Vrahno
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Compared to Pohatu, Onua's film version is less defensible. Possibly the worst-portrayed character in Mask of Light, nearly everything is off: design, personality, behavior, powers, lack of tool use. But this thread is about his design, so I'll save most of the other complaints for later.
After going over general character designs and masks from the Creative Capers Bionicle films, time to look at the Toa in specific. Starting with the elephants in the room: non-hunchback Pohatu and Onua. Of all the ways these two were mishandled, their design is the most apparent.
January 29, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Compared to Pohatu, Onua's film version is less defensible. Possibly the worst-portrayed character in Mask of Light, nearly everything is off: design, personality, behavior, powers, lack of tool use. But this thread is about his design, so I'll save most of the other complaints for later.
After going over general character designs and masks from the Creative Capers Bionicle films, time to look at the Toa in specific. Starting with the elephants in the room: non-hunchback Pohatu and Onua. Of all the ways these two were mishandled, their design is the most apparent.
January 29, 2026 at 4:29 PM
After going over general character designs and masks from the Creative Capers Bionicle films, time to look at the Toa in specific. Starting with the elephants in the room: non-hunchback Pohatu and Onua. Of all the ways these two were mishandled, their design is the most apparent.
One overarching aspect of the first 3 Bionicle films is their semi-disregard of filler material. Each film went into production nearly two years before release, so stories that take place before the films were actually written during production and could thus not be incorporated.
January 27, 2026 at 1:10 PM
One overarching aspect of the first 3 Bionicle films is their semi-disregard of filler material. Each film went into production nearly two years before release, so stories that take place before the films were actually written during production and could thus not be incorporated.
Still on the topic of masks in Mask of Light, despite much of the film revolving around one, it doesn't explain how masks work, why characters wear them, and the mask-swapping feature from the toys isn't shown at all. Presumably, viewers were expected to have some base knowledge.
January 26, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Still on the topic of masks in Mask of Light, despite much of the film revolving around one, it doesn't explain how masks work, why characters wear them, and the mask-swapping feature from the toys isn't shown at all. Presumably, viewers were expected to have some base knowledge.
Continuing this thread, treating the characters' masks as their faces had some awkward effects on both the films' visuals and writing. For example, rather than switching masks like in other media, characters just put masks on top of masks, which is weird if you think about it.
January 26, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Continuing this thread, treating the characters' masks as their faces had some awkward effects on both the films' visuals and writing. For example, rather than switching masks like in other media, characters just put masks on top of masks, which is weird if you think about it.
Thread #1 on the faces in the Creative Capers Bionicle films, or rather their absence. Many proposals were sketched out for how unmasked Matoran/Toa/Turaga could look and work in movie form. And in the end, the filmmakers decided to simply not bother with faces at all.
January 25, 2026 at 11:27 PM
Thread #1 on the faces in the Creative Capers Bionicle films, or rather their absence. Many proposals were sketched out for how unmasked Matoran/Toa/Turaga could look and work in movie form. And in the end, the filmmakers decided to simply not bother with faces at all.
Liquids in Mask of Light were done with tricks and only minimal simulations because the filmmakers didn't have the tech and time to properly calculate and render fluids in each shot. You can see the distortion effect on the lava "lift up" the lava for a few frames in this shot.
January 24, 2026 at 3:35 PM
Liquids in Mask of Light were done with tricks and only minimal simulations because the filmmakers didn't have the tech and time to properly calculate and render fluids in each shot. You can see the distortion effect on the lava "lift up" the lava for a few frames in this shot.
Mask of Light showcases some of the Toa's physical prowess, adapting the older promotional images and videos into movie form, though Pohatu and Onua sadly don't get to do much. When it comes to showing their abilities, they are among the film's worst-treated characters.
January 23, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Mask of Light showcases some of the Toa's physical prowess, adapting the older promotional images and videos into movie form, though Pohatu and Onua sadly don't get to do much. When it comes to showing their abilities, they are among the film's worst-treated characters.
The Mask of Light's inscription has long been debated by fans because the third word is hard to make out. TECHNIC ORGANIC APPS(?) ONE DESTINY. The initials of the first three words give us Toa. A reference to the old franchise tagline "Six Heroes, One Destiny".
January 22, 2026 at 6:41 PM
The Mask of Light's inscription has long been debated by fans because the third word is hard to make out. TECHNIC ORGANIC APPS(?) ONE DESTINY. The initials of the first three words give us Toa. A reference to the old franchise tagline "Six Heroes, One Destiny".
Makuta thread #4. The 2nd film, Legends of Metru Nui, changed him further. Now, ideology informed his actions. Makuta's past as a hero who turned villainous to enforce his idea of order was more clearly referenced in an exchange that got slightly muddled in rewrites.
January 22, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Makuta thread #4. The 2nd film, Legends of Metru Nui, changed him further. Now, ideology informed his actions. Makuta's past as a hero who turned villainous to enforce his idea of order was more clearly referenced in an exchange that got slightly muddled in rewrites.
Makuta thread #3. One of the best known Bionicle factoids is that Christian Faber's benign but inoperable brain tumor inspired the franchise's base concept back in the late 80s. Hence the title Biological Chronicle, a story about the biological workings of a giant space robot.
January 21, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Makuta thread #3. One of the best known Bionicle factoids is that Christian Faber's benign but inoperable brain tumor inspired the franchise's base concept back in the late 80s. Hence the title Biological Chronicle, a story about the biological workings of a giant space robot.
Makuta thread #2. He was for a time proposed as Mata Nui's destructive side. He destroyed not out of evil, but to ensure that more creation can take place. It was an analogy of playing with Lego sets. Mata Nui builds, Makuta takes apart. Neither are evil, both serve each other.
January 20, 2026 at 10:53 PM
Makuta thread #2. He was for a time proposed as Mata Nui's destructive side. He destroyed not out of evil, but to ensure that more creation can take place. It was an analogy of playing with Lego sets. Mata Nui builds, Makuta takes apart. Neither are evil, both serve each other.
Makuta thread #1. He deserves an expansive discussion because he reflects Bionicle's different development phases. The version seen in the movies is not his original conception, nor the final one. It's a middle-point that hints at rich unrealized potential.
January 20, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Makuta thread #1. He deserves an expansive discussion because he reflects Bionicle's different development phases. The version seen in the movies is not his original conception, nor the final one. It's a middle-point that hints at rich unrealized potential.
This thread is mostly just admiring the pretty art direction of Mask of Light, well illustrated by the lava cave scene. Never mind the multitude of CGI errors and kinda stilted animation, Creative Capers deserve praise for daring to be this ambitious with the low, early 2000s tech they worked with.
January 20, 2026 at 12:29 PM
This thread is mostly just admiring the pretty art direction of Mask of Light, well illustrated by the lava cave scene. Never mind the multitude of CGI errors and kinda stilted animation, Creative Capers deserve praise for daring to be this ambitious with the low, early 2000s tech they worked with.
I know consistency should be expected rather than praised. But this was such a foreign concept for Bionicle a lot of times, often contradicting itself on basic things, that I applaud the film for sticking close to Ta-Koro's design from MNOG, a fortified village in a lava lake.
January 19, 2026 at 8:16 PM
I know consistency should be expected rather than praised. But this was such a foreign concept for Bionicle a lot of times, often contradicting itself on basic things, that I applaud the film for sticking close to Ta-Koro's design from MNOG, a fortified village in a lava lake.
Takua's movie portrayal encapsulates how the Creative Capers production team wanted to tell these films. There has to be an arc, characters must learn, change and mature as people. Their way of doing this was to reduce Takua to an irresponsible goof in order to build him back up.
January 19, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Takua's movie portrayal encapsulates how the Creative Capers production team wanted to tell these films. There has to be an arc, characters must learn, change and mature as people. Their way of doing this was to reduce Takua to an irresponsible goof in order to build him back up.
The epic opening being followed by Jaller yelling "TAKUA!" over and over became one of Bionicle's biggest memes. Many fans point to Jaller's overly youthful "surfer dude" voice as an unfitting casting choice. Film Jaller is more of a dork than the military leader from MNOG.
January 19, 2026 at 2:57 PM
The epic opening being followed by Jaller yelling "TAKUA!" over and over became one of Bionicle's biggest memes. Many fans point to Jaller's overly youthful "surfer dude" voice as an unfitting casting choice. Film Jaller is more of a dork than the military leader from MNOG.
Bionicle: Mask of Light had 4 writers on paper. But Alastair Swinnerton's original script was rejected and only some unspecified ideas from it made it into the film. Greg Weisman was fired from the film early on (for yawning at a meeting, supposedly) and didn't contribute much, if anything.
January 18, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Bionicle: Mask of Light had 4 writers on paper. But Alastair Swinnerton's original script was rejected and only some unspecified ideas from it made it into the film. Greg Weisman was fired from the film early on (for yawning at a meeting, supposedly) and didn't contribute much, if anything.
Each movie handles the Makuta stone differently. Legends of Metru Nui first gives it a blue tint to represent Makuta's original benevolent nature before it turns red. It stands opposite the much brighter Mata Nui stone as a fellow guardian, with the Toa stones in the middle.
January 18, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Each movie handles the Makuta stone differently. Legends of Metru Nui first gives it a blue tint to represent Makuta's original benevolent nature before it turns red. It stands opposite the much brighter Mata Nui stone as a fellow guardian, with the Toa stones in the middle.
The visual decisions of Mask of Light's introduction scene also merit a look. In canon, legends were told by the Turaga in the Amaja-Nui sandpit, part of the Kini-Nui temple complex. But we see the Amaja-Nui in later scenes and it looks different from the pit in the intro.
January 18, 2026 at 2:59 PM
The visual decisions of Mask of Light's introduction scene also merit a look. In canon, legends were told by the Turaga in the Amaja-Nui sandpit, part of the Kini-Nui temple complex. But we see the Amaja-Nui in later scenes and it looks different from the pit in the intro.
Mask of Light's intro scene also establishes tone. Much of Bionicle's initial media was atmospheric, slow, eerie. The original versions of the Legend of Mata Nui scene were very minimalistic, with monotone or no narration. The movie made it emotional, energetic, frantic and epic.
January 17, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Mask of Light's intro scene also establishes tone. Much of Bionicle's initial media was atmospheric, slow, eerie. The original versions of the Legend of Mata Nui scene were very minimalistic, with monotone or no narration. The movie made it emotional, energetic, frantic and epic.
The key to Bionicle's presentation is that the audience only knows as much about the story and world as the focal characters do. The legend shown in the film's introduction is being told with stones by Turaga Vakama both to us and to his in-universe audience, the Matoran and Toa.
January 17, 2026 at 6:40 PM
The key to Bionicle's presentation is that the audience only knows as much about the story and world as the focal characters do. The legend shown in the film's introduction is being told with stones by Turaga Vakama both to us and to his in-universe audience, the Matoran and Toa.
The opening scene of Bionicle: Mask of Light, which tells the Legend of Mata Nui using stone symbols, is already rich in discussion material. According to the directors, this was a last-minute addition to the film. It's quick and doesn't burden the audience with too much jargon.
January 17, 2026 at 9:01 AM
The opening scene of Bionicle: Mask of Light, which tells the Legend of Mata Nui using stone symbols, is already rich in discussion material. According to the directors, this was a last-minute addition to the film. It's quick and doesn't burden the audience with too much jargon.
Bionicle was handled by its creators as a "film franchise without a film". The moody and cinematic tone, marketing, art, music, the intricate world and ambitiously epic story were meant to make it feel like a grand experience, not a toy line. In its 3rd year, it got a film.
January 16, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Bionicle was handled by its creators as a "film franchise without a film". The moody and cinematic tone, marketing, art, music, the intricate world and ambitiously epic story were meant to make it feel like a grand experience, not a toy line. In its 3rd year, it got a film.
I always wondered when and why it was decided that Bionicle characters should be bio-mechanical cyborgs rather than fully mechanical robots. Early toys had no fleshy bits and media prior to the Miramax movies followed the toy designs. Finally, the films gave them visible muscles.
January 16, 2026 at 9:03 AM
I always wondered when and why it was decided that Bionicle characters should be bio-mechanical cyborgs rather than fully mechanical robots. Early toys had no fleshy bits and media prior to the Miramax movies followed the toy designs. Finally, the films gave them visible muscles.