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Enter the Animatrix : Deliver Us From Neo!
Date of Review: Jun 7, 2003
The Bottom Line: A must see for anyone wanting to know more about the Matrix Universe. It helps to fill out the Matrix experience!
What is the Animatrix?
It is an experience... a grand one that shows you much more of the inhabitants of the Matrix and parts tie in directly with The Matrix Reloaded movie and Enter the Matrix videogame. The only problem I have with the Animatix is with the name of it. Otherwise this is an excellent if not necessary addition to the Matrix Universe!
The Animatrix derives its name from a combination of the japanese word anime and Matrix. Anime is simply the japanese word for animation but means japanese animation everywhere else but in Japan. The production value of anime is similar to the US production value of their TV shows and movies. It is far more flexible as a media in Japan and cheaper to create anime than a similar looking live TV/movie. The "physics" and "looks" of characters and items and backgrounds can be made to look more believable. One major example would be Disney's rendition of Tarzan in their animated movies. Tarzan movements matched those of real apes than any live actor of Tarzan ever had. That look made Tarzan look more like a wild man and out of place even when in civilized clothes. I consider Disney's Tarzan anime since it is animation... although others would prefer to keep the term anime as referring to Japanese anime mainly.
What did I buy?
I actually purchased the DVD/CD combo box set for $21.99 at Best Buy. This was after a $5 coupon I got when watching the Matrix on opening day. The price is before sending in the $5 mail-in rebate from purchasing the first Matrix movie with The Matrix Revisited set two months ago. I had an eztra coupon and purchased a DVD only copy for $9.99 at Best Buy as well... to give as a gift.
Entering the Animatrix
The Animatrix is not a full length animated feature on the Matrix. It is a collection of short features that showcase other events inside the Matrix and elaborate on the history of the Matrix. Some features have a direct impact on The Matrix Reloaded and other features help shed some light on revelations in The Matrix Reloaded. Other features explain some of the history of the Matrix.
Regardless, the Animatrix gives you a sense of an entire breathing living Matrix universe.
Features
Four of the nine features were written by the Wachowski brothers. For the other five features, the directors were given free reign on very loose scripts and ideas.
The Final Flight of the Osirus is the first of nine features. This feature ties directly into the movie showing why Zion is in a major crisis mode. This piece was done by Square animation studios... the one that created Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The look and the fluidity of this piece is just stunning... there are vast improvements over the animation from the Final Fantasy movie. On top of that this feature is a great start before seeing The Matrix Reloaded.
The Second Renaissance is a two part feature that shows the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in human society and how events shape up to the machine revolution and finally the domination by the machines. It can also be seen as a social documentary that parallels similar events in actual human history especially recent events. You could substitute a minority for the machines and not be far off in actual human history. You could also say that the two episodes represent extremes of situations and feeling that exist today. There are also religious overtones if you feel that Zion is the Holy City (Jerusalem?) and Neo is the Christ-like figure... you could consider the Second Renaissance episodes close to and Adam and Eve retelling with a twist.
Kid's Story is based on the character Popper that comes around to annoy Neo in the The Matrix Revolutions. It shows how Popper became aware that he was in something not normal... his flickering awareness of the Matrix. It suggests that Popper may have some unique abilities in the Matrix that may be explored in the third movie. This feature leave plenty of unanswered questions for the Matrix movies but they are not unwelcome ones. Popper is voiced by the same guy who plays him in the movie. By the way, Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo play special appearance. Neo actually sounds like he has more emotion than in the movie.
Program shows us how tough it is to be a resistance fighter... perhaps becoming more machine like in their emotions. Perhaps, the war of maintaining one's humanity in at atmosphere of a devastating and lopsided war.
World Record features how another person became aware of the Matrix on a subconscious level and what the Matrix does to such abberrations. In a strange way, it explains how some people may find themselves crippled or mentally deranged in the Matrix although they may be physically healthy in the real world.
Beyond relates to distantly to what the Oracle mentions in the The Matrix Reloaded about ghost stories, haunted houses, and the such. What if you found such a place?
A Detective Story is a manhunt to capture Trinity (yes, she is voiced by Carrie Anne Moss in the AniMatrix!)... or is it a rescue attempt on another mind in the Matrix?
Matriculated shows another side to the war... could there be another kind of relationship between man and machine than dominance of one over the other. Could this be what the Zion Counsellor in The Matrix Reloaded suggested to Neo... or it is something unthinkable.
Extras
The only major extra is the documentary of manga and anime in Japanese culture and its spread to other countries... particularly the US. Although I personally don't feel all of it is accurrate, it does bring up many good points and helpful insights into manga and anime and its influence in Japanese culture. It is still a well done piece about anime.
The Box Set
My set came with an AniMatrix patch and the soundtrack CD. The patch was a Best Buy exclusive. The soundtrack contains the complete songs used in the AniMatrix features. I didn't particularly think it was great but the songs were appropriate for the AniMatrix features.
If you want to experience the Matrix... this is definitely a must see. I would highly recommend it even if you weren't a Matrix fan. Playing the Enter the Matrix game will help explain the movie events as well. It's time to plug in and become lost in the Matrix.
