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Ninjago
Screen Shot 2014-04-10 at 8.35.46 PM
July 7, 2014

Directed by

Scott Pincus

Written, Filmed and Edited by

Scott Pincus

Starring

Jack Morris

AckarProductions5

OonieandCacola

Ryan Bowman

Westificationful

JTH Studios

Collector1100

FireStar97Studios

Cameron Morris

Music by

Steve Jablonsky

Hans Zimmer

James Newton-Howard

Jay Vincent

John Ottman

Studio

Bio-Builder Productions

Release Date

July 7, 2014 (Part 1)

September 7, 2014 (Part 2)

November 10, 2014 (Part 3)

November 30, 2014 (Part 4)

December 11, 2014 (Part 5/Finale)

December 23, 2014 (Full Movie)

March 28, 2015 (Director's Cut)

Running Time

181 Minutes (Original)

121 minutes (Director's Cut)

Rating

79/100

Followed by

Ninjago: Rise of the Great Devourer

Ninjago also known as Ninjago - A LordStarscream100 Film, is a live-action LEGO film featuring the LEGO Ninjago characters, direced, written, filmed and edited by Scott Pincus and distributed by Bio-Builder Productions. It is the first installment in Scott's live-action Ninjago series, and his primary project of 2014. The film stars Jack Morris, Joe TeddickRyan Bowman, OonieandCacola and Douglas Garthwaite. Jack Hillebrecht, Collector1100 and Davy Smet round out the film's main cast. The film follows Cole Hence as he's motivated by Sensei Wu to join his friends and become defenders of Ninjago City, as a new threat arrives in the form of Wu's nephew and the ancient Serpentine. 

In late 2012, Scott confirmed his interest in making a full-length Ninjago movie with a more serious tone than the TV show. In March 2013, he confirmed the film is in production, and casting for voice actors began that April. Filming took place from May to November. The film began airing on YouTube on July 7, 2014 and concluded on December 11. It gained a generally positive reception. 

A shortened version of the film was released on March 28, 2015, and a sequel, Ninjago: Rise of the Great Devourer, aired from July 2015 to March 2016. A third film, Ninjago: Age of the Golden Master, aired from July to December 2018.

Plot[]

Sensei Wu dedicates his life to defending Ninjago, a land created by his father, The First Spinjitzu Master. In 2010, he trains four young Elemental Masters - Cole Hence, Kai Fellows, Jay Walker and Zane Julien - to become Ninja and protect the city. Cole's father, Lou Hence, is a construction worker in Jamanakai Village. During an attack by the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre tribes, General Skales kills Lou, before the Serpentine tribes are detained once more.

Four years later, Cole has completed much of his training, but doubts his purpose in life. He meets with Sensei and the Ninja, and regains confidence in himself. The next day, the Ninja rescue Dareth from Jamanakai Lake, where he and a corrupt politician, Cillian Fincher, are held hostage by the notorious Captain Soto. In the meantime, Lloyd Garmadon, Wu's nephew and the son of Lord Garmadon, frees the Hypnobrai and Fangpyre tribes from their underground tombs. They reconvene at the Slither Pit, and plan an attack on Jamanakai Village. Lloyd and his army, as well Captain Soto's ship  Destiny's Bounty, arrive in the village. They fight against the Ninja and police officers Mason Davis and Ben Delmar. As the Serpentine retreat, the Bounty is damaged and crashes. 

After the battle in Jamanakai, Captain Rezzle, the head of the city's military, along with the police, ally with the Ninja. Zane repairs the Bounty while the Serpentine head out for a second assault. The Ninja and the police chase after Lloyd and Fangtom, who drive an explosive-rigged truck to Jamanakai Village to blow up the large electrical barrel. Sensei and Dareth fly Destiny's Bounty and defend the electrical barrel from Fang-Suei, who also pilots a Rattlecopter carrying explosives. Cole goes to the Slither Pit to confront Skales on his own, vengeful over his father's death. 

The final battle ensues, with the Ninja pursuing Lloyd's truck while the Bounty battles the Rattlecopter and Cole fights Skales. Fang-Suei, Snappa and officer Johnson are killed in the chaos. Jay shoots the crate of explosives off the back of the truck. Cole is incapacitated by Skales before stabbing Skales' torso - killing him. Zane apprehends Lloyd, as per Sensei's orders, while Jay and Kai chase the truck alongside the Slither Pit before forcing it off the side of the cliff, destroying it. The Ninja and police regroup in the Slither Pit, with Zane proposing that they unite the people of Ninjago City and promise a secure future. 

Mason Davis announces his retirement as the city's police commissioner and Delmar takes his place. After Cole regroups with the Ninja, Sensei persuades Lloyd to become a Ninja in order to save his father, which Lloyd considers. Cole, Kai, Jay and Zane discuss what the future will hold, and declare they'll stand together as Ninja.

In a post-credits scene, the Skulkin warrior Bonezai approaches Lord Garmadon, stating that "he" would like to see Garmadon.

Characters[]

* indicates that the voice actor changed their username following the film's release. 

Protagonists[]

  • Jack Morris voices Cole Hence, a teenager who is the film's main protagonist that is trained by Sensei Wu to become a ninja. 
  • AckarProductions5* voices Sensei Wu, an elderly man who focuses on training four individuals to master Spinjitzu and become ninja to save their city from destruction. He is the brother of Lord Garmadon, the uncle of Lloyd Garmadon, and the son of the First Spinitzu Master. 
  • Ryan Bowman voices Kai Fellows, a blacksmith who is a ninja wielding the element of fire. 
  • Westificationful voices Zane Julien, a nindroid who is a ninja wielding the element of ice. GreshLord voiced the character in the first two parts of the film before being recast.
  • OonieandCacola voices Jay Walker, a teenager who is a ninja wielding the element of electricity. 
  • Collector1100 voices Dareth, a supporting character who assists the Ninja. Dareth is a skilled pilot and works closely with Jay and Wu in the film.
  • FireStar97Studios voices Ben Delmar, a supporting character who is a police officer and Mason Davis's lieutenant. 
  • FireStar97Studios voices Mason Davis, a supporting character who is the head of police in the city. GreshLord voiced the character in the first two parts of the film before being recast.
  • ToaGresh300 voices Captain Rezzle, a supporting character who is the head of the city's military. Rezzle was also a major character in the BIONICLE Universe series.
  • Ryan Bowman voices a Russian Soldier, a supporting character who is a soldier allied with Captain Rezzle. The soldier's name is later revealed as "Vladimir Dubrovky".
  • Scott Pincus voices Simon Bowler, a loyal ally of the Ninja who creates many of their vehicles. Like Rezzle, Bowler was a major character in the BIONICLE Universe series.
  • Cameron Morris voices Mayor Anthony Reese, the mayor of the city. 
  • Russell Parkinson voices Cillian Fincher, a politician in the city who supports Mayor Anthony Reese. 
  • BioPower OneThousand * voices Lou Hence, Cole's father and a construction worker in the city. 
  • Draco Jet voices Johnson, a police officer who is Mason Davis's sergeant. 
  • Westificationful voices Curtis, a construction worker who is friends with Lou Hence. 
  • Ryan Bowman voices Roberts, a loyal soldier allied with Captain Rezzle. 
  • Scott Pincus voices various ambient construction workers and soldiers.

Antagonists[]

  • JTHStudio* voices Lloyd Garmadon, a clever anarchist who is Lord Garmadon's son and the main antagonist.
  • Collector1100 voices Skales, the general of the Serpentine Hypnobrai Tribe and the second main antagonist. 
  • FireStar97Studios voices Fangtom, the general of the Serpentine Fangpyre Tribe and a supporting antagonist. 
  • JTHSTudio* voices Captain James Soto, an intimidating pirate who is the captain of Destiny's Bounty and a supporting antagonist. 
  • Stormjay Rider voices Slithraa, the Hypnobrai Warrior and Skales's right-hand man.
  • JTHStudio* voices Mezmo, the Hypnobrai Soldier and the head of the Slither Pit.
  • OonieandCacola voices Rattla, the Hypnobrai Scout.
  • Fangdam, the Fangpyre Warrior and the brother of Fangtom. Fangdam is not voiced by anyone, as he is mute. 
  • Westificationful voices Fang-Suei, the Fangpyre Soldier.
  • Westificationful voices Snappa, the Fangpyre Scout.
  • LordStarscream100 voices Marco, a French pirate allied with Captain Soto. 
  • Franco, a pirate allied with Captain Soto. 
  • Harry, a pirate allied with Captain Soto. 

Following the film's release, BioPower OneThousand changed his username to BioPower 1000. JTHStudio changed his username to JTH Studios, and AckarProductions5 changed his username to Ackar Productions.

Vehicles[]

  • Tread Assault - An all-terrain attack vehicle covered in black armor and designed for stealth missions. The vehicle is equipped with a cannon at the front and two golden blades on either side of it, utilized for breaking through obstacles. The Tread Assault was designed for Cole to ride in, although for the majority of the film it is utilized by Jay when Cole goes off to confront Skales. 
  • Blade Cycle - A red motorcycle with a compact build and a golden blade on either side of it. The Blade Cycle is driven by Kai throughout the film. Unlike most of the other vehicles, the Blade Cycle does not have any weapons. 
  • Ice Dragon - A large white dragon with thick white armor. The Ice Dragon is flown by Zane throughout the film, and often helps to transport many of the Ninja to their destinations as well. It also proves to be a formidable force against the Serpentine's Rattlecopters. 
  • Destiny's Bounty - A colossal aerial ship designed to fly and float. Manned by Captain Soto and his crew of pirates, the Bounty, as it is often called, is used in their various missions to torment and steal from the people of Ninjago. When the pirates encounter the Ninja, the ship is damaged and eventually taken from them. After being used against a Rattlecopter, the Bounty was severely damaged. 
  • Fangpyre Truck - A large green truck built by the Fangpyre Tribe during their assault on Jamanakai Village. There are two Fangpyre trucks in the film. One of them, transporting the Hypnobrai, is destroyed by the Ice Dragon. The other, driven by Fangdam and transporting a load of explosives, is destroyed by Jay in the Tread Assault at the end of the film. 
  • Rattlecopters - Green snake-like jets built by the Fangpyre Tribe during their assault on Jamanakai Village. There are five Rattlecopters in the film, with four of them flown by Lloyd, Snappa, Fang-Suei and Mezmo. The fifth one is a modified Rattlecopter seen in the Slither Pit, built for Skales to use, but he does not get to use it as he is killed by Cole. 
  • Hydro Heli-Jet - A flying hydraulic propeller-powered aircraft seen shooting down a Rattlecopter at 23 mnutes, 18 seconds into the film. It can be seen in water for a brief moment at 24:31 into the film. 

The police also use various police cars. At the beginning of the film, Sensei, Cole, Jay and Dareth are flying in a helicopter. Various construction vehicles and a semi truck are also seen on Jamanakai Dam while it was being constructed. 

Production[]

LordStarscream100 first developed the concept of Ninjago in December 2012. At first, he stated that the film will represent a new and more serious view on the story. However, it will still have many similarities to the TV show and story, although the film will not be a dark movie. Voice casting officially began on April 12. In July, Luke Perakovic resigned from the voice of Lloyd Garmadon due to technology issues, and the role was then given to JTHStudio, who will also voice Mezmo. On July 29, it was confirmed that filming would begin in March 2014 and conclude in early-June 2014. On the same day, the film's first screenplay draft had been completed.

A teaser trailer for the film was released on August 29. Writing for the film's official screenplay is currently underway as of September 15. Soon afterwards, it was confirmed that LordStarscream100 had sent out a message to all of the film's voice actors asking them if they are still voicing their respective characters. Various people were resigned from their roles after not replying, although Cielphatomgive has resigned from the voice of Lord Garmadon for various reasons. On November 10, it was confirmed that the film's script was complete, with revisions set to take place soon. On January 2, it was confirmed that CarpenterStudios had resigned from the voice of Zane, choosing to focus more on Kai instead of dealing with two main protagonists. GreshLord, who was set to voice Mason Davis and Fangtom, was offered the role of Zane and chose to voice both Zane and Mason Davis on January 4. On January 6, FireStar97Studios signed on to voice Fangtom and Lord Garmadon. 

Throughout January and February, the film was undergoing screenplay revisions, as well as modifications to the cast. The first official trailer for the film was released on February 20. On February 26, it was confirmed that Whatsupwithcomix (now Cameron Morris), who had been cast out of the role of Ben Delmar due to his inactivity on Youtube, was recast as Anthony Reese. Previously, ToaFirestorm was recast as Ben Delmar. On March 7, LordStarscream100 confirmed that the revisions for the script were officially complete. On March 18, LordStarscream100 confirmed that he had finished organizing the lines for over twenty different characters. Lines were handed out to approximately sixteen different voice actors. 

On April 3, LordStarscream100 confirmed that filming has been moved to an unspecified date due to the damage to the set. He has also confirmed that the film's release date has not been altered as a result of this. On April 10, Cameron Morris sent in the first set of lines for the film, completing his role as Anthony Reese. On April 19, LordStarscream100 confirmed that KookKidsPictures was forced to drop out of the role of Captain James Soto. LordStarscream100 originally took his place, as he didn't have time for a recasting and didn't want to overwhelm the current voice actors with the offer, but due to various recastings JTHStudio wound up taking his place in the role. On May 17, Lewafire12 was cast out of the role of Dareth, as he had not been responding to LordStarscream100 about the status of the role. Collector1100 was officially recast as Dareth. 

On May 27, LordStarscream100 confirmed that the entire film would not be released on June 20. On June 11, Shadow Raven Productions resigned from the role of Cole Hence, citing the fact that he would not have the time to do it. Having lost the actor for its main protagonist and without several of its major voice actors, LordStarscream100 was forced to postpone the film by two weeks. On June 25, LordStarscream100 confirmed that Jack Morris has officially been recast as Cole Hence. He submitted his lines the day of the announcement. The release date was later pushed back from July 4 to July 7 after the file that contained the first portion of the movie was corrupted. On September 7, the second part of the film was released.

On October 10, it was confirmed that Ryan B would be taking over the role of Kai Fellows. Fellows was voiced by CarpenterStudios in parts 1 and 2, and was set to continue for the remainder of the film, but because of problems with getting voice lines done for a long period of time, had to drop out of the film. Ryan B's lines will be used from here on forward, and will also voice over the segments from part 1 and 2 during the full movie's release. Part 3 was released on November 10, with a larger running time of 45 minutes. It was originally set for release on November 9, but was bumped a day further due to a major audio problem with it. On November 12, LordStarscream100 decided that before editing on the film's two final parts would commence, he would go back and revise the lines from the first two parts whose voice actors had been switched. Part 4 was released on November 30, and Part 5 was released on December 11, concluding the film's production. 

Filming[]

Filming officially began on-location on May 5 and was completed on November 15. For several days, Scott had to rebuild the set because a major flashback scene was being filmed using a large part of it. The scene, which depicts Jamanakai Village four years before the actual events of the film, was shot in May before being swiftly modified to the modern set. The new and rebuilt version, which acts as the present day, is used for the rest of the film. 

Reception[]

As judged by the five parts and both halves of the full movie of Ninjago, the film has gained a generally positive reception, gaining a 79% rating based on 1,963 likes and 523 dislikes, as of August 2021. When combining the reception of the film itself and its trailers, it has a rating of 75% based on 3,137 likes and 1,055 dislikes, as of August 2021. Much of the negative reception that came here was with the film's second trailer, which was released in February 2014 and gained a mixed reception because many people believed the film was "fake". The rest came with the full movie, which gained more of a negative reaction because it is not necessarily an "official" movie, as some would call it - however, it was never advertised to be such. 

Because many people were confused with the two full movie videos, as they believed the film was a scam for the upcoming 2017 Ninjago film, a portion of the dislikes are due to the confusion. Daniel Poulter, best known for directing LEGO Ninjago: The Animated Movie and its sequel, Day of the Nindroids, praised the film for its unique directing style and animation. Daniel wound up joining the cast of the film's sequel because he enjoyed it so much. 

Currently, according to Scott's analytics, the film set the record for having the biggest Part 1 debut, gaining 550 views three months after its release. In comparison, Jurassic Shark had around 350 views three months after its first part debuted, while its sequel had around 300. The first half of the full movie, which included all the scenes leading up to the film's final battle, has gained nearly 1,000 views about a week after its release. Ninjago also went four months with having a solid 100% rating, maintaining 46 likes and 0 dislikes before the release of Part 3. 

Looking back on the film, Scott believed it could've been better in several areas, namely with its editing and sound design. He believed the awkward cutting of shots, as well as the lack of sound effects, were his two biggest flaws with the project. 

In May 2020, Scott held a live commentary of the film with JTH Studios - the voice of Lloyd Garmadon and several other characters. 

Differences from the TV show[]

While writing the film, Scott hoped to tell a story that was very different from the TV Show, while taking some inspiration and paying homage in parts. Many characters were brought in from the show, and they interact with new characters that Scott created - such as Ben Delmar and Mason Davis. The film made controversial moves, such as killing off many of its characters - such as the soldiers and construction workers in the opening scene, which established a darker tone. Other deaths include Skales, Snappa, Fang-Suei, and Cole's father Lou - none of whom died in the show. Scott later described that Skales and Lou's deaths helped to establish Cole's character, who he hoped to develop more with the film. He feels that Kai and Cole's hotheaded personalities often blend together in the show, so with this film Scott aimed to make Kai hotheaded and bold, while Cole faces great conflict and faces challenges such as acceptance and taking revenge. 

Unlike the show, where Ninjago is a realm in and of itself, in this film Ninjago is a secluded island on Earth. Scott made this more clear in the film's live commentary in May 2020. He added that the jungle is extremely overgrown and unnatural, with trees reaching thousands of feet tall. The island of Ninjago has no connection to the outside world, and other countries do not meddle in its affairs. Civilians often do not travel outside the island, partly due to Anthony Reese's tyrannical rule over Ninjago. It's established that Ninjago is split into two halves - a rural, jungle-infested area, and a civilized part with buildings and order. Anthony Reese hopes to perpetuate the inequality in the city by allowing chaos to fester in the rural areas, hence why he opposes the rise of the Ninja - and is even willing to enable their enemies so they can oppose and kill the Ninja. 

Sequels []

See Ninjago: Rise of the Great Devourer and Ninjago: Age of the Golden Master

Trivia[]

  • This was Scott's first film to feature a post-credits scene. 
  • The minifigures for Vladimir Dubrovky and the soldiers, except for their head molds, were given to Scott by Ryan Bowman, who voices Vladimir in the film.
  • The casual outfits worn by Kai and Cole are the outfits worn by the two criminals featured in 4853 Spider-Man's Street Chase, a LEGO set released alongside Spider-Man 2 in 2004. 
  • Captain Soto's torso and hair pieces are the same ones used for Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings sets. Scott sought to create a more "realistic" look for Soto instead of giving him such features as a peg leg, eyepatch, and hat, choosing to base the designs of him and the other pirates off of modern day ones. 
  • Scott purchased Slithraa's minifigure off Bricklink, and didn't realize it was a keychain minifigure with the chain removed - hence why it has the hole in its head.
  • After Cole stabs Skales in the stomach with his sword, he says, "Your fate was sealed when you first stepped into this village", but the scene takes place in the Slither Pit. This is actually a minor flaw in the script, as the entire scene was originally set to take place in Jamanakai Village. Scott decided to change the scene at the last minute.
    • As a matter of fact, there weren't any changes to the script when the location was switched. The original script would fit perfectly with the environment of the Slither Pit, as Scott noticed. He felt that setting the confrontation between the two characters there would be much better for numerous reasons, including the fact that it would tie in neatly with the ending chase scene. 
  • AckarProductions5 is credited as Ackarproductions5, with the "p" not being capitalized. Scott made this error because he was so used to seeing YouTube usernames that "needed" capilization in some places but they didn't have it. He was credited properly in the sequel.  
  • Simon Bowler, a government agent who previously appeared in the BIONICLE Universe series, returns in this film as the creator of the Ninjas' suits, technology, and other devices. In the TV Show, Cyrus Borg, the head of a technology company, wound up doing the same for the Ninja in Curse World - Part II, as he created several new vehicles for them. 
  • When uploading the film's separate parts to YouTube, Scott would combine several smaller videos into a single video using the YouTube Editor. Unfortunately, an update to the editor prevented videos with copyrighted content from being used in the editor. This caused the third part of the film to be delayed at the last second, as some of the music it used was copyrighted. As a result, Scott replaced much of the music. 
  • Scott was very cautious when moving Destiny's Bounty around in the action scenes, particularly when it flies over/around the creek, sometimes at high speeds. If the fishing wire broke, the Bounty would likely be heavily damaged and the sails would also be destroyed because of their paper-like material.
    • During the Bounty's final scene, where Sensei and Dareth are using it against Fang-Suei's Rattlecopter, one of the fishing wire strands snapped. Fortunately, the Bounty was barely hovering above the creek, and the back of it landed on a mud bank, unharmed. 
  • The film surpasses Jurassic Shark III: The Revolution as LordStarscream100's most positively-received full-length movie. Jurassic Shark III has a current rating of 79% (exact - 78.95%, while Ninjago has a current rating of 80% (exact - 79.97%).
    • However, the reception for Jurassic Shark III is currently only based off of the film's first part, as the rest of the film has yet to be released. Jurassic Shark II: The Retribution is also close, with a rating of 77% (exact - 77.77%). 
  • In the BIONICLE Universe films, Captain Rezzle appeared as a toy military figure, not a LEGO minifigure. In this film, while it is still the same character, he appears as a LEGO minifigure.
    • Simon Bowler also appeared throughout the BIONICLE Universe trilogy in minifigure form, and he appears the exact same way in this film as he did back then. 
  • As of July 2018, the film is Scott's most successful "full movie" in views. The first half of the film's full movie has nearly 230,000 views. 
  • The Ice Dragon that Zane flies is not an Elemental Dragon, as confirmed by Scott. Elemental Dragons were introduced in the fourth season of the TV show. Scott hasn't confirmed whether such dragons exist in the series' canon. 
  • Kai and Zane appear in their original ninja outfits during the flashback. For the rest of the film, they wear their ZX outfits along with Cole and Jay.  
  • Dareth is described as being a friend of Jay's and also his partner in the film. 
  • The base for the Ninja was always envisioned to be in the tree that it wound up being in, and when Scott first put it in the tree, it fit perfectly amongst the vines. 
  • Lloyd Garmadon never appears as the Green Ninja in the film, although his ending conversation with Sensei Wu hints at this future role. Scott chose to have a different take on the character, in which he's truly set on following in his evil father's footsteps. 
  • When speaking with the construction worker Curtis, Lou Hence mentions how the workers have found an acidic green ooze coming out of Jamanakai Lake. Though never directly stated, the ooze was The Great Devourer's saliva - in the sequel it's revealed that the creature is buried in the lake. 
  • In the canon storyline, Cole's father and Skales never die, and have made numerous appearances throughout the TV series. 
  • In the original version of the script, Cole, Kai and Zane go on a journey to find the Ice Dragon, which was in a deep slumber in a more rural part of the city. The scene was scrapped when the entire plot of the film was changed, in which the Ninja weren't actually training in the midst of the story.
  • The Nunchucks of Lightning were replaced with the Sais of Lightning because they would be easier to film in fight scenes. Ironically, Jay never used them in the film. For the sequel, Scott retconned the sais and changed them into the Nunchucks of Lightning. 
  • Another major aspect that was retconned was the name Spinjitzu City, which was changed to Ninjago City. Scott changed the name originally because he found it odd to have the word "Ninja" in the city's name, but later decided this was a poor decision. 
  • In the original script, Dareth was a much different character. He would be captured by the pirates and saved by the Ninja, just like in the film, but in the original script they wouldn't know him personally. Dareth would discover and enter the Ninjas' base, where he'd encounter Sensei and Jay. The Bounty would attack the base, with Jay losing his mask in the chaos (the Ninja would hide their identities as well). Sensei would then allow Dareth to help Jay fight Lloyd's forces. Scott scrapped the scene because it felt like an awkward introduction for the character. 
  • The geography of Jamanakai Village in the film is far different from in the original storyline. It also plays a larger role as well. 
  • Shadow Raven Productions was set to voice Cole. He even voiced the character for the film's two trailers. However, in June, he was forced to drop out of the role due to a lack of time to complete it. 
  • Cameron Morris was the first person to send lines in for the film. He later recommended his colleague, Jack Morris, to take the part of Cole Hence after Shadow Raven Productions dropped out. 
  • Douglas Garthwiate was originally cast as Fangdam. When Scott found out that the character is mute in the canon storyline, he cast Doug as Snappa instead. 
  • It required one strand of fishing wire to move vehicles such as the Tread Assault, Fangpyre Truck, and the police boat and cars. It required two of them to move aerial vehicles such as the Rattlecopters and the Ice Dragon. Due to its immense size, it required three separate strands to move Destiny's Bounty when in aerial mode.
    • For the scenes where the Tread Assault and Fangpyre Truck "flew" over the Serpentine Tomb, as well as the scene where the truck shoots off the side of the Slither Pit, flies through the air and crashes to the ground below, utilized two strands of fishing wire. 
  • FireStar97Studios was originally set to voice Lord Garmadon in the film. In fact, the role was included in the script and he even recorded the lines for the character. However, Garmadon's major scene in the film was cut out because LordStarscream100 felt it did nothing but foreshadow future plot elements that didn't pertain to the film. In the after-credits scene, Garmadon's response to Bonezai was supposed to be, "and so, he shall." However, LordStarscream100 decided to keep him silent in the scene. Ultimately, FireStar97Studios went uncredited for his work on Garmadon.
    • He was set to voice the character in the sequel, but because LordStarscream100 felt that his portrayal of the character was out of his expectations, 1tjmac12 was recast in the role. 
  • The film was originally set to run anywhere from 120 to 140 minutes in length, although due to its opening scenes and exposition, which totaled around 40 minutes of the final product, the film's running time exceeded 180 minutes. Half of the exposition focused on the flashback scene and meeting the characters, while the second half focused on the introduction of the ninja. The film's director's cut only runs at around 121 minutes. 
  • Two of the film's soldiers, Roberts and the Russian Soldier, are both voiced by Ryan B. While LordStarscream100 sent him lines, Ryan heavily improvised many of them for the characters. 
  • Lloyd Garmadon's hair in the film is not black. It is really blonde like in the original story, but he dyed it black because he felt it would make him look more intimidating. 
  • Destiny's Bounty is heavily modified from the original set. It features a pulpit, a larger deck, and a blaster on its cabin. It is also able to float, although there are issues with it filling up with water. 
  • The Rattlecopter is more of a Rattlejet if anything. Scott modified the original set into a jet, although he decided to stick with the title of "Rattlecopter" because it sounded catchy. 
  • Unlike the original series, Lloyd Garmadon's "initial role" is expanded in this film, as he becomes a bigger and more serious villain than in the TV show. He is also not featured as the Green Ninja in the film, although at the end his conversation with Sensei Wu hints at the role he will adopt in the future. 
  • The Golden Weapons briefly appear in the film. While three of them have no part in the plot, Cole obtains the Scythe of Quakes in his final fight with Skales. Scott says that originally, the Ninja were set to use them throughout the film, but he forgot to make this concept come to fruition. 
  • Excluding the scene where the ninja receive their vehicles/gear and the initial conversation between Davis and Reese, the film was entirely shot on-location in the woods. 
  • Approximately 7,800 different videos were shot for the film in all. 
  • Jay is the only Ninja whose voice actor did not resign from the role. OonieandCacola stuck with the role all throughout the production. Shadow Raven Productions, CarpenterStudios and GreshLord all resigned from the voices of Cole, Kai and Zane, respectively, before their longtime voice actors were cast. 
  • AckarProduction5, OonieandCacola, Westificationful and Cameron Morris are the only voice actors who made it all the way through the production that began in April 2013 (Cameron Morris did wind up being removed from the cast for a time, although after his return he was recast from Ben Delmar to Anthony Reese). All four of them return as their respective characters for the sequel
  • Ninjago is the first example of any of Scott's films where his actors have also done voice acting; where Russell Parkinson played Cillian Fincher and Ryan Bowman played Kai Fellows. 
  • Unlike the rest of Scott's LEGO-based films (namely the BIONICLE: Universe film series), all of which used stop-motion animation, Ninjago was filmed and produced entirely live action, save for post-production special effects and sounds. 

Spoiler Trivia[]

  • In the original script, Lloyd was to unleash the Hypnobrai first, and go with them to unleash the Fangpyre in a separate tomb. To improve pacing, both tribes were put in a single tomb. 
  • Originally, Mason Davis was set to die by Ben Delmar's side at the end of the film, following the chase scene at the Slither Pit. The scene was never written into the script, and Mason's death was instead postponed to Rise of the Great Devourer, at which point Scott felt his fate better fit the story.

Connections (spoilers)[]

  • The sounds made by the Ice Dragon were also featured several times in the TV show, such as in episode 70, when Lloyd uses his Elemental Dragon to fight the Vermillion. Such episodes weren't released until years after this film.
  • Captain Rezzle, Simon Bowler, and the pilot at the beginning of the film (whose name is J.T. O'Neill) appeared in the BIONICLE Universe series. Rezzle appeared in the first and third films, O'Neill appeared in the second and third films, and Bowler appeared in all three films.
  • At the beginning of the film, Sensei mentions that Kai and Zane are in Ignacia dealing with the Fangpyre Tribe. This is a homage to the first episode of the TV show, in which Wu visits Kai and Nya's Blacksmith Shop in Ignacia. 
  • Lloyd Garmadon's line "Fair? Fair isn't a word where I come from", is from the original storyline, where Lloyd himself quotes a comic book character he idolizes. 
  • In the fifth season of the TV show, a new technique called "Airjitzu" (which is essentially aerial Spinjitzu) is introduced. Coincidentally, Scott's portrayal of Spinjitzu in the film is very similar to the way Airjitzu works, in which instead of the user doing Spinjitzu on the ground, they do the same thing but in the air, and hover upwards. 
  • Just like in the TV show, Lloyd Garmadon makes his first "attack" on Jamanakai Village. In the TV show, he went there with the Serpentine to steal candy. 
  • The First Spinitzu Master's look in the opening of the film is based off of his look in the flashbacks from the TV show. He has Zane's head in the film because Scott saw a similarity between the two.
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