renaldohoek

I know this one's been mentioned several times over, but I still gotta share it: there's something about the 2001 battle that made it an entirely different animal from the rest. Full disclosure, I'm old guard. I was playing MNOG chapter by chapter as it came out, rocking sub-adequate dial-up internet (Mata Nui, the frame rates were horrid!) and loving every minute of it, so I am more likely than not a victim of nostalgia. However, approaching the matter objectively, there are a few of things about that first fight that were inherently unique to it. First off, there's a key component to Makuta's characterization that never really catches on in the following years. Through sporadic conversations with characters, it's suggested to players that Makuta is something occupying a state of existence beyond that of your typical antagonist. He--or it, as we really don't know much at this point--is some sort of malevolent entity of immense power. A force of nature, a sentient manifestation of malignant energy. Destruction Incarnate. The whole thing pretty shamelessly plays to Lovecraftian ideas of "unknowable horrors," but in a franchise where the major billing point is colorful-tribal-robots-with-big-swords-and-bigger-attitudes, it's a compelling contrast. Any and all hopes of LEGO having their very own Eldritch Abomination are fulfilled at MNOG's conclusion when Makuta pulls a George Denbrough on the Toa before exploding into a swirling torrent of what is essentially robot gore. All of this is, of course, added onto by Makuta's monologue (which I still consider one of the best deliveries by a villain ever), reinforcing the notion that this is something inherently alien to the realm of the Matoran. Now, a lot of this was later "sci-fi'ed" away as being part of Makuta's elaborate theatrical plan to "instill superstitious fear and subservience into the hearts of the Matoran" and whatever else, but still... talk about an entrance. Tying into this idea is the setting. Most of the major fights concluding their respective years occur between the latest incarnation of our intrepid heroes and a massive hoard of summer sets, generally in a well-established location. This first major battle ends up being a more intimate one, taking place exclusively between Makuta and the Toa in what appears to be a relatively claustrophobic space. All we know about Mangaia prior to our first visit is that it's "Makuta's Lair," whatever that means. What we quickly learn in the closing chapters of MNOG is that it's completely shrouded in darkness, inhabited by giant killer RC crabs, and possesses acasual reality-bending qualities that prevent Gem Fusions Toa Kaita from existing within its boundaries. And also there's a formless elder god hanging out in one of the back rooms. Really, the sundial at the bottom of Shaft B might as well have been a portal to another plane of existence, but I suppose a cave carved into the skullcap of a comatose machine god is a fair second. Some deus ex machinas notwithstanding, Bionicle does a reasonably good job at making smooth narrative transitions between years, but 2001 still holds the honor for setting that trend. Unlike later years, MNOG actually played the long game with the big reveal, hinting at the Bohrok as early as the telescope. Takua's last-minute discovery of the hive ends up being more incidental than anything (though being there right at the moment they start waking up doesn't look too good either). Nevertheless, watching all that foreshadowing finally come to fruition is nothing short of satisfying, and it helps reinforce the notion that Makuta has every manner of resource at his disposal. None of this is to disparage the following years, of course. 2003 provided several revelations in its own right, the characterization in 2005 was a phenomenal development, and 2006's Divine Comedy-inspired gauntlet made for a compelling transition into darker themes. Being the first, though, 2001 set the bar high for a franchise that would move in a direction leaving the former very distinct unto itself. 2001 was a story told while the future was still uncertain, and the complete and total air of mystery MNOG exudes beautifully captures that open creative ambiguity.

Probably just the hair, but that music store minifigure looks like a tiny plastic Jason Lee.

LEGO's made some pretty significant strides in the past few years with their licensing, but never in my lifetime did I ever expect to see a legitimate Mr. T minifigure. I think we've peaked, boys and girls. Not even LEGO Downton Abbey or the reintroduction of teal could top this.

I can think of 20 different things they could've done better with the Inika, but their giant rubber heads always took the cake. That prototype group picture just makes me all the more sad that they deviated from such a central concept in the final designs. These original guys honestly had a lot more going for them. Of course, there were a couple of bad decisions made in 2006.

Taking into account these symbols appear in the same sequence over and over, with very little variation, the likeliest of situations is that it's just design filler. Now, that's not to say a language won't be developed later on in Bionewcle's product life cycle, with this pattern obtaining some significance later on, but as of now I wouldn't read too deep into it. With more emphasis put into developing both the animation style and actual sets under one design theory, the worldbuilding component of the theme isn't quite as fleshed out as it's been before (at least as far as we can see right now). This is more likely a business move than anything else, taking into account Lego's need to appeal to a new, younger audience whose collective interest lies more in how awesome Tahu's lavasurfing is as opposed to the fluctuating price of maha meat in Po-Koro. Those kinds of things are secondary when you're trying to move product. Personally, I don't see a new alphabet being made, though I sincerely hope I'm wrong. Of course, for those of you who fancy yourself linguistic enthusiasts, there's always http://www.bzpower.com/board/blog/732-in-a-hole-in-the-ground-there-lived/".

I was about 2 seconds away from writing down a tirade on how fantastic it would be for the new Bionicle to incorporate old progressive rock--Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson... I'm hoping somebody knows what I'm talking about--into their promotional materials. But then, it occurred to me (with the aid of ongoing conversations) that a far simpler answer was the best. Legitimate tribal music. No fancy footwork, no post-techno fluff. Just the basic, down-to-earth sounds of the world's indigenous peoples. Something not elaborated on enough in most musical environments is how the world's more enduring native cultures--particularly those of Africa, Australia, and South America--have developed incredibly complex ways of communicating emotions, ideas, and even entire narratives through rhythm, melody, and even the design of a specific instrument itself (e.g. the West African "talking drum"). An ensemble of traditional instruments (entailing drums, harps, flutes, bells, lamellophones, etc.) would help solidify the world of Okoto in a way the current music really hasn't. Given the way most things go down in Bionicle, though, you'd mostly just hear drums.

Congradjumalations to Roa and VB. The time, thought, and dedication put into these really shows. You guys deserve it. Any word on who placed third? I'm rooting for the golden scorpion thing.

I'll be totally honest, I wasn't a fan of the animation at first, but it's starting to grow on me. The design theory is a bit too stripped down for me, but it's very fluid and natural feeling. The narration is hit-and-miss for me, but that might just be the script as opposed to the actual voice work (w/ the exception of Gali; that's just... I don't... there's no words for that). I will agree with Wrinkle on this one: the worldbuilding needs a lot of work. Granted, that's just something that will *hopefully* come with time, but as of now MNOG is still king rat in that department. I don't think we'll get the Joseph Campbell-ian sensibilities we had the last time around (simply because kids are different these days), but there's a whole year for meat to get pulled over these bones. I'm really hoping the adversity gets fleshed out better, though. I don't want to see the Toa fighting the whole time.

A little late to the party with this one. Time to see what happens. Entry Name: The Golem Entry Pic: http://renaldohoek.deviantart.com/art/Golem-Entry-Pic-495221187 Gallery: http://renaldohoek.deviantart.com/gallery/51939007/The-Golem There is no shortage of stories shared amongst the villagers of Okoto. In the southwest, there is the story of the Peripheral Flame, and how it nursed the Children of the Sun in times of old. Up north, they speak of the Wolfmother, and of the great army she led against the Shapeshifters. Even the island itself has a story to tell every so often, carrying whispers on the wind for a Protector's ear to catch. There is one tale, however, that stands apart form the rest. It is not a tale of heroes, or of triumph and survival. It is a tale of a golem that wanders the western sands, a cruel and wicked thing of hammered brass and cast iron. Every so often a villager claims to have been attacked by the thing, but if such is truly the case, it never seems to make a point of chasing down such fools. Rather, it seems to be waiting for something, patrolling its territory without rest. How it got to be where it is, no one knows. Some believe it is a relic of the Second Eastern Kingdom, an ancient civilization well-versed in the mechanical arts. Villagers inhabiting the northernmost regions, with access to incredible archives of knowledge, draw comparisons between this supposed golem and a machine of antiquity called the "Marendar," an indiscriminate slayer of warriors, forged in the deserts of the Old Continent. Regardless of its origins, the golem's liminal presence between reality and the realm of legends continues to be topic of incredible interest for the more scholarly inhabitants of Okoto. For the longest time, though, its presence has been a static one; what effect the arrival of six powerful Toa will have on its behavior remains to be seen.

@Rahkshi Lalonde Then the original plot has to break down halfway through, and the entire franchise ends with a psychoanalysis of the Toa. Naturally, fans aren't too pleased, so a new feature-length replacement ending is made where Pohatu's deep-seeded self-loathing turns everybody into orange goo.

@~X-Clone~ It's all good, man. Contextually, though, my comment does kind of fall into the "basking-in-the-glory-of-my-own-idealized-childhood" category, to be perfectly honest. All things considered, the important thing is Bionicle is back, which is really more than I think any of us could ask for.

@~X-Clone~ Um, ouch. But in all seriousness, think about it: at the time of Bionicle's conception, most in kids were into... what, Hot Wheels and Power Rangers? The former really didn't have a story until that World Racer movie, and the latter invented new exposition just about every six months. Bionicle had a lore. They had fleshed out a story that was meant to last for at least seven years, and that was before they knew if the line would even sell. Roughly a week ago, I played MNOG with the cynical viewpoint of an adult, and, some campy dialogue aside, it was more or less just as I remembered it: pretty compelling for a Flash game. Also, taking into account that this website was built on the foundation of talking about Bionicle, it kinda makes sense that we would do that here and take ourselves at least a little bit seriously. It's not like we spend every waking moment flapping our jaws in the real world on the subject. My bad head cold is a good excuse to sit here, too. Also, I was nine at the time, thank you very much.

@Click@Lyichir (for some reason my post button doesn't work) Honestly, some of the best animations ever done for Bionicle were the early Advance CGI renders. Unlike the stylized, albeit accurate MNOG cinematics or this new Danny-Phantom-schmutz, Advance's work stayed as true to the sets as technically possible. The characters moved in relatively realistic ways to their plastic counterparts. There were no fake eyebrows or added moving mouthparts. There wasn't even any talking to be heard; everything was conveyed through body language and context. It was subtle. It was minimalist. In its soft-spokeness it exuded incredible depth. It was honest, and because of that there was no need to juniorize or stylize what we already understood. All it did was reinforce what we had already imagined, and it couldn't have been executed better. It's no mystery to me that the choice to use Flash was likely made with budget and accessibility in mind, but still, I remember a day...

The concept art is gorgeous, which only makes me wonder all the more why LEGO went with the creative cop-out that is Flash animation for the promotional material. The cardboard-cutout Butch Hartman style really doesn't do the plot or characters any justice. The conceptual mask designs are also far better when compared to the final product. That being said, it's quite apparent that a lot of thought and care went into the new release, so that certainly counts for something. Also, the Tahu concepts look like EVA Unit-02, which could've/should've/would've been the greatest thing ever.

Between spending 5 minutes on tumblr and looking at what LEGO has released so far, the situation is fertile for Bionicle becoming integrated into the greater hipster-o-sphere, which would really suck. Not to mention, people here are already trying to name an organized fandom; if there's even still any ambiguity on the subject, fandoms really only serve to invite people looking to make a social networking fashion statement. My concern isn't so much with what the new Bionicle apparently is (I'm not too impressed, to be entirely honest), so much as I'm worried about what will become associated with it, hence what the entirety of the franchise will become associated with.