The Animatrix

The idea of the Matrix is so full of potential and could be taken in so many, many directions. The movies decided to go in the direction of pretension but the Animatrix goes EVERYWHERE the movies don't. It is so far superior and well worth the time. It's a shame that most audiences don't consider Anime or any form of animation to be 'real' or something that they should take seriously (sadly even Matrix fans feel this way and won't watch it simply because it's animation) because they're missing out on something very special here. It's not original to review this DVD by going thru all the shorts so I'll just stick to what I like best (which is most of it). First of all, 'The Second Renaissance Parts 1 and 2' is absolutely VITAL as backstory to the first Matrix film. And it's a zillion times more interesting than the sequels in terms of drama, irony and subtext. 'The Final Flight of the Osiris' takes place before Reloaded and leads us into story of the machines beginning to drill down to Zion. And it's very cool. 'Detective' is a story of a private eye trying to find Trinity and discover what exactly the Matrix is. But Agent Smith comes after him to put a stop to that. It's in black and white and has a wonderful atmosphere of 1950's dime novel pulp fiction. 'Matriculated' is the story of a captured machine who is taught/hypnotized into feeling what it's like to be human. It's a very clever story that manages to provoke feeling for the characters (and even the captured machine), something the movies never did. 'Kid' is about the kid from Revolutions who takes over the Mech at the end and manages to open the doors to Zion. Apparently, before being freed, he was a schoolkid who met Neo online and wanted to 'wake up'. But the best one is 'Beyond'. A magical tale with an atmosphere so solid that it's almost tangible. It's about a girl who goes looking for her cat in an old abandoned factory with some other kids. But in this factory the Matrix is having problems and 'reality' for the characters doesn't quite work properly. It's a very interesting tale that really makes you think. There are numerous extras on this DVD, all of them more interesting that the other Matrix DVDs. All 9 of the shorts are presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound. It's truly for all fans and non-fans of the Matrix universe.

I rented this video with great enthusiasm. I thought a matrix based movie couldn't be bad, but I was very wrong. The first chapter was very good (thats why I put a 2 to the movie and not a 1), greatly done, interesting, great plot and very well directed. This first chapter made me think that I was going to have a very good time watching the rest of the movie. But they put the best chapter first, after this one, there wasn't any good one, they were all very boring!!!!! I almost fell asleep. Very disappointing. I have to say that some stories were very interesting, but they were very badly told, some times too long, or very over reacted. Some times it took too much to say to little. So it wasn't at all what I expected. As I said before, boring, frustrating and poor.

Art is beautiful, beautiful as the world outside and the world inside. Such is the case with movies, which is has excelled at a purely imaginative and visual level. A concept is born, yes, but what is more important is that it is fleshed out in grand and spectacular form in uniqueness and inspiration. Art is what an individual expresses in pictures and ideas and imagination. If art is to be fully realized in a bold and grand vision, the creator must take many steps to make sure that it is unique and impressive. It must break new ground with originality and ingenuity, a long and quite arduous task, but grants rewarding results. And with that, a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is felt heartily within the soul of the creator and as well in the viewer. Movies are an expression and also an art medium, spanning decades from the 18th century and now in the 21st century. But another medium exists, born from distant lands with a different culture and different view on the take of art. In Japan, anime was born. Anime are cartoons or drawings told in Japanese style with deep and compelling story lines. Since then its popularity has exploded with Western audiences and worldwide. Unlike traditional animation, which caters to American audiences, anime is culturally different in that its characters and style is more centered on drama and dialog rather than on pure action and one-liners. 1999. A year that a remarkable science fiction film graced American and world audiences. That film was The Matrix. Directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, the film was a box-office smash hit and became the most successful film in the genre. It was influenced by anime and comic books as well as philosophy. The nature of the film deals with perceptions of reality and the role in discovering the true nature of the "world". It also spawned two sequels which expanded the storyline of the Matrix, but never explored the Matrix itself; leading to some criticism from moviegoers and critics alike. However, the Animatrix is a cool gem in itself that more than garners interest in the world of the Matrix. Told in a series of 9 vignettes, the Animatrix is a new take on the Matrix concept as it explores the back stories of the first film and features new exciting tales for fans of the films and anime lovers. As in the case of the other reviews on this site, no details will be revealed. Just like in the original film, you have to see it for yourself. To see the Matrix universe in film version is great but to see it expanded in anime form is simply breathtaking. The visuals are so out of this world and engrossing that you can't help but be immersed in its world. It is truly something to experience and a sight to behold. A marvelous way to tell a story from a different artistic perspective. Check it out for yourself and appreciate it all over.

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source: The Animatrix

** out of **** The Animatrix is a collection of short animated films related to the The Matrix universe. Of the nine shorts featured, I enjoyed four of them, and found the rest either dull or disposable. The Second Rennaissance, parts 1 and 2, is the most compelling segment of the bunch. The story reveals how war broke out between man and machine. The rivalry is riveting and packed with memorable visuals, particularly the battle scenes, which are vividly gruesome and terrifying. True, this story is essentially little more than a Terminator rip-off, but it provides an interesting background for the trilogy, and works sufficiently in explaining the origins of The Matrix. The Final Flight of the Osiris is directly related to The Matrix Reloaded. It opens with a playful swordfight between two individuals in a dojo, a black man and an Asian woman. They're in a simulated program, and are actually part of the crew of a ship called the Osiris. The title says it all, so you know what to expect from this short film, plot-wise. The attention-grabber is the computer animation, which is stunningly realistic and life-like. A Kid's Story also relates to The Matrix Reloaded, focusing on a kid who finds himself doubting the world around him. His questions lead him to contact with Neo, who informs him to escape before the Agents get him. It's an enjoyable segment with a strong ending, and it would probably hold more suspense for those who haven't seen Reloaded. I won't waste time going into details over the rest of the anthology. There are various reasons why the other stories didn't appeal to me, whether it be the art or the plots. The Wachowski Brothers wrote these stories, which puts on display ideas they would rather choose not to execute for their films, which is mostly mired in kung-fu, gun battles, and car chases. But that's another review altogether.

When I was a child; I watched cartoons. Bugs Bunny in drag. Stuff like that. You can tell me this stuff is way more intellectual. But I won't believe you.

My vote to this `movie' (or what?) is ZERO. First of all I don't understand its goal, what does it mean? What has it to do with The Matrix? OK, it tries to explain the causes that led to the creation of the Matrix, but was it necessary? The Matrix is ONE movie, already the sequels were too much for the story, what to say about a prequel? And just one or two of the short stories are relative to it. The others are just gratuitous violence. The drawings are chaotic, hallucinating, sad, gloomy, and most of all absolutely PESSIMISTIC. In these stories there is no hope, no light, no life, by the end of the second story I felt physically sick. At the end the only thing left to do is to fasten a stone at your neck and plunge yourself into the sea. A piece of advice for the `creators' of this `masterpiece'? DO THE SAME!

Having never seen the Matrix, but being a loyal anime collector, I came across this high ranked animated feature. Never in my life has I seen something as close as brilliant and poetically nightmarish that Ghost in the Shell has delivered, bringing the Matrix franchise closer to "art and soul" than "blockbuster". Some of the amazingly dramatic episodes in this feature may make Animatrix a parallel brother to Ghost in the Shell itself. And the animation is very dreamy and expertly crafted, the second best thing that this feature will bring you. If anime is your thing, or the matrix, or getting started to both, I couldn't recommend this higher.