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So is this going to be the same program that was accidently released on the Elves site a few weeks ago? And will presumably be uploaded to the site later on?

Bought Aira's Creative Workshop which also came with the Hero Pack and the Elves polybag for free! Total came out to about 16 dollars, which is a pretty good deal. It would have been a better deal if I lived near a LEGO store and didn't have to pay that abysmal five dollar shipping charge, but ah well you can't have everything. I missed out on a few exclusive masks during the G1 era of BIONICLE so I'm glad that I'll be able to add this one to my collection. And of cousre I'm looking forward to jump starting my Elves collection with those two smaller sets.

While I'm pretty sure this wasn't my first exposure to BIONICLE, my first memory of it is seeing a preorder for Tahu and Vakama back in one of the 2001 magazines. Prior to then I may have seen visual advertisements in the magazines and such, but nothing more specific comes to mind.

Almost every single BIONICLE set I own (minus seven or so) are sitting on a shelf that runs the perimeter of my room, in chronological order of year. The only two out of order of Ehlek and Onua (2015), and they're that way because I didn't feel like trying to make room in the shelf areas where they should be. Of the sets that are not on the shelf, they are off either because I'm using their pieces in MOCs, I think the sets are ugly, or they're missing pieces and as such don't want them displayed. As for canisters, most of them are stored in a box in an attic. I'm sure by now the heat has deformed them and there's probably no real reason to keep them aside from my awful collector's mentality. Some canisters are stored in my closet, and those are holding pieces for sets not on the shelf.

Has a date been listed yet for the season 5 premier, or are we still in that non specific "2nd Quarter" world? And was there a reason for the delayed start?

Bear in mind that he's only credit with one episode ("Camping"). He may be a first time director for an animated feature... but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I wish him good luck on the project!

1. I guess Lewa. He looks the least like his G1 counterpart. 2. Lhikan, I suppose. 3. Stone or Earth. They're kind of redundant. 4. Magnetism. 6. No idea, but I would ensure it had an immersive world building online game. 11. I have a feeling that it used to be a fairly advanced place with the Ancient City at it's hub. But then disaster ocurred, bringing the population down to more primitive technology levels. Think Atlantis or El Dorado. 13. Wierder things have happened. 14. Talk to them, of course!

I don't think there's much hope for a sequel or television spinoff, but I'd be very interested in a comic series. It could continue the story while providing opportunities to spotlight the supporting characters. I know that it's already based on a Marvel property, but the film and original comic are different enough that a completely new comic would be necessary. Hopefully it was the Blu-Ray so you avoid those pesky region code problems!

Spoilers, I guess, for the first 15-ish minutes of the movie. And also I'm just not sure if the movie devoted enough time to that theme. It comes in the end, obvisouly, and some parts in the middle, but I'm not sure of it was enought to really differentiate it from all the other comic book movies we've been getting recently. But I really liked how the movie glorified science by having all the characters' "powers" come from their lab experiments. And the lab scene itself is really wonderful even if the science itself is pretty wonky. If kids watche this movie and get inspired to pursue science related interests, then I think all other flaws can be forgiven. I'll be getting the DVD from the library soon so maybe a second watch will give me a different viewpoint on the movie (as a second viewing usually does).

I actually always liked Onua's color scheme from the beginning. I can see why it would be offputting, but I do think the gold, silver, black and purple work well together. The gold is especially needed to balance out the color when he wears his gold mask, but it works better as just a highlight. I'm not sure if I would want the set to be an assault of big gold plates. I guess if I did have one issue it would be to unify the color of the bone pieces. I think they should have been two colors (preferably trans purple and black) instead of three. After running him through some rigerous test, I do have issues with the mask falling off too easily. Whether this is an Onua thing or a mask design thing I'm not sure, but I've heard other complaints about his mask so I'm guessing it's the former. It will be interesting to see how Gali compares if I end up getting her.

I'm sorry to hear about your job. Obviously it's good that you're still working (presumably not all the employees were as lucky?), though I imagine it's really frusturating to be in a position which offers lower pay, and (I'm assuming) less enjoyable than what you were doing prior. I hope everything works out, and that you get some valuable experience out of this even if it is just to explore a new part of your field.

It is a nice model, but yeah it's a tad on the large side. I wouldn't be opposed to it passing through (we need more non licensed Ideas sets), but I can't say I'd be willing to spend money on it.

If that's the exact same model Sawaya made for the Oscars, wouldn't it be against Ideas policy of submitting ideas that aren't your own? Oh wait, unless he put it up there himself... he did link it from his Twitter account anyway. It's a cool little model, but I feel like this one is simple enough that a link to instructions would be enough. Not sure if it needs to be an official set.

Was it ever touted to be an action or conflict heavy theme? It was intended to be story based much like Ninjago or Chima, but you can have story without action. Great to see the site updated with lots of new information on the characters. Much like the early BIONICLE site, though, it'd be nice if it wasn't all in a wall of text. I'll assume it will get edited later. And also it would be nice if it worked consistently. Has anyone else been having issues getting a blank white page when trying to look at the Elves page?

When I went out shopping yesterday I had three goals: 1.) Buy my sister some ceiling stars 2.) Find her a desktop fountain 3.) Buy an iTunes giftcard. But when I was strolling through Target I decided to check out the LEGO sections to see if Onua and Gali where there on clearance. Sure enough, they were! There were a decent number of Galis for ten dollars, but I got the very last Onua which was priced at 13. So of course I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity. Throwing caution to the wind, I bought it. I also ended up not buying ceiling stars or an iTunes giftcard because at that point I ran out of money. And I didn't find ny desktop fountains. Oh well.... it was totally worth it. Because Onua is SO COOL. I liked how it felt like a combination of technic and classic BIONICLE, and that's owed entirely to the gear function. The shoulder pads can get in the way of his arms depending on how they're positioned (and the way they're attached is kind of iffy), but that's really my only complaint. (Well, that and the stickers. I just don't like stickers.) He looks big, he looks buff, he looks like Onua. He also has two trans purple bone pieces, but really I'm just glad to add a little more CCBS to my collection. I don't know when I'll be by Target again, but if I get there in time I'll definitely pick up In other LEGO news, I finished building 10232 Palace Cinema which I recieved as a Christmas gift. I'll probably end up writing a review which if I don't post in LEGO discussion, I'll definitely put it here. In case anyone cared (probably not). Now excuse me while I go fanboy over my new toy... and my first new BIONICLE set in six years!

Before that happens Zorn, the Great Lizard in the Sky, will come down and put us all on his back and fly us away to our new planet.

*Sees head* *Bites it off* I kid, I kid. On a serious note: Is it really accurate to say that 'Fifty Shades' is glorified? (I asked this question to you, Tekulo, over PM so feel free to chime in as well). It seems to me that the books get the spotlight not because they're actaully well written, but because of the exact opposite. They aren't glorified, they're panned. Or at least this is the impression I get from the internet.

A fair viewpoint, for which I have no response. Like I said, you're either with it or you aren't, and either one is okay. I have nothing more to say except that I enjoyed this little conversation. Enjoy your dinner!

Fair point, and one I figured you would bring up. There's a big difference between interractions with people close to you, and strangers. He may have treated his servants as objects pre-curse (an idea that I never thought of, but really like), but afterwards he must have treated his servants with enough respect that they can openly chastise him without fear of reproach. They're also in the same boat he's in. His fear is that strangers will come from the outside to mock him (hence why he imprisoned Maurice). That's not really a fear you can train out of someone unless an outside force comes in to prove those fears baseless, which is exactly what Belle does. Yes he initially agreed to the prisoner exchange because he thinks she can break the spell. He even says as much. But when he agrees to let Belle go after "Beauty and the Beast", he does so knowing that he just jeaopardized any chance he has at breaking the curse (and right at a moment when breaking it was almost inevitable). He may have started off selfish, but he doesn't end that way. But if you don't buy that, then you don't buy it. Like I said I don't grudge anyone who doesn't. Also I wouldn't say the servants were really stepping on eggshells. Cogsworth is just a stickler for the rules. The others were hospitable as can be and happily let Maurice walk all over The Beast's stuff. And Belle's dinner was hardly secret. On the contrary it came attached to an extravagent song and dance number that you just know Lumiere has been practicing for years. Congsworth was only against it because he's Cogsworth.

That's because the servants in the castle have one goal: become human again. And in order for that to happen The Beast needs to love someone and have that love reciprocated. He presumably has no family so that doesn't leave a whole lot of options. And they do stand up to The Beast. Not only do they repeatedly scold him about his temper, but they also disobey his orders and hospitably feed Belle when he orders that she's not to be fed. I don't think it was love that got The Beast out his funk, I think it was kindness. The love came after that, when he had already started to become "good." I put more of my thoughts on that subject later so I won't repeat here. The movie, maybe to it's detriment, doesn't give us a whole lot of background to The Beast. All we know is that he's about 20 years old at the time of the story, and that when he was enchanted there was no love in his heart. We have no idea how much time has passed between then and now. He's probably had years to sit in his castle by himself and reflect on the behavior that got him there, as well as wallow in misery which brings me to your Gaston comparison. On the surface they are similar, but the characters are great foils because of where their attitudes come from. Gaston is vain and egotistical, and his attitude comes from the fact that the thinks he's better than everyone. The Beast, on the other hand, is ashamed of his appearance, and his attitude comes from feelings of inferiority (note that he imprisons Muarice not for trespassing, but because he thought he had come to gawk). I'd argue that his anger is mostly a defensive mechanism to cover those feelings. That certainly does not excuse his behavior earlier in the movie, but it makes him more redeemable than Gaston. The Beast starts to be redeemed when Belle starts showing him kindness. That kindness would only stroke Gaston's ego, and he has such a high opinion of himself that he can take no criticism. The movie's timeline is iffy. It starts in what appears to be Spring or Summer, but then turns pretty rapidly to winter (there's heavy snowfall after, like, a day). When Maurice first sets off to The Beast's castle, it seems like he's only been journeying for a day. But when he sets for his castle for the second time, we get the entire "Something There" montage and "Beauty and the Beast" song before we see him journeying again. If we assume his journey only took one day, then Belle was with The Beast for a few days. But the presence and lack of snowfall during those songs makes it seem like much longer. The fact that there was a sequel (er, "midquel") suggests the two were together for a longer period of time (which is what I think we're supposed to assume), but the movie itself is ambiguous on this matter. None of that which helps my points. There wasn't really a relationship when they met, though, she was just his prisoner who was granted a little extra freedom. I'd argue that the relationship didn't start to develop until "Something There", which is the first time we hear their inner thoughts about each other. It's worth noting that at this point the Beast seems to have thrown his attitude out the window. I don't think Belle would have gotten so close to him otherwise. This girl wasn't a pushover. The rebuttal you can use is that Belle still considered herself a prisoner even after "Beauty and the Beast," which is evident when she thanks The Beast for allowing her to leave and visit her father. While I have no good response to that, it seems to me that her freedom was an unspoken given in the story (starting with "Something There"), and that particular dialogue exchange was for the benefit of the audience. Also because we needed a moment where The Beast acted selflessly, or at least with some dignity. I don't know if I would use the word 'cured', more like 'redeemed.' This is a character who had been (deservedly) bitten, and was bitter as a result. The film makes a point of showing us how moved The Beast is when Belle agrees to trade her freedom for her father's. I think from that we can take away that he understands compassion, he just needs to learn how to give it. Maurice and Belle were probably the very first people to visit is castle in years, maybe since the enchantress. His people skills understandably suck. He probably treated his servants nicely (they seem pretty comfortable around him at least), but it takes more than that to break the spell. Not just a romance story, but one of redemption as well. The Beast is a broken person who's bitter toward himself and the world. It's not until Belle shows him kindness that he's able to be comfortable with his appearance, and once that happens his attitude and bitterness goes away. I think it's a beautiful story. I think you mean you can't suspend your disbelief. Suspension of disbelief is something you pretty much have to do when you watch every movie- especially for those in the fairy tale genre. I won't comment on real life relationships, because I have no experience in that area. But I will say that to look at a film and say "in real life..." is unfair because movies aren't real life, especially in the fairytale genre. You have to watch a movie (or read a book) and decide if the relationship makes since and is legitimate in the context of the story. Sometimes they aren't (The Spectacular Now grinds my gears very hard for that reason), but I think the one in 'Beast' is. I know that a lot of people would say that's a cop out response.... and maybe it is. Do we glorify stories where people date total jerks? I'm asking honestly. Aside from The Spectacular Now (which somehow got rave reviews) I can't think of any. Rumple's situation is pretty different from The Beast's, though. Rumple has had chance after chance to redeem himself and he never follows through (unlike The Beast who does) I am also glad for their current position. Shrek is a beautiful, wonderful movie. Again, I don't think his problems where fixed with a relationship (at least not a romantic one). There was no real relationship prior to the "Beauty and the Beast" dance. It started off as a prisoner/master relationship. Then (up until "Something There") it was pretty much just friendly cohabitation. Only after that did feelings start to develop, presumably long afterward. What started to redeem The Beast was Belle showing him kindness when he deserved none, and that is what started him the path to being a good person. And it helped when she put him in his place in the same scene ("Well maybe you shouldn't have frightened me!" at which point The Beast has no valid rebuttal). There is no magic fix. The redemption and relationship occur in steps. Now, allllll that said I totally understand where you're coming from with your opinion. The main relationship is a slippery slope for sure. I think it works, but I also don't hold a grudge against people who don't like it. We may just have to agree to disagree. Never apologize for stating your opinion... in your blog, no less.

I don't actually follow celebrities, either. I just know her videos because my sister sent them to me to watch, like, five years ago. And I just read about the Tony Bennett collaboration this morning. And since Tekulo has now given me permission to do so, ya'll better hold on to your butts 'cause I'm about make like Yona and derail this thing.* The Princess and the Frog is fantastic, and one of the reasons (the other being Tangled) why I fell in love with Disney again. Tiana is, in my opinion, one of the best written and most well rounded Disney heroines in their entire canon. Her well defined goals and development make it really easy to get invested in her character. My only real issue with the movie is Randy Newman's music, which is pretty underwhelming by Disney standards. "Almost There" is a pretty great song, though. I'm not sure if such thing as a perfect movie exists. But if you're looking for a 'princess' movie that exhibits strong storytelling, I don't think you need to look much farther than Beauty and the Beast. Belle and The Beast go beyond the simple archetypes of several earlier 'princess' (and prince) characters and have personalities and traits which are unique and well established. And their relationship was mostly well developed, with my only criticism being that significant parts of that development occurr via montage. It's a darn good montage, though, with a great song so I give it a pass. Gaston was a little cartoony as a villain, but I think he works, and the story as a whole is solidly written. As a piece of storytelling I have no complaints about it. I love Brave, and while I kind of understand why it gets a lot of criticism I also don't really agree with it. The storytelling is pretty solid. The I think the antics from King Fergus and co. should have been toned down at points... but talking about the movie should have been is a ginormous can of worms I have no desire to open. I don't have much love for Mulan, honestly. It's not that the movie is bad, I just think it's kind of dull. I know "it's dull" is not a legitimate criticism so I guess I should watch it again to figure out why I think that. Also, Mulan is part of the Disney Princess franchise, so the actual title of her character at the end of the movie is irrelevent. She's a princess because Disney says she is. Same with Pocahontas, and inevitably Elsa. This is because the film took the proper time to give the characters room to "breath," as I like to say. Moments like 'Campfire' and 'Waiting for the Lights' allowed the characters time in the story to explain their hopes and fears to each other (and the audience, but that's irrelevent for this point), as well as add some personality spice. When these exchanges start happening, it gives some legitimacy to the relationship. It's a far cry from Ariel fawning over a statue. I would also address the initial point of this post (Up and The LEGO Movie), but I honestly don't have much I can say about them. I haven't watched either since their theatrical debuts (I know, I'm terrible) so my memory on both is foggy. *obscure reference might be obscure.

There are videos of her on YouTube pre-'Lady Gaga' that prove she's always been able to sing well outside of the pop scene (not to mention her recent collaborations with Tony Bennett). I just wasn't expecting her to show that side. I have many thoughts on your second sentence but I've derailed your blog entry enough.

If you told me Sunday morning that Lady Gaga would end up being the highlight of the whole awards show, I would have laughed in your face and said something like "if that happens, I'll eat my own shoe!" Certainly glad I didn't make that bet. Anyway, I think The Fox and the Hound doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves. The moment where Todd gets abandoned is probably more heavy handed than it needs to be, but everything else about the movie is pitch perfect, especially the ending.

It's odd, certainly... but kind of cool, I guess? If anything I now have another excuse to google images of the White Cliffs of Dover. One day I'll visit them!

Ah, so that's where Emma Stone got her LEGO Oscar- I tuned in an hour late and couldn't figure out why she had one. When they briefly showed her later in the ceremony she was clutching it like it the most valuable thing in the world to her. I hope she got to keep it!