Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows (2005 Video) User Reviews (13)

Completely Underrated

[cameron-burn · 7/10 · 19 December 2007]

As a completely nutty Bionicle fan who has managed to collect all the comics and most of the products as well as being a true member of the Kanoka club, I was looking forward to seeing the only Bionicle film I had not yet viewed. Of course, I already knew the plot line through reading the comics and the story's but nevertheless thanks to Greg Farshteys imaginative brain this still managed to dazzle me. When you've got a theme like Bionicle, and they make a straighttovideo film , the chances are your parents are not going to rate this film highly. But I think that these 3 films are completely underrated in that the animation is sweetly edited and the story lines are superb. Bionicle 3:web of shadows is the most popular of the Bionicle films in that it uses the greatest bionicle adventures theme as a storyline and that it's animation manages to capture an atmosphere so eerie it could even surpass the PG ratings. Bionicle 2 is still the best crafted film in terms of editing and the mask of lights is the most "fun" but this one contains the best storyline in my opinion.

As for me, I can't wait for Bionicle 4 to come out as it should involve the immense Piraka and the beautiful Voya Nui and the Bionicle Legends in my opinion is the best. Can't wait for that and overall good film. The Visorak rock! The Toa Hordika Rock! Roodaka does not rock!

just as good as the 1st two and a bit better in some respects

[disdressed12 · 7/10 · 10 June 2007]

this 3rd movie in the "Bionicle" series is pretty good entry.just like the 2nd one is as good as the 1st,this one is as good as the 2nd.i really like the fact that the villain is very strong in this one and quite malevolent.more so than the two previous entries.the action is also pretty good,plus we have some double crossing,backstabbing going on to elevate the proceedings.i also like the wise old sage.i thought he was very likable.another thing i like is the different kinds of creatures in this one.as well,this movie is quite a bit darker in tone than the first two.there is more of a sense of danger and jeopardy.the other two lacked that element at least to a certain extent.the only other real complaint i have with this installment is that there were a few too many lulls in the story,with not enough going on.other than that i enjoyed it.i give Bionicle" 3:Web of Shadows" a 7/10

A let down

[briancham1994 · 7/10 · 3 June 2020]

After the first two Bionicle films, this instalment was a let down. It's not so much the fault of the filmmakers as it is the overall 2005 storyline that is flawed. It goes into a complete tangent with a storyline that just slows down the overall arc, a "dark" style that seems mishandled and betrayals/decisions that are completely out of character.

A Movie More Than Just A LEGO Advertisement

[Gresh854 · 4/10 · 17 August 2013]

This is the 3rd installment to a LEGO advertisement series. This should be... interesting? So Bionicle 3 is about the toa who return to the island where they defeated Makuta so that they could find and save the remaining toa stuck on the island. But the place is taken over by Visorak and they need to stop them.

Characters - The characters are pretty cool looking but the voice actors can stew them up sometimes. Some of the voices are pretty annoying. But overall the characters are OK but they look cool so everything is alright, barely.

Animation - The animation in this movie is actually pretty awesome. It's cool because how they animate the mind of makes them look not like LEGO. Sometimes the animation looks sloppy like they rushed it so that was a bit of a problem but it's a TV movie, they're not going to do a whole lot to it.

Action Sequences - I thought the action scenes in this movie were pretty cool for a is movie. I mean this was one of my childhood movies and I loved it so kids will overall love everything about the movie.

The Deep Stuff - The movie thought-out is kind of boring especially if your an adult. But towards the end the movie gets pretty awesome. There's is one part which I did not expect but it was a pretty memorable moment. It was like kind of a sad scene but it had a lesson in it.

Pros -

Awesome Animtion Entertaining Action Sequences Memorable Moral

Cons -

Feels too Rushed OK Script Writing

Overall - Overall this movie is a great family movie, it's better than 1 and 2 barely. It can sometimes seem stupid and rushed but that's because it's a kids movie. O do have to say though that the script that was made in this movie is pretty bad. It's not terrible but it's kind of stupid but it wasn't a big problem I just wanted to point that out. So I am giving Bionicle barely a 7/10 because it is a very enjoyable movie. I personally thought this movie was pretty good. (B+)

Meh, it was better than two

[yoshi-whitby · 4/10 · 1 May 2017]

Well, after watching the absolutely abominable 'Bionicle 2', it would have been harder to sink any lower. This movie, on the Bionicle scale, is totally middling. Compared to 'Mask of Light', this movie is abysmal, but compared to 'Bionicle 2', it is an artsy masterpiece.

Unlike the previous film, there is a discernible plot that actually makes sense, and is easy enough for a ten year old to follow (unlike 2 which had a fully grown adult confused). The characters had more quips and were more likable than they were in the second movie, but still, this title goes nowhere near capturing the heart, friendship and dynamic of the first Bionicle movie.

The cheap gimmick also didn't work out too well, the Toa mysteriously transformed into 'snake like beings' this was clearly done to sell the new line of bionicle figures, as they were far too easily injected into the movie.

As for the story, it was much more gripping and exciting than 2, with betrayal, cool villains, and a big battle scene. It was refreshing to see a villain other than the Makuta take the stage, and set up the first movie better than the second ever did. As a movie overall however, it was totally flat, lacked any substance, and felt very much like it was going through the motions of a sequel, rather than deserving to be one.

While it was comparatively better than the second movie, it is not worth watching overall.

dark undertones

[cryptobat · 8/10 · 28 October 2005]

This is a strangely sophisticated series for just kids! I am 24 years old and I loved it! Very nice animation with a very cool bad girl character. For once it's nice to see the female character (even if she's bad) as the strong one.

I feel sad, however that the characters from the original movie were left behind in the story telling. This whole story COULD have been used with the characters from the first movie. After all what happened when they return to their city? I feel sad that these characters are left alone while the we focus on the past instead of the future.

I hope this is not the end of this wonderful world of the bionicle. Kids need some QUALITY sci-fi movies and this is a great one to watch!

Unity, Duty and Destiny

[bound-to-sanzo · 9/10 · 3 January 2006]

Here it is, another fabulous movie of the Bionicle Series. The animation is fantastic, the characters admirable in different ways - a pleasure to watch again and again! The one thing I love about this movie, and all the Bionicle movies, is that they always come out with a cool story line, never repeated with the other movies. It's always original.

I love how it stays true to the books, and how it always stays close to the 'good over evil' back-bone story line. It's great for kids, but I'm a teenager and I love all the Bionicle movies! It's suitable for all ages, so why not just see it - it won't let you down.

One more great Bionicle movie...

[josecurse · 10/10 · 29 October 2005]

Bionicle Mask of Light, Bionicle2 Legends of Metru Nui, and now Bionicle Web of Shadows. This third one wasn't as good as the second, but certainly was better than the first. When the movie begins it seems like another Bionicle movie, but this time we have some flashback scenes on top of the moving rocks part. This confused me at first, since the last two movies had begun with only the rocks. The movie starts before the very end of the second and Makuta's defeat. This can be quite a bad start for someone who hasn't seen the prequel. Plus there is no explanation this time of what are matoran, rahi are no longer referred to as Rahi-beast which gives no clue to what rahi are. After the somewhat odd start, it seems like the movie (differently than the others) keeps the story stuck to what the books say. The new character design though is much better, although Bionicle 2 showed Vakama's feelings, none of them showed the whole Vakama, the dark side was never seen. In this movie we see Vakama's bad, and good side. Now, comparing the villains in this new movie with the rest I must say that Roodaka is much badder than Makuta, and the vishorak are a greater threat than Nhidiki, Krekka, and the Rhakshis. What makes this movie not as good as its prequel is that not much happens, the whole thing is or too slow or too fast. The movie ends with one big question mark: The Toa are taking the matoran to safety because Metru nui is not safe because Makuta might be awake, but they know it's awake and might follow them... why not just add some minutes to the film and capture Makuta all over again? Contrary to what my comments may express I thing Bionicle3 is an excellent movie, and fits in perfectly with the story. I hope there's a fourth one, and that in that one he Toa Metru and Nuva both go back to Metru Nui, like the books say.

good sequel

[mavrickindigo · 8/10 · 12 October 2005]

I enjoy watching the Bionicle series of movies myself and this one was no exception.

The Story Continues where the second one left off. The Toa Metru return to Metru Nui to rescue the remaining Matoran from the ruins of their once great city. But they find that the Archives, a sort of museum or zoo, was destroyed, letting loose all of the creatures. Worse yet, Visorak spiders have taken up residence in the city under the lead of Sidorak and his viceroy/fiancée Roodaka, who has plans of her own. The Toa a quickly captured by the Visorak and mutated into Toa Hordika, but before they are destroyed by the Visorak, the Rahaga, turaga/rankshi mix, save them. Their mission now is to find a legendary creature that can turn them back to normal and patch up their unity before they are separated forever.

The Animation in this movie is better than the others, especially in the face department. The Character's seem more alive than ever, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on what you think of the Masks. The downside is there is still lag at spots. The characters in this look more like their toy counterparts with the exception of perhaps Sidorak, whom I haven't really seen the toy.

This movie also has an interesting mix of action and comedy. The Le-characters (the green ones) still provide the comic relief, while keeping the dark tone. Overall it is dark without being scary as to not frighten the children.

The only problem I have with this movie is the continuity. While I understand not all of the adventure could fit in one movie, they, like in the second movie, skipped over various adventures and plot points like how they built the airships and the origins of the Rahaga and even the Mask of Light. They treat it as if it didn't happen. That is why I'm lowering it from 9 to eight.

Bionicle3 was a great sequel

[ahmaddanial94 · 10/10 · 3 September 2006]

Bionicle was great after watching it and while the show just keeps you wanting to watch it again and again The character detail are good and this time i finally get to see a huge scale battle well its actually the part where the 4 Toa Hordika fight with more than thousands of Visorak and when there was a great explosion when the legendary Kitanggu fell from the tower Overall the animation is great,the environment the character details are nicely done and the movie is good as it follows most parts of the book well I'm not really sure of that because i don't read them but thats n ot the point what I'm also curious ids that why are people voting the movie but their votes aren't good enough since overall its 5.0 out of 10 i mean come on its a good movie isn't it?

Not As Good as Metru Nui but A Great Closer to The Bionicle Trilogy

[KalKenobi83 · 8/10 · 19 December 2019]

Watched One Of My Favorite Direct to Video Animated Films Bionicle 3:Web Of Shadows amazing voice Performances from Alessandro Juliani(Battlestar Galactica) as Vakama, Tabitha St.Germain(Transformers: Energon) as Nokama also starring Brian Drummond(G.I. Joe: Ninja Battles) as Matau/Onewa, Paul Dobson(Inuyasha) as Whenua/Sidorak, Trevor Devall(Mobile Suit Gundam) as Nuju, French Tickner(RoboCop: Alpha Commando) as Rahaga Norik, Scott McNeil(Transformers: Cybertron) as Keetongu and Kathleen Barr(Sider-Man: Unlimited) as Roodaka The films main villain.

The Threequel is much darker than Metru Nui but still doesn't shy away from pulling its emotional punches despite it lack of deaths Vakama is arc is establishing as a leader which plays whom he gets criticized He is Failure Knight despite his heroics from the previous film his leadership is questioned by Matau as well the rest of the toa, Nokama seems to be understanding of Vakamas but can't get a chance thru to him also even if the absence of The Makuta stakes are there for our Toa Heroes The Visorak Under the control of Femme Fatale Roodaka who is master plan is to awaken Makuta ad rule at his side also using Sidorak to attain power and control the film is great Vakama continues his development on his trajectory as a future turaga which was great while admitting the story wasn't as Bionicle 2 it still was good also Roodaka was great she is precise and calculating seeing as she true leader makes her rival Makuta and makes Siodmak her puppet also alleged Funny Guy Matau gets some great development as well as he goes from berating comedian to trying to save his friend whhiich was awesome and willlinng tii what it is nesscary to save his friend Not As Good as Metru Nui but A Great Closer to The Bionicle Trilogy

Amazing score by Nathan Furst(StageGhost), Screenplay By Henry Gilroy(Atlantis: Milos Return) Direction by Terry Shakespeare(Bionicle: Mask Of Light)& David Molina(Goofys Fun House) Not As Good as Metru Nui but A Great Closer to The Bionicle Trilogy . 8/10

The BEST movie in the trilogy!

[simonpowellguy · 10/10 · 10 April 2024]

Yes, I'm saying trilogy here (I'm not counting The Legend Reborn). This movie is actually a masterpiece, enough so that I have rewatched it multiple times over now. Why? Well, evil Vakama of course! The film-noir esque storytelling fits perfectly with the theme of this film (a breaking of unity, duty, and destiny). But in perfect bionicle fashion, Unity comes back to reunite our toa heroes. Even if the big reunion at the end does release Makuta again, I still find it a solid ending. Also, because this movie focuses over a shorter period of time, the characters feel much more fleshed out. I even liked the rahaga, I'll admit. Rahaga Kualus may have only gotten 2 lines in the entire film, but those lines are my favorite (it's just him screaming for help, but let a man dream). Anyways, this movie made me want to turn into a bug-lizard and kiss Sidorak until Mata Nui has to tear us apart. 10/10.

just watch bionicle 2.5 instead of the last two films of the trilogy

[oliverbatura · 8/10 · 4 September 2022]

Web of shadows itself was great, but it had the unfortunate side effect of being a midquel (an installment that is between the events of one or two movies that serves no real plot relevance other than padding), given the ending of legends of Metru Nui. That's why I'd recommend the fan-cut of the first two films into one cohesive experience, it fixes the major issue of the third movie's relevance in the story, and it feels less like a third movie, and more of one half of a bigger movie. The trilogy itself isn't perfect, but the cut makes 2/3rds of a movie into a strong 1/2

it's free on Youtube if you wanna check it out.

"Bionicle 2.5: The Complete Legends of Metru Nui Fancut" by A Pinch Of Basil.