Bionicle: The Next Generation

Bionicle: The Next Generation (also known as Bionicle: The Journey to One (Japanese バイオニクル：ワンへの旅 Baionikuru Wan e no tabi?) in Japan) is a 1996 El Kadsreian sci-fi action tokuatsu film directed by Pasi Peure, written by Sung Gim and Ryu Hamasaki, produced by El TV Kadsre Films and Toei Company and it was distributed by El TV Kadsre Films and it was released on April 29, 1996. It is the 22nd Technic Heroes installment. It marks the return of Bionicle since Bionicle IX: The Legend Reborn. Due to negative reception of the film, El TV Kadsre decided to cancel Bionicle franchise and moving to Lego since 2001.

Plot
Akira is a 21-year-old person who is living with his family. One night, he received an e-mail from the stranger, telling him to go to the Evac Tower at 1pm. The next day, Akira joined the six member to hang out on Northland, went to Unrac Electronic, where they met Oswald Norman and Sho Tanaka, where they took the guide to operating systems (EKS Vortex 5, Windows 95 and TS-UGOS 6) and the internet., went to the Theorysonic headquarters, where they received the prototypes of Theoryphone by Victor Nelsen and went to Evac Tower, where they met a stanger now known as Ekimu, where they transform into the Toa.

The Toa are tasked in finding the Elemental Creatures: ancient beings who incarnate the very life force of the elements and know the locations of the Toa's golden Masks of Unity as well as Makuta's Mask of Control. Finding one in each region, the Toa tame and befriend the creatures who lead them to their unity mask temples. Donning the masks, the creatures mount and 'unite' with the Toa to show them the location of Makuta's mask.

Meanwhile, Oswald Norman, who is really Umarak, a hunter born from the shadows, is employed by Makuta to find his lost mask. Aided by his Shadow Trap creatures, he follows the Toa and their creatures to the Labyrinth of Control, the secret off-shore location Makuta's mask. Inside, the heroes dodge the maze's booby traps and enter the mask's chamber; uniting with their creatures to do so. However, Pohatu's stubbornness to unite with Ketar, the Creature of Stone, allows Umarak to ambush him and use Ketar to enter himself. Fleeing with Makuta's mask, the hunter gives Pohatu the ultimatum of claiming it or saving his creature, to which he chooses the latter. Umarak later confronts Makuta's spirit and defies the claim that he was ever his servant by wearing his mask, but Makuta takes control and transforms him into a horrific beast.

Now the Mask Hoarder's minion, "Umarak the Destroyer" raises an army of Elemental Beasts created out of his Shadow Traps to attack El Kadsre City as a distraction for the Toa, while he seeks out the lost pieces of the Mask of Ultimate Power. Realizing their enemies' true intent, the Toa and an upgraded Ekimu pursue the Destroyer to the Black Crater in the region of Stone, where he recreates Makuta's forbidden mask in order to open a portal to the Shadow Realm, Makuta's prison after his battle with Ekimu. But when Gali attempts to retrieve the mask pieces, her spirit is pulled through. In the realm, she discovers the Toa's true destiny, and just as Umarak is consumed by the portal, returns to relay the information and unite the Toa into banishing Makuta for good. With their destiny fulfilled and power expended, the heroes' powers return to their stars to overlook a safe El Kadsre, with the intent of returning should danger ever arise again, the group returned to normal selves.

Cast

 * Hikaru Fujioka as Akira Ishikawa/Tahu, Uniter of Fire
 * Jordon Hayes as Harold Colt/Kopaka, Uniter of Ice
 * Marian Quincy as Brittney Grey/Gali, Uniter of Water
 * Philip Haldiman as Dennis Kingsley/Lewa, Uniter of Jungle
 * Kouki Hashimoto as Akio Hayashi/Pohatu, Uniter of Stone
 * Takeshi Fujita as Susumu Moto/Onua, Uniter of Earth

Production and release
The movie was filmed from mid-1995 to early-1996.

Reception
The film has received negative reviews from critics. The film was less popular than other Bionicle films. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film is rated at 21% on the Tomatometer, based on 53 reviews with the consensus: "This is not the Bionicle film you may know and love. The reboot is the original Bionicle's drunk, loud, deaf and mishappening cousin, thanks to the popularity of the internet, and I have know idea why they're taking Netspace Navigator too seriously." The El TV Kadsre television show, At the Movies gave a positive review of the film, giving a rating of 4.1 stars.