Sir Kohran

As much as I might agree, that's essentially a statement of personal opinion/taste. Fact is, Lego considered Bionicle important enough to keep it going for a long time. It was their best-selling line for at least four years (possibly six if it did the same in 2001 and 2006) when they were in trouble. If not that, what else would you credit their non-collapse to? If Gali was a transgender character, then a case could be made for a voice that was not explicitly female. But what has there been so far to indicate that she is transgender?

Bionicle almost single-handedly saved Lego from bankruptcy, lasted continuously for ten years and had four movies made. How is that not important? Maybe this version won't be as colossal as the last, but that's not a reason to cut corners. Please explain the bigotry in saying that a female character should have a female-sounding voice.

I still meant movie trailers, though given that Lego are one of the richest toy companies in the world, spending a bit to advertise an important upcoming line is hardly beyond them. Because she's meant to be female. Really.

Most trailers are at least 90% of what will be in the finished product. Because she's meant to be female.

That actor was able to affect a convincingly male voice. From what I've heard, the actor Lego have used wasn't able to affect a convincingly female voice. Perhaps this was because that this was a trailer, does not reflect the final product and is just a way to hype people into saying "MY BODY IS READY" and "TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT BRIGHT LIGHTS HYPE CROWDS EVERYBODY GET DOWN!", and they didn't want to drop the money on a different VA specifically to read off a few lines for a teaser trailer? Also >implying that all females sound girly How many movie trailers use different actors to the ones in the full movie? Regarding your last comment, are you saying you don't want one of relatively few female characters to sound female?

That actor was able to affect a convincingly male voice. From what I've heard, the actor Lego have used wasn't able to affect a convincingly female voice.

I mean that it only introduces them to 2001, a year that the majority of Bionicle's years didn't have all that much in common with in terms of either events, complexity or tone. Essentially, MNOLG doesn't do a good job of setting up for Bionicle as a whole (not that it was particularly meant to, of course). That's largely a matter of personal taste. I do think the ending is unnecessarily confusing; both Hahli and Vakama confidently announce the awakening of Mata Nui/the Great Spirit, but the movie instead ends rather suddenly with the discovery of Metru Nui.

Can anyone remember a time when Bionicle did well without any rock bands at all? There's also the fact that rock as a genre has seen something of a decline since Bionicle's last run.

I'd say MNOLG isn't the best way to introduce someone to Bionicle as a whole, because it only covers the 2001 story and has virtually nothing relating to the years after 2003. There's also the fact that no subsequent year was covered by a game again.

I have to disagree, on the grounds that Bionicle outsold Star Wars in 2002, 2003 and 2004 (and given that there was no Star Wars film in 2001, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same case then as well). Bionicle was undeniably the bigger hit and so almost certainly the bigger factor in Lego avoiding going under.

Additionally, Bionicle managed to outsell Star Wars in 2002, despite the second having a movie out.

Personally, I don't think that you came across as passing your opinion as fact here. Personally, I think he did. Look at the words in question: "bionicle made Lego what it is today. Bionicle is the greatest thing Lego came up with." Do you see 'I think' or 'in my opinion' anywhere?

I will pretend your post doesn't exist. I just find it telling that those sticking up for 2006 weren't on this site to know what was being said shortly before then. I suppose when you judge 2006 just by itself, after the fact and with little or no knowledge of the context, as I'm pretty sure some of these new members are doing, it isn't particularly bad. I do grant that the Inika and Piraka aren't inherently terrible hero and villain sets. That's not where the disappointment originates from. The new members of today don't know that we were told the Nuva would be triumphantly returning, only to see our classic heroes being allowed in long enough to have their backsides handed to them, before being replaced with a bunch of new heroes who were meant to be other characters we knew but had almost nothing in common with them, and the mystical fantasy world we'd been enchanted by was usurped by gang culture and the All American Rejects. And when the Nuva characters finally did return, two years later, they bore no resemblance to the forms we knew them in. And the ultimate explanation we got for all this was that Lego no longer cared about pleasing established fans. Looking back on 06-08, frankly I would've preferred it if they'd just rebooted the line and left the old cast behind, rather than all the painful and frustrating compromises (that we were apparently meant to be grateful for) that were made to make the square peg of 06-08 fit the circular hole of 01-03. For example, I think nearly everyone will agree that Hero Factory was highly inconsistent with Bionicle, in story, style and sets. But that didn't bother me at all because Hero Factory was never in any way meant to continue Bionicle, whereas Bionicle's 06-08 was meant to continue Bionicle's 01-03, but for the most part, it didn't.

And you both joined just this month. What a surprise.

But that setting was largely wasted because unlike the original island setting, there was no MNOLG or movie to explore it in any detail. I'd also question whether Metru Nui was really very cyber or technological. It still has a large stone temple and bridges, stone structures carved by hand, dimly lit tunnels, a lot of desolate areas, and dangerous Rahi here and there. Not what might be expected of a high-tech, futuristic city. It also had giant factory-like forges, a vacuum-based rapid transit system, and an enormous subterranean archive. Perhaps not "cyber" but technological and urban for sure. Don't forget the robot police force and gigantic television screens for addressing the populace! I'm not saying there was no technology at all, just that there are other aspects about the island that seem quite rustic. I do find a notable absence of anything resembling personal computers, laptops or mobile phones.

I'd think that whilst they can survive some brief exposure to/in lava, prolonged would be deadly.

But that setting was largely wasted because unlike the original island setting, there was no MNOLG or movie to explore it in any detail. I'd also question whether Metru Nui was really very cyber or technological. It still has a large stone temple and bridges, stone structures carved by hand, dimly lit tunnels, a lot of desolate areas, and dangerous Rahi here and there. Not what might be expected of a high-tech, futuristic city.

I think it's fair to say 2006 was a controversial year for anyone who'd been a fan for more than a year prior. A pledge that the established heroes (the Nuva) would return wasn't fulfilled (unless you count a sequence in which we got to see our characters get brutally pulverised), the line relied on a cringeworthy All American Rejects cameo for promotion, the hip hop/gangster aesthetic of the Piraka was greatly at odds with the high fantasy feel of previous years, the sudden prevalence of 'Zamor' firearms was also at odds with the melee equipment, and Voya Nui was a negative caricature of a setting. I'm sure people who found Bionicle in this year will insist that all this was awesome, but to many of us who'd been fans before then it certainly wasn't.

We're't they the first sets to have ball joint necks? I love the Va - what didn't you like about them? I know it might not mean much to anyone who joined after the early years, but the Va's plentiful supply of Matoran feet in six main colours was very helpful when building Matoran.

Does anyone else think the white piece above the legs and across the lower torso area looks a lot like a diaper?

Was Metru Nui really that 'techno'? There are still statues carved by hand, astrologers, a large temple, and dangerous Rahi here and there. Plus most of the advanced technology was only seen in the background; only occasionally did it play a role in the actual story.

The Matoran, being hugely outnumbered and outpowered by the Bohrok, would have been quickly and completely overwhelmed and Mata Nui would have been completely destroyed.

Tahu, for unashamed nostalgia. Takanuva and the Rahkshi are also ahead in the poll; the older figures are definitely doing well on the back of being 'classic'.

Could be an error on Lego's part or even on Google's. One of them could have saved the old description somewhere...and then when the domain came back, they went to the first dated entry in the database for the description. I believe the 2001-era description of bionicle.com remained long after 2001, even to this day it seems.

Two different explanations, both sound plausible. I'm not sure which is right. But the MNOLG, almost the first Bionicle media of all, uses Rahi as a standalone noun. That's only a book title; I mean within the story itself.