The Animatrix

Great movie for everyone. See the future unfold..

If you are looking to further your Matrix lore look no further. These nine animated tales compliment the movies, expanding our view of this much talked about series. The origin of the Matrix itself is shared here as well as learning of others who found "the truth". Each story is told with its own animation style that goes hand in hand with the tale it unfolds.

Item is as listed. Item arrived on time, Item is a great deal.

mind blowing....

Personally, I love the Animatrix, and I believe the Wachowski brothers repay a large debt of gratitude and creative license to the Japanese animation industry by exposing so many talented animators and directors through this collection. However, those hoping to get all of their Matrix-universe questions answered before the release of "Matrix: Revolutions" may be sorely disappointed by this showcase. Although some short films provide backstory (more in the descriptions below), they are also standalone pieces. The strength of this collection is in the strength of its contributors, and it provides a diverse cross-section of modern Japanese anime which will give the uninitiated an opportunity to see what's being produced. The short films in the collection are: "Final Flight of the Osiris" - This short produced by Square (also the production company for some of the best video games of the past decade, and the "Final Fantasy" film) provides an almost creepy example of "digital actors" whose skin texture, bounce and movement are nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing. Only their lip sync gives it away. The story involves the captain and pilot of the Osiris, the doomed ship which (in the Reloaded timeline) sends the warning to Zion that the machines are digging. It is also a direct introduction to the "Enter the Matrix" video game, as it depicts the drop of the letter which Niobe or Ghost must retrieve from a post office in the first act of the game. "The Second Renaissance, Parts I and II" - If one can overlook the fact that more information is contained in this "Zion Archive file" than Morpheus told Neo the humans knew, these two short films provide a compelling and lushly illustrated history of the fall of humanity and the rise of the machines. In particular, the fluid art style and the haunting voice-over make this an easy 18 minutes to spend, and it invokes more sympathy for the machines than you'll get from the human-centric viewpoint of the Matrix films. "Program" is the weakest film in the series; mercifully, it is short. Although the animation style is as classic in the world of anime as "Snow White" is in the world of Disney, the story line is weak. I enjoy this more if I turn down the sound and just watch. "World Record" attempts to illustrate what happens to a human in the Matrix whose desire to accomplish something physically pushes him to the brink of the reality he thinks he knows. The art design is not for everyone, but is beautifully realized with tremendous detail in every cell. The music is also a plus. This won't add much to your "Matrix IQ" but is a very creative exploration of what happens to people whose minds are not freed by the Zionists, and who do not find their way out through a computer. "Kid's Story" is one of my two favorites on the disc. It ties into "Matrix: Reloaded" by telling us how the annoying kid in Zion came to know and love Neo. It's no secret to those who have seen the film that the kid "self-substantiates", or gets himself out of the Matrix without help. His journey to that point, though, is detailed in a lush, deliberately-paced, gorgeously-scored piece of animation that will leave you breathless. One of two films directed by Shinichiro Watanabe of "Cowboy Bebop" fame. "Beyond" - Koji Morimoto (an assistant animator on the legendary "Akira") turns in the most inventive and beautiful short piece of the disc. It takes a simple question - what would happen if the Matrix's physical rules malfunctioned in some locations? - and explores the answer, from the bizarre physical happenings that children call hauntings to the arrival of futuristic wrecking equipment that razes and rewrites the affected locale. This, along with "Kid's Story", makes the DVD worth the price of admission. "Detective Story" - this black-and-white second entry from director Shinichiro Watanabe plays like a Sam Spade film. Its comic book style is stark and beautiful, and the addition of Carrie-Anne Moss's voice really grounds it in the Matrix universe. At the end of the day the story doesn't matter much, but it's an enjoyable nine minutes all the same. "Matriculated" - Peter Chung (of Aeon Flux) shows a real flair here for art, but tells a somewhat convaluted story of humans who try to get machines to "choose" to betray their own kind. My complaint with this piece is not its technical execution, which is brilliant and shows that Chung dedicated himself to improving an already great talent, but rather in its plot. Like "Program", watch this one for the art.

Required viewing for the Matrix worldview

The box is what one might describe as "gently used" but in good order and the disk itself is Excellent to Pristine. If it is not new then it was well cared for. As to the Animatrix itself this is the full series on DVD and it is as good as I remembered it to be. According to the DVD itself -- Features: 89min Extras: 78min The wackypaedia entry says 103 minutes so I am not sure what they are on about. This is the whole shebang. GREAT deal for $7.50 U.S. Listed as used. New England Proprietors is evidently a quality dealer. Two Thumbs Up. Joe Bob say Check It Out!

Great movie

Immancabile

Obwohl gebraucht ist die DVD in einem Top Zustand. Danke für Alles , auch wenn ein paar Tage Verspätung aber das macht die DVD wieder gut.

La suite de Matrix j'ai cherché longtemps

OK, firstly this is not a *full* review as such. Of the nine episodes this DVD contains, I have seen three. But I can tell you, that these three short animated movies are pure works of brilliance. The first, "Second Renaissance: Part One" gives a fascinating incite into how the machines started to break away from their human masters. "Part Two" which I have not seen yet, gives the story behind the war between man and the machine and the construction of the Matrix. "Program" looks at a story set within a training simulation, it deals with honour, deceit, love and war and is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the finale, I won't give away the ending but it's one to watch out for. "A Detective Story" is set around a detective being given the case of hunting down computer hacker 'Trinity' (whom you may remember from The Matrix Trilogy). Featuring cameos from both Trinity (voiced by Carrie-Ann Moss from the movies) and a number of agents, this anime "film noir" gives an interesting incite to the Matrix from a completely different point of view. These short animations (each being at about 10 minutes in length) give a fascinating incite into the world of the Matrix, shedding light on the movies and the characters within them, as well as giving us the chance to look at the story from a different perspective. Brilliant.

Elle est pas belle cette adaptation du monde de Matrix ? Certes ya pas les producteurs véreux qui ont tellement été sur le dos des frères Wachowsky (V for Vendetta) que "Reloadead" & "Révolution" (surtout ce dernier) ont été mal goupillé ! Il faut dire que aux commandes des ces différents segments aussi différents les uns des autres, on y retrouve la crème des réalisateurs Japonais, qui n'ont content pour certains d'avoir réalisé leur "Chapitre" ils ont bossé aussi sur le scénar d'autres segments ! Aux programme ont y trouve le formidable Yoshaiki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll/D Bloodlust/Highlander, Seachc of Revenge/Cycer City/Wicked City/Demon City) collaborateur du réal d'Akira, pour ne cité que ça ! Ainsi que Shinichiro Watanabe, créateur des cultisssimes "Cowbop Bebop" & "Samouraï Champloo", sans oublier Peter Chung le créateur d'"Aeon Flux" (l'animé pas les le film), et le réal (j'ai oublié son nom) de l'oeuvre révolutionnaire "Blue Submarine N°9" (1er animé a mélangé 3D & 2D de façon permanente a l'écran) ! Faut-il parler des clin d'oeil aux films, avec le 1er Arc qui précède "Reloaded". A Néo, Trinity a Kid et j'en passe ! De + qui est fan au moins du 1er film sera forcément intéressé par les 2 segments sur l'origine du futur dans lequel ont se trouve et comment ?Ben oui c'est bien beau nous monter un futur, mais encore faut-il l'expliquer ?! Une oeuvre beaucoup + poétique que les 3 films réunis, même si l'original a été une grosse surprise pour un blockbuster en 99 ! De + non seulement les segments en lecture intégrale font + d'une 1h30, mais il ya quasiment 2h de bonus sur ce Dvd que chaque fans d'animation ou de la "fameuse" trilogie se doit d'avoir ! Oeuvre sortit en Dvd chez nous en 2003, déjà, mais n'est pas resté dans le souvenir de beaucoup, et n'a jamais été disponible dans les nombreuses réédition de la trilogie, consternant !!? PS : Un des réal, que je ne connaissais pas, a mis presque 3ans pour faire son segment de + de 10mn !