BIONICLE® 3: Web of Shadows continues in the vein of BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui by offering improved graphics from start to finish. The storm-at-sea sequence early on in the movie is especially breathtaking in its realism. That is not to say there are not still some rough spots. The depth of field combined with the constant darkness and fog often gave me a sense of a claustrophobic puppet show. But the overall look of the animation has definitely continued to improve.
The story is very accessible, even to the uninitiated I believe. Yes, there is the usual flurry of impenetrable BIONICLE jargon in the inevitable prologue. Yes, the movie starts three or four times before it really gets going. Yes, the very end of the movie will have anyone who has not seen Mask of Light scratching their heads. But inbetween the very beginning and the very end is a very good middle.
Virtually all of the credit for that very good middle goes to the character of ROODAKA. She slinks her way all over the screen, purring here and growling there, hurling the spider-like VISORAK off of any nearby precipice. This is her movie, no question about that.
SIDORAK, the VISORAK King, mostly just talked about in the comics so far, finally gets to make his presence felt. He is an impressive character, especially when he is snorting steam out of his “tusks.” But he can’t help falling into ROODAKA’s long, dark shadow along with just about everyone else.
The editing did not especially suit my tastes, especially early on when much of the story is evolving along two parallel lines. We often jump back and forth between the two narratives; too frequently, at too leisurely a pace, and without any real compelling reason to do so other than perhaps to keep the interest of those watching who have short attention spans.
There is plenty of action in this movie though. Most of it is quickly forgotten, but much of it has a fun, old Errol Flynn swashbuckling quality to it, especially in the finale.
Not too suprisingly, there is a moral at the end of this tale, but it goes far beyond the usual “Unity, Duty, Destiny” (even though that mantra gets repeated once or twice earlier in the movie). The moral is not too lengthy or preachy, but it does have a great deal of resonance, especially in the United States right now.
As usual, Nathan Furst’s music is first rate and sets just the right tone without getting in the way. The ending song, “Caught In A Dream” by Morten Helgeson and performed by All Insane Kids, is enjoyable enough but not overly inspiring or memorable.
The voice acting is all very good, although many of the actors don’t have much to do. ONEWA, NUJU, and NOKAMA end up with the shorter end of the dramatic stick this time around. Nobody can hold a candle to Kathleen Barr though, who absolutely nails the complex role of ROODAKA throughout the movie.
In terms of extras, there are really no suprises save one. The previews are for Chicken Little , BIONICLE 2: Legends of Metru Nui , and Sky High . We have the usual “Explorer” for examining the characters, this time narrated by WHENUA. The “Web Movie” is the previously-released episodes of “Search for the Mask of Light” available on BIONICLE.com stitched together. If you thought you would get to see the conclusion to that early, then you were mistaken. They probably are not even finished yet.
Other extras include “BIONICLE Music” (which is just “Caught In A Dream” without anything to look at); the TOA HAGAH, TOA HORDIKA, and VISORAK television advertisements (also available at BIONICLE.com ); and the BIONICLE comic “Shadow Play.”
“Shadow Play” is practically a movie unto itself. Although the graphics are mostly static, there is some animation, there is a full score, and each character is fully voiced by the same actors as in the movie. No matter how many times you may have already read the comic, it is definitely worth your time to watch it on this DVD.
The DVD case itself is a little surprising in that it is a bright red that goes very well with the predominantly green hue of the main title graphic on the front. You probably don’t want to read the Table of Contents/Scene Selections sheet inside until you have seen the movie. The flip side advertises the two previous movies.
The insert is a tad disappointing in that we don’t get even a teaser graphic for the upcoming 2006 story. Instead, there are ads for “BIONICLE: Maze of Shadows”, the books BIONICLE: Encyclopedia and Web of Shadows , and a center spread featuring the sets based on the movie (or is it the other way around?).
I understand why BIONICLE 3: Web of Shadows was never really headed to theaters. Although I believe most people would find it very enjoyable, it is definitely more enjoyable if you are familiar with the two previous movies. For die-hard BIONICLE fans, you will not be disappointed.
For Imatron’s take on the movie, read his review at GeekBrick.com .
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