The Animatrix (2003)

1) This is one of several animated short films that are based on the Wachowskis' "Matrix" movie. However, I have to say neither the characters nor the action made this really look like it belongs to the series except the fight in the first 2-3 minutes maybe. This lack of Matrix connection is not necessarily a criticism on these 10 minutes as the animation is fine and the story isn't bad either. The action didn't do much for me though, so I wouldn't recommend it. But then again, I am not a great Matrix fan anyway, at least this is a common denominator.2) This 9-minute short film from 12 years ago is part of the Animatrix series and also the first half of a two-part movie. Men become more and more angry at machines when these become more and more intelligent. The consequence is a bloody battle, especially for the machines. They leave and settle elsewhere, but decide to give mankind another chance as they return to the United Nations in a peaceful attempt, not be the last time they show up there. This was written by the Wachowski brothers (and sisters) and the director also worked on Tarantino's "Kill Bill" for example. Sounds like a good premise, but sadly, I was not really impressed by this one here. Lets hope that the second part turns out better.3) These 9 minutes continue where "The Second Renaissance Part 1" left off. Unfortunately it is equally forgettable just like the first part. Men rejected machines' peaceful attempt to return, so a war is unavoidable. And of course there can only be one possible outcome to that. So men want to destroy the sky? Another brilliant idea. NOT. I have to say I was never too big on "The Matrix", but these animated short films are even worse. And they almost have no reference to the films anymore at all. Not recommended. 4) One of the most popular segments of the Animatrix and this may be due to the fact that several actors from the live action movies do voice acting in here. The protagonist is a boy who manages to get out of the Matrix. There are quite a few parallels here between Neo very early in the first Matrix film and our hero here. I do not think the 15 minutes stated here are correct, this was certainly closer, maybe around 9 minutes. I enjoyed watching this one because it actually had a real connection to the live action "Matrix" films unlike most of the others. One of my favorites from the series and I recommend it. 5) "Program", a sequence from the Animatrix, was directed and written by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. It is an animated short film, obviously, and runs for roughly seven minutes. There was nothing truly outstanding here, but it wasn't bad either. It is all about the battle between the Cis and her frenemy Duo. He tries to convince her to get back to the Matrix and just live there like everybody else instead of constantly fighting against it. Pay attention to how Cis is depicted in white and Duo in black. First he tries to convince her with words, then with swords. Of course, she refuses to and in the end, good defeats evil. Or did it really? Solid short film, recommended. 6) The concept of sports in the matrix is actually a pretty interesting one in the face of achievements that you could describe as out of this world. Unfortunately, the only fairly interesting thing I took from these 9 minutes is basically the relationship between world records in the real world we live in and in the Matrix universe. This is not among my 3 favorite segments from the Animatrix, but also not among my least favorites. I am not familiar with the director or writer here, but it looks like they frequently work together. Anyway, I hope for them that this may be their most known achievement, but not their best.7) "Beyond" is one of the weaker segments of the "Animatrix" in my opinion. This is one of the longest episodes of the Animatrix. A girl's cat runs away and when she heads out to get her back the finds much more than just a lost kitten. I did not like the way the girl was animated at all. The rest was okay in terms of looks. The scene with the cat looking right at us before we see the mouse is a nice way from the director of playing with our brains. Not enough though to let me recommend it. One of the weaker Animatrix segments.8) I am okay with the Matrix and Film Noir, but not a great fan like some are. So I was very positively surprised that I managed to appreciate this Animatrix segment. It's probably in my top3 favorites and the reason may be that it was nice to see an actual character from "The Matrix" in one of these. It's not the only segment directed by Shinichirô Watanabe (also co-writer), but it's certainly his superior effort. The story was pretty good and the voice actor of the private eye also did a fairly decent job here. A pretty enjoyable and atmospheric watch of over 10 minutes I must say. Recommended.9) "Matriculated" is the last segment from the "Animatrix" movie. It is the longest at roughly 15 minutes and in my opinion, unfortunately, it is also the worst. I wish writer and director Peter Chung could have stayed a bit closer to the Wachowski movie. Also, it's not real anime anymore, but the style is not the problem. The problem is that there's no really fascinating story in here as there is in some of the other segments. I was a bit disappointed with this one as I hoped they could go out on a high note. Sadly, they did not. Not recommended.

As part of the hype generated by the "Matrix Reloaded," this series of anime shorts was developed and distributed to provide more insight to the worlds in the Matrix saga (and possibly to wrangle up some more fans). With the efforts of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Shinichiro Watanabe, Peter Chung, and other Japanese directors, it's a varied collection that offers multiple insights and a variety of styles and quality. This collection is like a sampler plate for anime (incidentally, it was the first anime I really watched and got into, and it inspired me to check out the real thing)."The Final Flight of the Osiris" is the first of the lot, and of all computer-animated films I know of, this one still shows superior quality. Characters look incredibly life-like at times; by modern standards, it resembles a video game clip more than anything, but considering that there aren't a whole lot of CGI movies with human characters, this film is quite impressive. It's a short, action-packed, and fairly invoking. Above all, it helps bridge the gap between the first two Matrix movies."The Second Renaissance" Parts I and II serve as the Matrix prequel, chronicling the war between man and machine. It's extremely bleak and quite violent. With its portrayal of nuclear devastation, environmental warfare, and the eventual enslavement of the human race, these two episodes really get to me. The animation is quite smooth and slick, with lots of memorable imagery. It is fast-paced, almost erratically so, but the biblical-style narrative keeps it entrancing. In a proper Matrix marathon, I place these before the three main movies, and it is worthwhile seeing for all Matrix fans."Kid's Story" doesn't have the same momentum as the last few episodes, but it is a nice little story that shows how the Kid character comes into being in the Matrix sequels. Its slower pacing and sketchy graphics don't really appeal to me, but it is another requisite bridge between the first and second movies."Program" has always been my favorite of the lot, featuring fantastic visuals and fast-paced action. The duel between two lovers is quite intense, and their actions really underscore the philosophical issue of whether or not it's better to live a lie or suffer the truth. The animation quality here is strong and the character designs are excellent."World Record" is one of my least favorites in this collection. It does have a really funky style and quality, with interesting visuals. It is a pretty good story, but it is lacking in action."Beyond" strikes me more as a Miyazaki-style story, with its emphasis on child-like whimsy and wonder. It has a cast of likable kids, some wonderful visuals, and it is a cute little story overall. Once again, it doesn't offer much action, but it isn't totally dull either."A Detective's Story" is my least favorite of the lot. It does have some nice film-noir style visuals and characters. I'm just disappointed in the story, which is a little too short to serve as an effective mystery, and by its conclusion it doesn't really resonate."Matriculated" is something very weird and trippy, almost dream-like at spots. It's a solid and original story with a profound conclusion and some interesting implications. Its visuals are fantastic, and it's the one other story here that I consider most worthwhile.All of these stories show quality animation style and quality; some of the digitally-animated backgrounds may show some anomalies, but it holds up for the most part. Voice-acting can be a little cheesy, but is still decent. Production designs are strong, with plenty of cool settings, vehicles, weapons, robots, and objects that correlate to the Matrix movies well. The feature also has one of the coolest soundtracks.I highly recommend at least the first three stories to Matrix fans; the feature as a whole I'd recommend as a rental to anybody who's interested. But if you're getting this as part of the Ultimate Collection DVD or Blu-Ray package, why not check it out? 5/5 (entertainment: 4.5/5, stories: 5/5, films: 4.5/5)

I don't remember what happened, but The Animatrix basically got lost in the shuffle for me back in 2003 when it came out. I'm a fan of the Matrix series and have definitely had to defend it from time to time against people who've decided that they don't like so many people agreeing that a movie is smart, so therefore argue that it's not, and after all, the sequels don't really help much on that regard. But all that aside, it's taken me a long time to actually get around to view the stuff that's supposed to branch out the world created by the Wachowskis.I'd say it's something to be proud of. It's really nice when creators who homage something get the honor of being homaged back, and the range and versatility of these animations certainly do them honor--none moreso than the quality. The variety of styles and approaches in the animation make this collection consistently interesting, and in some cases are so good its easy to forget one is watching an animation (and not just for "The Final Flight of the Osiris", either...).The stories range from histories to sub-narratives in the regular Matrix storyline to surrealistic explorations of the world created by The Matrix. They are not necessarily tied to the same worldview and theme, and "The Second Renaissance" definitely gives some empathy to the machines, who have largely been faceless enslavers and murderers in the main storyline. For some reason, there's quite a lot of women walking around in their underwear, which is probably to keep the male non-fanboys interested, and quite a lot of animations feature a moment of epiphany with blood, which gives a sort of abject theme to the mix (I am reminded that one of Neo's first actions upon waking up in the first "Matrix" was to vomit, which ties into that old quote "You need to throw up to realize you're alive").I think The Animatrix is, as a collection, better than both Reloaded and Revolutions. Individually, they range in quality, but most of them are really good. The best thing about all of them are the ways in which the styles of animation play with the surreality inherent in the world that the Wachowskis created.--PolarisDiB

If anyone was left thinking this was just another attempt to make money from the hugely successful film franchise then they can think again. This collection of nine ten-minute long films serves a far greater purpose than to just line the Wachowskis' pockets that little bit more. They go from filling the gap between the first and second film, to telling us, in detail, how it all came to be like this, to how different people escape from the matrix in their own personal ways, to glitches in the system and how some humans try tactics different to all out offensive in their part fighting the war. The collection runs for 90 minutes and each film is different to the next not from just plot but to style, approach and narrative too. Each director brings their own personal touch and their own ideas of The Matrix to the screen with them and it pays off tremendously where many collaborative film collections have usually fallen short and / or been abandoned due to creative conflicts. This is more than just synergy at work here; the Wachowskis are trying to share more of their fantastic creation with us, and giving other directors the chance to help them. While the anime idea was a move which has proved a little niche, but extraordinary all the same.In conclusion, The Animatrix is a great expansion on the mystery and awe surrounding the matrix and its origins, without completely throwing it out there and still keeping some cards to play later and things for us to find out ourselves yet, the Wachowskis are undoubtedly two of the most gifted creative minds in the film world today. Who else has a franchise so celebrated and brimming with awe and wonder which still feels fresh no matter how many times you watch it? George Lucas can wipe away that hopeful smile on his face for sure, because that title belongs to Larry and Andy Wachowski, and rightfully so. Their ability to even apply their film's ideas to things otherwise outside of it is an inspiring achievement and further cements them as surely some kind of demi-gods of cinema. The fact that they have still got fresh and interesting ideas means we could very well have The Matrix around for a lot longer than anyone first anticipated.Read the full review (with an in-depth look at each film/episode) at http://www.broken-sky.org/raw/?page_id=291