Bionicle: The Legend Reborn – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Bionicle: The Legend Reborn

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2009

48%

WISE Score

A toy commercial disguised as a movie where biomechanical warriors fight on a desert planet—nostalgia fuel for 2000s kids, rough going for everyone else.

Bionicle: The Legend Reborn

movie

PG, 2009

48%

WISE Score

A toy commercial disguised as a movie where biomechanical warriors fight on a desert planet—nostalgia fuel for 2000s kids, rough going for everyone else.

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be real: this is a rough watch. The Legend Reborn is the fourth entry in a direct-to-video franchise designed to sell Lego sets, and it shows. The animation is dated even for 2009, the story assumes you've memorized Bionicle wiki pages, and the 5.2 IMDb rating tells you everything you need to know about its quality.

That said, if your kid was obsessed with Bionicle back in the day or stumbles into the lore somehow, this offers safe, if uninspired, action-adventure content. The themes are fine—humility, cooperation, helping others—but they're delivered with all the subtlety of a hammer to a brick.

The real question is: why would you choose this over literally any Pixar film, modern animated adventure, or even the better Lego movies? Nostalgia is the only valid answer. For everyone else, this is a hard pass.

Age Fit

Best for kids 8-12 who are already invested in the Bionicle universe or have a high tolerance for clunky animation. Anyone outside that narrow window will find this tedious at best.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Models heroism and cooperation as Mata Nui helps the inhabitants of Bara Magna. Features themes of redemption and helping others. Action-focused but maintains a positive moral framework with clear good vs. evil dynamics. Pacing is steady but can feel mechanical given the toy-franchise origins.

Imaginative

The Bionicle universe offers creative biomechanical worldbuilding with unique characters and settings. Mata Nui's journey from ruler to exile on an alien desert planet provides interesting sci-fi/fantasy fusion. However, this is the fourth Bionicle film and heavily relies on existing lore, limiting accessibility for newcomers. The mask-based powers and tribal warrior culture invite some imaginative engagement.

Safe

Typical action violence with robot/biomechanical characters fighting, but no gore or blood. Common Sense Media rates it for age 9, suggesting mild fantasy combat. No inappropriate content, sexual themes, or disturbing imagery. The battles are clearly fantasy-based with mechanical beings. Predictable action-adventure structure means no shocking surprises.

Enriching

Basic hero's journey with themes of humility, helping others, and finding purpose after loss. Mata Nui learns to work with others rather than rule alone. However, the film is primarily a toy commercial with shallow character development and predictable plotting. The 5.2 IMDb and 54% RT audience score reflect its limited narrative depth. Offers minimal cognitive challenge or meaningful takeaways beyond surface-level 'good vs. evil' messaging.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

If your kid was deep into Bionicle lore in the 2000s, this might scratch a nostalgia itch
The biomechanical worldbuilding is genuinely creative with unique tribal warrior aesthetics
Safe action-adventure with clear moral lessons about humility and helping others
Might inspire interest in building/collecting if you want to go down that rabbit hole

⚠

What to Watch For

The 2009 CGI has aged like milk—clunky animation that feels stiff and dated
This is the FOURTH Bionicle movie, so expect to be lost if you haven't done your homework
It's essentially a 75-minute toy commercial with paper-thin characters
The 5.2 IMDb rating isn't lying—this is objectively not a good movie by any standard measure

Conversation Starters

"What would you do if you lost everything and had to start over like Mata Nui?"
"Why do you think the movie shows Mata Nui needing help from others instead of being powerful on his own?"
"If you could design your own biomechanical hero, what powers would they have?"

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