Special Features:
Making of Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui – Go Even deeper into the fantastic world of Bionicle.
Metru Nui Explorer – Access information about the characters and the locations in which they live.
Legendary Revelations – The team behind Bionicle answers fans’ most intriguing questions.
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.78:1) Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
DTS 5.1 Digital Surround Sound
French Languages
Running Time: 75 Minutes
Synopsis:
This film is a prequel to “Bionicle: Mask Of Light”. The following is from the DVD cover:
“Experience the awesome action-packed adventure in Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui, the all-new, full-length, CGI-animated movie that goes deeper into the legendary world of Bionicle!
When mysterious dark forces threaten the glorious city of Metru nui, Toa Lhikan gives six Matoran the tools and responsibilities of new Toa. These guardians must quickly master their new powers, demonstrate their worth to their honorable leader Turaga Dume, retrieve the hidden Great Kanoka Disks and rescue the inhabitants of their island city. Will they succeed before time runs out, or will darkness prevail?
Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui features new allies and new adversaries — including ruthless Vahki Enforcers and mysterious Dark Hunters. Experience the nonstop action and adventure as Vakama and his five courageous companions set out to prove they are heroes worthy of their own legends.”
Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui is rated PG for action violence and scary images.
The Movie:
Since I saw the first Bionicle movie, I figured I would be well prepared to follow this sequel. However, since it is a prequel to that first film, I ended up being just as lost with the story as I was on the previous film. Unless your bedroom is lined with Bionicle figures, you’re going to have a really hard time following this plot as well. It makes very little sense and, like on the first movie, the only parts that are easy to follow are the chase sequences. Good Guy vs. Bad Guy that I can understand.
The best thing about Bionicle 2 is the production design. The environments are stunning and imaginative. The cities all have different designs which are quite creative. For example, in one city the inhabitants are transported through columns of water that float in the air. In another scene the characters do battle in an arena with a shifting metal floor. The result is an impressive world unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The animation is also decent. Some scenes look better than others, but overall it’s a professional looking production.
Bionicle 2 is pretty much for anyone that saw the first Bionicle movie. If you didn’t see it, then you’re probably not interested in seeing this one either. It’s mainly for boys who bought the toys and couldn’t care less whether the plot made sense. Everyone else will probably want to avoid it.
The Extras:
There are three major bonus features on this DVD:
Making of Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui This is your standard “making of” feature. It talks about the origins of the story, the designs of the characters and environments, the music, and more. About the only thing they don’t talk about is the voice talent. Along the way symbols will pop up which you can click to access short features highlighting the bad guys, the storyboards, and other stuff. However, the highlight of the main feature for me was a segment on the making of the actual Legos themselves. They talk to the designers in Denmark, show the making of the Bionicle Legos, and then sneak preview Bionicle toys for 2005. I think Bionicle fans will be pleased
Metru Nui Explorer – You can explore a map of Metru Nui and access information about the cities and characters. There’s not text here, but there’s commentary by one of the characters.
Legendary Revelations This is probably one of the more interesting features of the DVD for Bionicle fans. They take fans’ questions from online and answer them on the DVD. It’s quite creative and a good way to interact with fans.
The Bottom Line:
Unless you saw the first Bionicle film, you’ll want to skip this. It’s more of the same baffling storyline with cool computer animation.
