Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[Toa of Gallifrey]

I'd also like something a little different for Tahu. I kinda want Michael Dorn as Tahu.

on the flip-side of that, after hearing Mata-Nui in TLR, I kinda want Micheal Dorn to be the next Optimus.

Wow, apparently he was Vakama in the Metru-Nui movies! Now THAT was a good voice.

Whoa, Vakama was L!

[Timeline15]

Let's just compromise and have Micheal Dorn play everyone.

[Toa of Gallifrey]

I approve of that. Can he play Greg Farshtey too?

In all seriousness, I also want Gali to have her Bionicle: The Game voice.

[Lord-Vorahk]

Obviously, Takua should have his game voice. It is by far the best portrayal *Shot*

[Toa of Gallifrey]

BTG Tahu voice for 2015 plox

I got this idea after seeing one of those "what's in your wallet?" commercials (I forgot what they're for) and thought: Samuel L Jackson as Tahu. Won't happen but I can still dream. XD

Edited September 10, 2014 by Toa of Gallifrey

[arc]

I can kinda see lewa with a Scottish accent. But the only Scottish actor I can think of right now is Ewan McGregor.

Jedilewa2015

Edited September 10, 2014 by arc

[DuckBricks]

Would he not want to kick stones anymore?

Hah! I laughed out loud at this!

This was already done in the early years, MNOLG most clearly. The military culture of Ta-Koro, for instance, echoes that of ancient Sparta. I think Po-Koro is meant to evoke the rural life in either the American Old West or the Australian Outback.

I agree, especially after playing MNOLG for, like, the 20th time, I am beginning to see a lot of cultural aspects in it that are similar of real-life cultures both in the past and present...

[Aanchir]

I find Po-Koro most and Po-Wahi similar to Egypt, myself. Some of their most distinctive features are a bazaar (a form of open-air market popular in the middle east) and a bunch of painstakingly carved monuments.

Edited September 10, 2014 by Aanchir

[Bfahome]

I can kinda see lewa with a Scottish accent. But the only Scottish actor I can think of right now is Ewan McGregor.

Jedilewa2015

Sean Connery takesh isshue with thish shtatement.

[Clone 01354 Productions]

And what's this rascist LOMN portrayal you mention? I remember almost nothing about Whenua other than his incredibly cheesy "cus that's what friends do" line in Web of Shadows.

I don't want to go into it because any elaboration on that would make me sound racist (which I am not).

And I agree; Micheal Dorn needs to do every voice. It is just so perfect.......

Oh, and I think that Lewa needs an Irish accent again; it just seemed to fit with the character. Tree-speak doesn't work with Micheal Dorn.

[Quisoves Pugnat]

But there wasn't this huge divide between "people who like the story" and "people who bought the sets", at least, there wasn't supposed to be and there wasn't initially. BIONICLE was a story-driven line, like Ninjago or Chima; if Ninjago didn't have the massive TV viewership that it has, it wouldn't keep getting more episodes, but by the same token, would not have as much exposure. It's not a binary relationship, the transmedia is synergistic in nature. It needs to work together to contribute to the success of the line as a whole. Unfortunately, certain aspects of BIONICLE became less popular or accessible as the line went on; part of that is obviously just age, franchise fatigue, etc. But these are all reasons why the line very likely will (and in my personal opinion, should) reboot; the entirety of the property needs to reach a new audience, they can't split their focus between appeasing the non-set buying portion of the audience and the target consumer demographic.

Bionicle's story was no doubt an important part of the line. I would be the last person to deny that. There were however, different levels on which one could enjoy the story. Simply because someone followed the comics didn't mean that he followed the books. Otherwise, the comics would have become redundant between 2004-2008, no? The books were, in my view, supplements to the story told in the comics, advertisements, etc. Bionicle didn't have the same relation to its books that Ninjago and Chima do to their respective TV shows. Television is, for LEGO's target audience, more accessible than books. Not all of the target audience is going to be willing to seek out and read a book based on a LEGO theme, whereas most of it will have little hesitation to tune in to a TV show based on that theme. As a result, I think, Bionicle's books contributed less to the overall success of the line than the Ninjago show has to its parent line.

Speaking of television shows, it occurs to me that since they seem to be the order of the day for major LEGO themes, the presumed existence of a Bionicle show would result in a different kind of relationship between story-loving and set-loving. Since the main story would be more accessible, there would no longer be such a risk of a divide between those who enjoy the story and those who buy the sets. LEGO wouldn't need to split its focus.

I agree that a reboot likely the best course of action. However, I think it should be like Doctor Who's television reboot, not like a comic-book continuity reboot.

Well, in terms of the final year, there wasn't much to lose; it was gone, we were lucky to get these sets, etc. I'm not saying any of it is right (especially in terms of Hero Factory, which seems to go out of its way to disregard the canon =P), but comparatively, the story was pretty on-the-ball with keeping things consistent.

Fair enough. Perhaps that wasn't the best example.

Most of the names wouldn't have appeared if not for the books, so generally they were limited to the universe. And again, not everything about BIONICLE was meant to be so disconnected; the story supported the sets and expanded upon the universe, just as many franchises have.

True, but I doubt that LEGO had an agile female Dark Hunter with a mechanical right arm in mind when it approved the name "Lariska." If what I understand is correct, then Greg probably took from the list of approved names. For all I know, it might have become the name of one of the Barraki had he not used it. Though I don't know enough about the list to say for sure.

And I agree the story was supposed to support the sets and expand upon the universe. I never said that there should have been a disconnect, simply that there was a hierarchy of the relevancy of story and media, and that the books were not at the top of that hierarchy. They were still important, but I doubt that LEGO ever intended the casual buyer to actually know of Karzahni's history with the Toa Mahri. He didn't even look like his prose description, save for his wearing a cape. If LEGO had really cared about the continuity of the books, then Karzahni would have been made recognizable to those who had read about him. By the same token, the fact that LEGO even released a set named Karzahni which resembled his book form in even the remotest of ways suggests that they didn't ignore the books altogether. I'd say that the books were in the middle of the hierarchy.

I'm just saying, everything can be simplistic when you reduce it to base elements, and to do so isn't a holistic look at the property, which does it a disservice when trying to compare things.

It may not be a comprehensive look at the property, but where reboots are concerned, that which builds on the base elements is not necessarily going to be retained. So while a Transformers reboot is likely going to have callbacks to and take inspiration from past iterations of the franchise, this is never a guarantee.

I can kinda see lewa with a Scottish accent. But the only Scottish actor I can think of right now is Ewan McGregor.

What about David Tennant? He seems like he'd have just the right mix of hyperactivity and somberness.

[Still Raindrop]

I think Po-Koro, in the MNOLG, was a great amalgamation of different desert-dwelling cultures--you had Arabic/middle eastern nomadic influences with the goats and some music, aboriginal Australian influences with other music, the Egyptian influences Aanchir mentioned, and even some influences from the Pueblo peoples of the American Southwest (the Po-Matoran huts aren't shaped like the adobe houses of pueblos or cliff dwellings, but they are non-nomadic adobe-esque houses in a canyon).

I hope that the tribes are this way in the new Bionicle--that they incorporate enough different cultural ideas so that you can't just point and say something like "ah, the Ko-Matoran are clearly just alien versions of Tibetan and Nepalese culture," for example. I imagine they would do it that way, after their Maori cultural lesson. I also think it makes for better world building. You can never get away from earth cultures and influences, but you can make it more than just "this culture IN SPACE!" (or, rather, in and on a giant robot)

Edited September 10, 2014 by Mariko

[Clone 01354 Productions]

^Well put. That is exactly what we need. And I assume that you are more pro-tribal than pro-2008 "Hey-look-at-me-I-have-a-laser-gun", no?

We need to have civilizations more like the Koros, not like Metru. Metru Nui had a nice feel to it, and yes it made sense from a story point of view, but it just felt wrong, especially coming right after Mata Nui.

And don't even get me started on Voya Nui.....that was a mess.

[Kalta the Noble Mind]

ong time reader first time poster. to mention the stuff i couldn't:

1) reboot vs continuation- i would suggest they do what the star trek movie did and have the new Bionicle be an alternate universe so fans can still have the old universe untouched while lego can produce a new iteration. Bionicle was heavy into pocket dimensions and alternate worlds so it wont be too out of place. in fact i can see a great piece of fan service down the road if Bionicle 2015 runs long enough:

there can be a new antihero type Toa that popped into the world through a dimensional gate which seems to be a darker version of a (hypothetical) Takanuva. this can be the Takanuva Toa of Twilight from 2008's Dark mirror serial. that can connect the two continuities together and i can totally see this twilight Takanuva be a sort of Ultimate Collector's Series set for Bionicle,making a more impressive titan with the price tag the now grown up older fans who remember him can afford. that is just my wish though.

2) voice acting- i was greatly disappointed to how the movies voiced the earth Toa, the wiser and humblest of the Toa were given gruff blue collar drawls more fitting for stone.

for example i felt the demeanors of Onua and Pohatu form MoL would have been switched, with Pohatu's more regal and classically heroic tone befitting the wise and noble Whenua with his gruff lowbrow tone would be more fitting for the friendly laid back everyman Pohatu. in fact i think Hewkii sounded more i imagined Pohatu to be.

as for specific voice actors i would feel Michael Dorn or Lawrence fishbourne to be prime examples of Toa of earth. and thinking further i think Clancy brown would have been ideal for Whenua, specifically in his more eloquent and refined portrayals like justice league's lex Luther or carnevale's brother Justin. the Toa of earth need to sound deep but not gravely, more like a mysterious cavern rather than the imposing mountains they were portrayed as if you understand my meaning.

also since the Le-Matoran and Le-Toa and such seem to be the more fun loving party people would anyone object to a trait of air Toa be a sing songy tone? like the tree-speak came about as a sort of rhyming slang where they would sing little teases and taunts to show off their playful trickster nature. i think that would work well with the suggested Jamaican accent Lewa would have.

3) world building/culture - not sure where this will fit but i hope the art team like christian faber would produce copious amount of technical concepts that fans can recreate. like i dunno runes and icons like the Matoran font and the Nuva icons. help build a more believable living culture.

[GK733]

Maybe Greg is not working on this new story, but what about Faber? Has he just moved his stuff to Minecraft and his personal project or is he hiding something from us?

[Kalta the Noble Mind]

oooh do i hope faber is still part of the bionicle story team! he was the one who gave us most if not all the initial concepts in bionicle we knew and love:D espeically the secret of mata nui:D and the entire body/biology motif :D

[Clone 01354 Productions]

I wonder if the writers planned out the entire story from day one.......the whole concept of them living inside of a robot, the plan for Makuta to exile Mata Nui, the plan for Bara Magna.....all of these things just really brought the story together, and without it, the story would be completely different.

That being said, I really want them to carefully plan EVERYTHING out. With Bara Magna......did they plan for it to be canceled one year into the story, causing the story to have to abruptly end? I doubt it. They need to have a solid backup plan for the Bara Magna Complex, because I don't think that this theme can support the weight of another failure.

[AyliffeMakit]

What about David Tennant? He seems like he'd have just the right mix of hyperactivity and somberness.

YES. I'd pay good money to see that.

[GK733]

I might be alone on this boat but for me using famous voice actors and actors too often in general ruin it for me. If there was any immersion to begin with, it's completely gone and drops the enjoyment factor close to zero if I see Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage etc. I'm just sick of hearing same voices and faces over and over again, no matter how different of makeup. That is one of the main reasons I adored Mata Nui's voice while the rest of the movie was pretty terrible and especially the voice acting. As much as I too love MLP, I wouldn't want to hear those voices in whatever media Bionicle comes next.

[Timeline15]

I thought the voice acting in TLR was fine. (much better than the most recent hero factory, certainly). Most of the voices were exactly how I imagined the characters sounding.

[Aanchir]

I might be alone on this boat but for me using famous voice actors and actors too often in general ruin it for me. If there was any immersion to begin with, it's completely gone and drops the enjoyment factor close to zero if I see Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage etc. I'm just sick of hearing same voices and faces over and over again, no matter how different of makeup. That is one of the main reasons I adored Mata Nui's voice while the rest of the movie was pretty terrible and especially the voice acting. As much as I too love MLP, I wouldn't want to hear those voices in whatever media Bionicle comes next.

But keep in mind that the best voice actors can actually act. They're not just a familiar voice — they can become the character so effectively that for a moment you forget who they are. When I was watching Toy Story as a kid (or Toy Story 3 as a young adult), not for one moment did I think "Hey, Buzz Lightyear is just Tim from Home Improvement." Nor when watching The LEGO Movie did I start to think "Isn't Wyldstyle just Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games?" or "Vitruvius sounds eerily like Lucius Fox from Batman Begins." When the voices are well-acted, you tend to pay attention to the actual portrayal of the characters, not to who's portraying them.

[Thelegomaster]

So Greg F is denying everything on the LMBs, It's already confirmed so why keep denying? Do you think he's just keeping things under wraps until the official announcement or that he's not working with Bionicle anymore?

[Aanchir]

So Greg F is denying everything on the LMBs, It's already confirmed so why keep denying? Do you think he's just keeping things under wraps until the official announcement or that he's not working with Bionicle anymore?

Even if he is no longer working with BIONICLE in the capacity he used to, he is fully aware of the new BIONICLE. He NEEDS to be as part of his role as a writer and editor for the LEGO Magazine. And he's explained in depth why he cannot discuss the new BIONICLE or any new 2015 themes — because even if the truth of the new BIONICLE is proven without a shadow of a doubt, it has not been officially announced and as such he cannot discuss it without losing his job.

[Thelegomaster]

Even if he is no longer working with BIONICLE in the capacity he used to, he is fully aware of the new BIONICLE. He NEEDS to be as part of his role as a writer and editor for the LEGO Magazine. And he's explained in depth why he cannot discuss the new BIONICLE or any new 2015 themes — because even if the truth of the new BIONICLE is proven without a shadow of a doubt, it has not been officially announced and as such he cannot discuss it without losing his job.

Oh, well thanks for explaining that!

[---Vertea---]

I liked the Po-Koro from MNOLG. It had a distinct desert vibe that wasnt necessarily tied directly to an existing culture, though it ertainly had touches of many.

Phatu also seemed a little mysterious and wise when yo finally got to see him. There in a flash to save the day, then gone again before you could ask too many questions. I wouldn't mind a return to that kind of character.