Animatrix, The (DVD)
Science Fiction Animation
ISBN: 0-7907-7229-9
Publisher: Warner Home Entertainment, $19.98
Released in June 2003, “The Animatrix” is a series of 9 animated shorts commissioned by the Wachowski brothers. The styles of animation range from fully computerized to old-style hand-drawn. Each short story relates to “The Matrix” movie in some way, and most tie directly into the movie itself.
The first story, a computer-animated piece called “Last Flight of the Osiris” ties into “The Matrix Reloaded.” It tells the story of the discovery of machines which are digging down towards Zion, and how the ship transmits this news before it is destroyed by swarms of Sentinels. The animation in this story is just outstanding, and shows off some of the most lifelike computer animation to date. This is by far the best animated story on the DVD!
“The Second Renaissance Parts I and 2” tell the story of how the war between man and the machine started. It does contain some disturbing images, so if you’re faint of heart, you may want to skip this. Otherwise, it’s an interesting look into the origins of the Matrix.
“Kid’s Story” tells the tale of a kid who gets a message to enter the real world. The animation is a bit different than normal, but I liked it just for that fact. One note on this one though, it does show scenes of teen suicide, so parental guidance may be required. As with most of these cartoons, they are made for adults, not kids (no pun intended here)!
“Program” is the most Japanese anime-styled of the nine stories on this DVD. It depicts the struggle between a man and a woman, in which the man chooses to go back to the Matrix. I found this to be one of the lesser stories on the DVD, but it’s still good as a whole.
“World Record” is the story of a runner who realizes he is in the Matrix after breaking a world record, and injuring himself in the act. This particular film using a nonstandard style of anime that some folks may not like. Personally, I found it delightful, as I like new and good types of animation.
“Beyond” is a more lighthearted film in which a girl discovers a flaw in the Matrix. It was somewhat fun to watch, but not the best film in this set. The animation style is pretty much your typical anime, with nothing special — which isn’t a cut, just a comment.
“A Detective Story” is a film in which a detective is hired (by the machine more than likely) to find the hacker Trinity. The story is a bit thin compared to the others, but the animation style is somewhat unique, which helps it along in the rating department.
“Matriculated,” a film done by the same animator who did Ion Flux (I noted this right away before even seeing the credits) is story about how humans are trying to reprogram a machine to switch to their side. The visuals on this films are pretty cool, even though the plot’s ending was a tad bit disappointed in my book.
They also have a section of the DVD devoted to the animators, in which they explain their own films. They talk about how their creations fit into the whole Matrix thing, and also give information and facts on how their films was created. I personally found this section informative and interesting too, which most DVD extra sections don’t have going for them!
So, if you’re into animation, or if you like the Matrix — or even both — you need to get this DVD. You’ll just love it!
(review (c) march 2004 / David Flemming)