Bionicle: The Legend Reborn
BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn is a 2009 American direct-to-video science fantasy action film based on the Bionicle toy line by Lego. It is the fourth and final Bionicle film to be released. Distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, the film is a stand-alone sequel to the trilogy of films released by Miramax Home Entertainment. It follows the toy line's 2009 story and features a different set of characters than that of the first three films. The Legend Reborn was released on September 15, 2009 in the United States and Canada, October 5, 2009 in the United Kingdom, and September 2, 2009 in Australia. The film stars Michael Dorn as the voice of Mata Nui.
| BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Mark Baldo |
| Produced by | Kristy Scanlan Joshua Wexler |
| Written by | Sean Catherine Derek |
| Story by | Greg Farshtey |
| Starring | Michael Dorn Jim Cummings Marla Sokoloff David Leisure Mark Famiglietti James Arnold Taylor Armin Shimerman Fred Tatasciore |
| Music by | Cory Lerios & John D'Andrea |
| Edited by | Aeolyn Kelley |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Studios Home Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Legend Reborn was intended to be the start of a trilogy of films, but production on the sequels was cancelled due to Lego discontinuing the release of Bionicle toys in 2010. The story was concluded through other media outlets, including comic books and a web story titled the "Mata Nui Saga".
Plot
Mata Nui (Michael Dorn), the Great Spirit of the Matoran universe on Aqua Magna, has been exiled from his home by his "brother," the evil Makuta Teridax. Teridax took over his gigantic robot body just after Mata Nui's reawakening as the latter's spirit is transferred into the legendary Kanohi Mask of Life. The mask escapes into space while Teridax begins his takeover of the Matoran Universe.
The mask crash lands on Bara Magna, a remote, decaying wasteland planet of scrap parts and burnished metals. A Scarabax beetle watches as the Mask of Life creates a body for Mata Nui, who picks up the Scarabax. The beetle (later named Click) changes into a living shield after touching the mask. Just then, a scorpion-like being called a Vorox attacks Mata Nui and after a struggle, breaks off its stinger and flees. Mata Nui takes the stinger and encounters a villager named Metus (David Leisure), who warns Mata Nui of the deadly Bone Hunter and Skrall tribes.
An Agori recruiter, Metus takes Mata Nui to Vulcanus, telling the ex-ruler about life on Bara Magna. Local villages scavenge for what remains, building shelters, survival gear and ultimately arenas where they can settle their disputes by putting the best Glatorian from each village against one another. Metus introduces Mata Nui to Raanu (Armin Shimerman), the Agori leader of Vulcanus, during a fight between veteran fighter Strakk (Jeff Glen Bennett) and Vulcanus' troubled prime Glatorian, Ackar (Jim Cummings). Strakk concedes, but illegally attacks Ackar afterwards. Mata Nui intervenes and, though outclassed, accidentally uses his mask to transform the stinger into a sword. He forces Strakk to concede again, befriending Ackar in the process.
Metus later attempts to recruit Mata Nui, who refuses. Ackar introduces the hero to Kiina (Marla Sokoloff), a feisty Glatorian from the village of Tajun. In exchange for showing the two Glatorians a secret cavern underneath Tajun, Kiina would like to leave Bara Magna with Mata Nui, believing that anywhere is better than her native planet. On their way to Tajun, the three Glatorians are ambushed by a Skopio beast in Sandray Canyon, along with a group of Bone Hunters, to whom an Agori traitor has revealed the Glatorians' destination. After trapping both beneath a rockslide, they discover that Tajun had been attacked in Kiina's absence. Rescuing an injured Glatorian rookie, Gresh (Mark Famiglietti), the heroes follow Kiina to some caverns and Gresh tells them that the village was attacked by Skrall and Bone Hunters working together. Ackar is skeptical due to them being rival tribes, until the group spots Tuma, leader of the Skrall, searching the ruins with a pack of Bone Hunters. In the caverns, they also encounter Berix (James Arnold Taylor), a thief. While Berix tends to Gresh, the other three discover a laboratory containing a blueprint of the robot that was once Mata Nui's body, hinting that Bara Magna may have a connection with the Matoran.
As the Glatorians leave, Gresh reveals his weapon was damaged; Ackar wonders if Mata Nui's mask would work on the Glatorian weapons. As his mask seems to work on things that are/were alive and most Galtorian weapons being made of bone or claw, Mata Nui successfully repairs and transforms their weapons, in the process granting the Glatorians elemental abilities of fire, water, and air for Ackar, Kiina, and Gresh, respectively. As they travel to Gresh's village, Tesara, Ackar teaches Mata Nui to stay alert in battle and to study and find his opponent's weakness. Upon arrival, the Glatorians stop a fight between Vastus (James Arnold Taylor) and Tarix (Jeff Glen Bennett), urging the Agori to unite their villages against the Skrall-Bone Hunter alliance. Mata Nui proves himself by transforming Tarix's and Vastus' weapons.
Kiina follows Berix to the hot springs outside the village, convinced that he is the traitor. However, both are captured by the actual traitor. Upon being informed by Metus, Mata Nui ignores Ackar's and Gresh's offers for assistance and sets off for the Skrall camp in Roxtus on his own.
Mata Nui confronts Tuma and challenges him to a one-on-one fight to win Kiina and Berix's freedom, and eventually defeats him by exploiting a vulnerable spot in Tuma's back, claiming Tuma's circular saw-shield. Metus reveals himself as the traitor, explaining how he got the Bone Hunters and the Skrall to unite, intending to lead them against the Agori, feeling that they never respected him. Reasoning that he will have taken over Bara Magna before the Glatorians realize his treachery, he orders the Skrall and Bone Hunters to kill Mata Nui, Kiina and Berix, but an immense being composed of other Scarabax beetles summoned by Click keeps them busy, allowing Mata Nui to use Tuma's shield to free Kiina and Berix. Ackar and Gresh join them, leading several Glatorians against the united army. Berix defeats several Bone Hunters despite his incompetence, but goes missing during the fight. Mata Nui captures and defeats Metus by transforming him into a snake, as a representation of what he truly is, and has the Glatorians combine their powers against the waves of Skrall and Bone Hunters, forcing them to retreat.
As the team watches the combined efforts of the Agori, Glatorians and Scarabax beetles pulling the villages together, they notice that the combined villages formed a large robotic body, similar to the one Mata Nui's spirit once inhabited. To further this, Berix reveals a coin with the Unity-Duty-Destiny symbol, the Bara Magna symbol, and the Mask of Life symbol on one side, and the Skrall symbol on the other; when Mata Nui realizes that the maze-like symbol forms a map, the team prepares to embark on their next adventure.
DVD extras
- Extended ending ("Metus's Revenge")
- Deleted scenes
- "Bye Bye Babylon" music video by Cryoshell
- Character gallery
- Commercials
Music
There are two licensed songs used in the ending credits of the movie:
- "Ride" - Presence
- "Bye Bye Babylon" - Cryoshell
Cast
- Michael Dorn as Mata Nui
- Jim Cummings as Ackar
- Marla Sokoloff as Kiina
- James Arnold Taylor as Berix & Vastus
- Mark Famiglietti as Gresh
- David Leisure as Metus
- Armin Shimerman as Raanu
- Fred Tatasciore as Tuma
- Jeff Bennett as Strakk & Tarix
- Dee Bradley Baker as Bone Hunters, Skrall & Vorox
- Mark Baldo as Villagers
Production
Unlike the first three films, The Legend Reborn was produced by Threshold Animation Studios and distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, while the original trilogy was produced by Creative Capers Entertainment and distributed by Miramax Home Entertainment.
After reading the script the director, Mark Baldo thought of casting Michael Dorn of Star Trek for the voice of Mata Nui.[1]
The idea to make Click, Mata Nui's companion Scarabax beetle, have the ability to turn into a shield for his master at will was the idea of director Mark Baldo. It was not originally in the script, but Farshtey thought it was a cute idea so he approved it.
The film was to be the beginning of a new Bionicle trilogy, and the writers were working on a draft for a sequel, but the Lego company cancelled the toyline and hence the movies in favor of the newer Hero Factory franchise, forcing the storyline to be ended in comic books.
Reception
BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn has received mixed to positive reactions, but amongst fans of Bionicle, the film was given mostly mixed reactions.
While many fans praised the voice acting, visuals, and action sequence, they also criticized the film for its more childish tone compared to the first three films, which generally took a more serious and dramatic approach to their respective plots.