriptions pegged him as quiet and reserved rather than boisterous like he was in the movie.

I suppose it's this very quietness that led to this recharacterisation. He gets just two lines in the MNOLG, and his bit with Krana'd Lewa is his only starring scene in the comics. I don't really mind the movie portrayal because his previous portrayals were never particularly special or significant.

 

I can agree there. I also prefer Onua's portrayal in Mask of Light to his less memorable portrayal in previous story installments. But the issue some people have is that prior to 2003, his quietness was his defining character trait. And I can understand how an abrupt change in how he was portrayed could upset some people.Incidentally, a very similar thing happened with Evo in the Hero Factory TV episodes. In his debut episode, "Ordeal of Fire", he was very much similar to Onua's original portrayal: a quiet and reserved powerhouse who prefers to think before striking. In "Breakout", his personality was radically redefined to make him more of a novice whose first impulse in any situation is to seek guidance from his superiors. Chances are that like Onua, his soft-spokenness made his personality seem like a blank slate to the writers of "Breakout", but in actuality making him less soft-spoken more or less retconned what had been his established personality trait.

 

But then again, he did more or less the same thing in Onu-Koro in MoL. That heroic impulse seems like something that he doesn't really acknowledge except when he finds himself in a situation where it's impossible to ignore, and Mask of Light is largely about him learning to recognize and embrace it.

He tries to attack a hulking monster wielding a huge staff with...a Kolhii stick, and is then scooped up by Lewa and told to flee. Later, at Kini-Nui, he and Jaller are surrounded, have to be rescued by the Toa and do nothing in the ensuing fight. Then they flee from Turahk only for Takua to be frozen in fear whilst Jaller effectively takes his own life on Turahk's staff. This is the problem with trying to have Matoran as main characters in the central story - they just aren't big or powerful enough to really participate in its events. I find it very telling that Takua's character arc has to be completed by him transforming into a Toa, rather than him accomplishing anything heroic as a Matoran.

 

I wouldn't say Takua and Jaller do nothing heroic in that fight with the Rahkshi. They do everything in their power to keep the Mask of Light safe, even if that means attempting to flee. That's heroic in and of itself — the cowardly decision would be to do as Makuta tempted Takua to do, that being to abandon their responsibility for the mask and for each other.It's true that most of the time the BIONICLE story was set up so that only Toa could defeat the theme's major villains, and that was primarily because it gave the Toa a special responsibility to those weaker than themselves. The superhero genre is set up similarly — while on rare occasions "normal" characters can be the ones who save the day, more often than not it's the superhero who has either the special powers or special resources to save the day. Incidentally, the movie The Dark Knight Rises played with this in a very interesting way, in that although Batman's fancy technology is integral to the movie, the movie emphasizes that his real importance is less about making a difference through his own actions and more about inspiring ordinary citizens to do the right thing and be "heroes" in a less glamorous sense. BIONICLE never really explored this responsibility of Toa to a great extent (Matoran were shown to be inspired by their Toa's heroism, but the Toa never had to come to terms with the fact that inspiring ordinary people was one of their responsibilities as heroes). Edited June 30, 2013 by Aanchir: Rachira of Time

[Vorahk1Panrahk2]

Wow. That was a long time ago.

 

I can still hum the musical themes in my head.

[Sardrox: Will of Makuta]

Wow, 10 years. I'm kind of a new guy to Bionicle, so I only saw it for the 1st time last year (bought the DVD at FYE), and i'll admit it was quite cheesy, but it was pretty cool. Anyone up for a Blu-Ray re-release for the 10th anniversary? I don't know if LEGO would go along with it, but maybe...

[Unauthorized Autobiography]

Wow, 10 years. I'm kind of a new guy to Bionicle, so I only saw it for the 1st time last year (bought the DVD at FYE), and i'll admit it was quite cheesy, but it was pretty cool. Anyone up for a Blu-Ray re-release for the 10th anniversary? I don't know if LEGO would go along with it, but maybe...

 

Hope so.

[toa kopaka4372]

10 years, huh? Wow, that's so much time its scary.

 

I wasn't a fan then, but I would become one only around a year later. I still remember watching the movie and loving it. Looking back, its definitely flawed, but still very enjoyable.

[Void Emissary]

Ah, Mask of Light. I remember spending years imagining what a BIONICLE movie would be like, and being absolutely ecstatic when hearing that there would actually be one. So, I begged my parents to get, and didn't hesitate to watch it as soon as it was in my hands.

 

Then, when the opening narration began, and the Nathan Furst's score started up, I was just blown away -- any doubt I had was instantly washed away. I loved almost every second of it, with particular adoration for the voices of the... well, everyone besides Jaller and Takua. I'm not sure, I just expected their voices to be a little more powerful, I guess -- particularly the former, given his role as Captain of the Guard.

 

I do have to agree with xccj about Takua's character a tad, though -- as great and likeable a protagonist he is in the movie, I probably would've preferred his earlier, MNOG-style personality better. Still, apart from a few minor complaints, I still think it's a grand movie overall.

 

P.S. Ten years?

 

Man I feel old now.

 

-Void

[Hewkii Inika]

You guys are all so young. Four when it came out? Five Six? I was twelve back then. I still loved it though, and watched it so many times I can still quote the whole movie. Yeah sure, now that I'm 22 it's pretty cheesy, but at least it had great atmosphere, decent graphics for the time for direct-to-DVD movies, and ASTOUNDING music. I remember the day I got it very well: my mother went to Walmart to get some groceries, and at the front was a whole case for the movie (it was the day of its release), so I got the DVD immediately, brought it home, and watched the heck out of it.

 

Bionicle: Mask of Light. I salute you. You and Legends of Metru Nui WERE my childhood. I look forward to celebrating you again for your 20th. Hopefully by then I'll have kids, and then I can show them what my childhood was like.

[Mr. Cup of Fail]

Mask of Light is amazing plus me and some of my friend have a movie night. Plus one of my friend find out that takua was out of character.

Plus it not that much of a 10th anniversary because it is not, September 16.

Edited July 19, 2013 by ShadowWolfHount

[Art Vandelay]

I remember my Dad bringing home MoL from the video rental store, and I was absolutely enthralled the first time I watched it. I loved that movie, and it got me even deeper into Bionicle than I already was at that point. I have a few gripes about it now and like others said, its a bit cheesy, but nonetheless I still love it.