Bionicle: Mask of Light

Released 2003
Animated
Voices Michael Dobson, Leslie Ewan, Christopher Gaze, Scott McNeil, Jason Michas, Lee Tockar, Chiara Zanni, Andrew Francis, Kathleen Barr, Dale Wilson
Directed by David Molina, Terry Shakespeare

In this thrilling animated feature based on Lego's line of Bionicle toys, a young hero on the mystical island of Mata Nui struggles to save his dying world with the help of a couple of friends and the guidance of the mysterious Mask of Light. Sent on a dangerous journey by the mask, the companions must band together to fulfill ancient prophecies and make sure that evil does not prevail.

Summary from www.netflix.com

My son loves the Bionicle kits, and I think they're outstanding. He's only 6, and I'm always amazed how he can follow the complex sequence of steps to build these figures. They're terrific learning toys, but could a movie be any good? Actually, it's much better than I expected. The CGI animation is excellent, and they do a fantastic job of bringing the toys to life. The story is a retread of the The Lord of The Rings, and it's nothing great. The ending is a little confusing, but I'll give them credit for trying to do something out of the ordinary by having the big evil guy (think Sauron) be essential to the formation of the final good guy. Overall, it's much better than what is usually spawned by a line of toys or a Saturday morning cartoon. --Bill Alward, October 26, 2003