I was one of the guys who thought “The Matrix” was an incredibly cool movie when it originally came out. The special effects were outstanding and the blend of action and music created some outrageously memorable scenes. Even the usually less than stellar ‘acting’ by star Keanu Reeves couldn’t drag this movie down. But what I wasn’t expecting was the great storyline that was revealed. The Wachowski brothers had created this terrifically creative plot and unveiled its secrets piece by piece. It was only a mater of time before a sequel would have to be made. And in fact this year has the release of two sequels almost back to back. “The Matrix Reloaded” which came out in May, followed by “Matrix Revolutions” at the end of the year. When I saw the first one last month, I was somewhat impressed. But admittedly it just wasn’t as good in my opinion as the original. While it was visually stunning, the storyline just got a little bit too convoluted and dull. Don’t get me wrong, I did like it and will see it again, but not for the same reasons that I’d re-watch the original.

Over the past few months I kept hearing about a series of short animated films that were being created as an addition to the ‘Matrix’ universe. Some would be seen in theatres, while others were available for download off the Internet. But since I knew they would be released together on DVD, I opted to wait. And admittedly after being a little less enthused by “Reloaded”, I was a bit hesitant to watch them. I love it when I’m surprised…

The collection of short films, dubbed “The Animatrix” finally made it to my DVD player the other night and I’m happy to say I was completely blown away. I think this should have been the official sequel. Each of the nine animated shorts offered up different stories that worked as stand-alone pieces, but could easily be linked to larger parts of the storyline.

One of the best (and most popular) was “Final Flight of Osiris” which was created by Square USA, the guys behind “Final Fantasy.” The animation was extremely realistic, much like that in “Final Fantasy”, but it was obvious that the animation techniques had taken a giant leap forward. There were a few scenes that were almost indistinguishable as animation. The story was very good and action packed, and linked directly back to plotlines discussed in “Reloaded.”

The 2-part “Second Renaissance” offers up a back-story to the rise of the machines. It was entirely plausible and beautifully animated. These two, like the remainder were done in a more traditional Anime style. The imagery is often shocking and disturbing. Watching the human race become like a legion of Nazis, determined to eradicate the robots they had created was disquieting. You almost rooted for the machines.

“Kid’s Story” is another that can be directly linked to “Reloaded” in that it gives a little more background to one of film’s least seen, but most memorable characters. The interaction between this character and Neo made audiences wonder who the heck this guy was. The story is short and follows similar paths as that of the original Matrix, but the animation here is very unusual and at times, breath-taking.

“Program” is presented in more old school style Anime and gives the viewer some excellent Samurai style fighting, as it would be presented within the training programs utilized by the human survivors. When one of the humans is given the opportunity to go back to the illusory life offered within the Matrix, a painful choice has to be made.

“World Record” is a very deep and complex story involving an athlete who, through sheer force of will is able to tear himself from the illusion of the Matrix. I liked this one for the powerful imagery of the animation.

“Beyond” gave us a look at how glitches in the Matrix can appear to humans living within it. A building is deemed haunted because of the unusual events happening within in. Bizarre gravity anomalies and things that appear and disappear exist within its walls. This is a clever way of explaining some of the paranormal activities that inhabit our world.

“A Detective Story” was written by Shinchiro Watanabe (as was “Kid’s Story”), the genius behind my favorite Anime series of all time, “Cowboy Bebop.” The animation style is unmistakably similar, and the deep psychological aspects are present. This one will make little sense to those who need everything explained.

The last one, “Matriculated” is like watching a cartoon on acid. Humans, in an attempt to make a robot sentry come over to their side, take its ‘mind’ into a virtual world where it is treated and seen as human. Though the animation style is at times bizarre, once the story comes together, it becomes a deeply emotional and ultimately tragic piece.

This outstanding DVD release offers up a wealth of extras. Several of the shorts have commentary, and there’s a great documentary featurette on Anime, its roots and where it’s going. But the best part is the ‘making-of’ features for each film. They vary in length, but all of them give the viewer quite an in-depth look into what it took to make each particular film.

“The Animatrix” is and awesome DVD, well worth your time whether you’re really into the Matrix mythos, or are just a casual fan. I actually recommend watching it before you see “Matrix Reloaded”, because I felt like it helped to understand some of the overall story.

The Shorts:
Final Flight of Osiris
The Second Renaissance, Part 1
The Second Renaissance, Part 2
Kid’s Story
Program
World Record
Beyond
A Detective Story
Matriculated

Extras: Making-of documentaries on each film, “Scrolls to Screen: The History and the Culture of Anime” Director Commentaries on select films, Biographical profiles of the directors and animation producers, “Enter The Matrix” video game trailer.
Specifications: Widescreen
Studio: Warner
Release Date: 6/3//2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR (But is based on the R-Rated Movies and not intended for younger children)
Website

We'll give The Animatrix an A.