I don’t agree with that, as there’s no reason for Vakama, or anyone, to think of Teridax at this juncture. They just know it’s some bad guy (if I were them, with Dark Hunters being around, I would’ve thought of The Shadowed One as a candidate). The morph into Makuta’s voice has always come off to me as 100% just for the audience, and to an even greater extent, hearing the Dume voice clip itself is just for the audience. I see where you could think that, but in all my watch-throughs I’ve never once had that thought.
Interesting to hear a new perspective on a fourteen year old straight to DVD toy commercial though, lol.
I do realize that as well, that part, at the least the Makuta portion, is completely non-diegetic.
For me at the least, the direction choices like Vakama’s tone and the Dume/Makuta voice clip have always led me to believe that Vakama knows for certain that Makuta is impersonating Dume, and I believe this was the intent of the scene and the choices anyways.
And of course that choice was made because, at the time, all anyone knew about Makuta was that he was an evil being who had always haunted the Matoran. Vakama knowing of Makuta being evil at the time wouldn’t have been confusing, it’s only retroactively after we’ve learned the real history that the differences in reaction may appear to be conflicting.
Of course, the effect is lost either way. The audience is still beat over the head with the fact that Dume is Makuta down to his staff literally having the Mask of Shadows on top (which I never noticed for fourteen years).
The soundtrack though, no confusion there. The opening is my favorite part of the whole movie! Not only did it have the benefit of taking the first movie’s motifs and making them better, but the new motifs are my favorite in the trilogy!
Teridax was never an evil being in the perspective of the citizens of Metru Nui. Lihkan more or less confirms this in his shock and saying “Makuta?! You were sworn to protect the Matoran!”. The inhabitants of Mata Nui, sure, they absolutely knew Teridax was a bad dude, but not Metru Nui. Anyone thinking he was up to no good at the time doesn’t make sense. Vakama’s tone ■■■■■ when he says “You don’t want to know who’s really in control” isn’t him figuring it out, it’s his resolve to figure it out.
I really hope not, because that’s lazy writing for Vakama to somehow magically figure out who the big bad is.
I disagree. I think the effect still works. If anything, it’s just one more chance for Lee Tokar to sound amazing as Makuta and get us pumped to see the Toa figure out who the False Turaga is win in the end. And let the four year olds watching remember what’s what.
Oh, I know, I meant the audience, the 2004 Bionicle fanbase. There was no other knowledge to the contrary at the time, and the returning audience from Mask of Light was already aware that Makuta is the bad guy. Sorry for the confusion.
Maybe so, but I’ve never known that phrase to be used without certainty. Telling Onewa that Onewa doesn’t want to know who’s in charge implies a knowledge of who is in control on Vakama’s part. Vakama isn’t divulging the info in-universe because there’s no time to explain (regardless of who, someone is endangering the Matoran as they speak, and he’s cut off seconds later by Vahki), but in reality it’s to create suspense for the name drop.
I wouldn’t put lazy writing beneath a direct to DVD children’s movie.
Looking at you, Web of Shadows.
As he always should!
I’d agree on that, but I still believe the movie makes it obvious Dume is Makuta.
His staff top is the toy form of the Mask of Shadows, the entrance to the Cave of Unending Whispers is the movie version, they show Dume talking to Makuta in one scene, and the scene right before the one in question blatantly reveals they’re the same anyways.
Even if the more subtle clues were missed, there’s no reason a viewer should be shocked to find out Makuta is Dume when the big reveal in front of the Toa happens. Pumped perhaps, but not surprised.
You know, Vakama does have visions.
It’s quite possible he did see the mask of time morphing into another face/mask, and either realized it was Makuta, or realized that his visions (which are often symbolic) were showing him the Mask of Shadows to say “There’s a dark being in control”.
