Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Confusing and complex story line; for Bionicle fans only.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
When evil threatens to destroy the island of Metra Nui, Toa Lhikan (Michael Dobson) bestows great power and responsibility on six new Toa. These six Toa are young, impulsive, and prone to arguing amongst themselves. Quickly, they must grow up and accept their new responsibilities as they must find the Mask of Time and defend Metra Nui from the Dark Hunters. If they fail, they will lose the heart of Metra Nui, and evil will destroy everything that has been built.
Is It Any Good?
While the animation is very good, the storyline to BIONICLE 2: LEGENDS OF METRA NUI is very difficult to follow. And probably even more difficult if you have zero interest in the line of LEGO toys upon which this movie is based. Like the first Bionicle movie, characters are always using cliched fantasy lines like "Seize them!" and "It is your destiny to fulfill." It isn't easy trying to understand what's at stake for these characters, especially as none of them really stand out from one another, aside from some are "good" and others are "evil."
This film has the potential to be enjoyable for kids and adults who enjoy or have enjoyed Bionicle LEGO toys and seek overly detailed fantasy stories. For everyone else, though, it's not easy to understand what exactly is happening, and why. The storyline is overwritten, overly complex, and ultimately frustrating as you try and make sense of the movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about commercialism. Why do you think LEGO would want a series of feature-length movies in which their toys are prominently featured?
Did you find this movie easy to follow? Why or why not?
How does this movie compare to other fantasy movies?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 19, 2004
- Cast : Christopher Gaze , Michael Dobson , Paul Dobson
- Director : David Molina
- Studio : Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Run time : 75 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Action violence and scary images.
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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