Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui

Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui is a 2004 animated science fantasy action film and the second film based on Lego's Bionicle toy line. It is a prequel to Bionicle: Mask of Light. This film follows the 2004 storyline and was created using Lego elements from the Bionicle series. It is also the second of the two films in the franchise to be given a rating by the MPAA. It was released in theaters on October 15, 2004.

In this film, Vakama recalls events that took place long before the classic Bionicle stories at Mata Nui, during which he, along with his friends Nuju, Matau, Onewa, Whenua, and Nokama were chosen to be the new Toa of the island of Metru Nui. To save the city, they must prove themselves worthy Toa, find their mask powers, and protect the "Heart of Metru Nui". However, they also find themselves caught up in the schemes of the evil Makuta.

The film has many scenes taking stock footage from itself. The film was received with mixed reviews, with praise for the better animation but criticism for the plot and promotional tone. Despite this, it was a box office success, grossing $71 million against a budget of $10 million. It was followed by a sequel, Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows.

Box office
In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Team America: World Police and Shall We Dance and was projected to gross $15-20 million in its opening weekend, which was a result of the first film's surprisingly strong performance. The film grossed $6 million on its first day, including $700,000 from Thursday night previews, and debuted with $14 million, ranking second behind holdover Shark Tale. In its second weekend, the film grossed $8 million, ranking fourth, and in its third weekend, the film grossed $5 million, ranking sixth.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 46% based on 87 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's consensus reads, "Like its predecessor, Bionicle 2 's visually appealing animation can't get it past an overbearing promotional tone." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 41 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "B" on a scale of A+ to F.