Rating: 
Summary: Highly suggested
Review: If you like the Matrix and Reloaded you will love Animatrix. The shorts cover everything, from the machine rebellion to a story about a woman who lost her cat. She found the cat in a run down area where there was a programming glitch. The children of the 'hood gathered around to play in the lack of gravity. This was the programming glitch. Cannot tell you anymore or else I would spoil it for you.
Rating:
Summary: The rabbit hole just gets deeper and deeper....
Review: This is the kind of thing I crave. Whenever I consume a good movie, book, or CD; I always want more. Although not religious about THE MATRIX series, I did enjoy the first film (great DVD!) and have yet to see RELOADED. Having something as cool as THE ANIMATRIX come out directly on DVD was a stroke of genius. The nine animated shorts on this disc are all exceptional, some more than others of course. A visual cornicopia of different animated styles, the feature is not only for MATRIX fans but for sci-fi and art fans as well. You need not be labled a geek for procuring this item for it stands on its own as a cool little collage of smart ideas based on the MATRIX mythos. I sometimes find myself looking for a DVD that I can pop in and enjoy some cool visuals and soundscapes for fifteen minutes, this is that DVD. Worth it.
Rating:
Summary: The Animatrix-Better Than I Even Dreamed Of
Review: As an avid Matrix fan, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this after Reloaded was released. I wasn't sure what it would be like or if I would like it, but after seeing the Final Flight of the Osiris, all my apprehensions disappeared. These shorts are a great way to gain insight on the Matrix concepts, and are quite possibly enjoyable even if you aren't interested in learning more. I would note however, that although they are not rated, they follow the same guidlines as the Matrix, an R-rated film.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Like Matrix Reloaded: lots of hype, lots of anticipation, and man... how disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the movies!
Review: I really, really enjoyed the Animatrix. I am both a fan of anime and a fan of the Matrix and its sequel but I really think you need not be either to appreciate this package.
The films obviously owe a debt to the storytelling devices and concepts that have been coming our of anime for years from Ghost in the Shell on, equally the films rely heavily on a video game inspired sensibility so it is my understanding that the directors put in equal time and energy to ancillary packages of anime as well as video games, that support and tie in with the films as well as stand alone as significant entries in their own genres.
I don't have a Playstation, so i can't vouch for the video game, but I've read some of the reviews for the Animatrix and I think people are missing the point. I don't think it's meant to be the Matrix Reloaded broken down and reformatted, nor are the stories meant to be direct support structures to the film.
The Animatrix (as we have been told) is a collection of nine shorts which are basically riffs on the premise that the Matrix puts forward. Some are more straightforward (a second renaissance parts 1 & 2, for example, supplies a dispassionate history of the machine persecution and revolt that ultimately led to the supplication of humans as the dominant life form of the planet. The art is clean and the machines are reminiscent of what you may have seen in "Metropolis". Although, ostensibly supplying background information that fills in the blanks that movie did not have time to elaborate on, to consider it just a primer for the movie sells it short. It is beautifully animated and moving, specifically scenes of machine torture, riot and images of violence that deliberately recall some of the more disturbing images of this century. Both sides of the conflict are reflected in an objective and honest (if sometimes harsh) light. Perhaps it is because of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the second world war, but Japanese animation in particular seems to have an eerie conscience in regards to rubble strewn devastation and bombed out cities and their aftermath and this has been the sharpest contrast when you compare their films on these subjects (Grave of the Fireflies, for example, or Jin-Roh) to our own. There is a sense of conscience, grief and a tendecy not towards valor, but rather towards regret and responsibility that infuses the storytelling in this short in particular beyond just being background filler.
Other shorts take aspects not presented in the film but suggested by it and develop them. In 'Matri(x)culated' a team of humans capture machines and re-program them (with hallucinatory, almost religious imagery ) to aid in the conflcit aganst their own kind. 'Beyond' (my personal fav'rite) explores the idea of a glitch in the matrix which evidences itself as a series of localised , bizarre phenomenon which a bunch of neighborhood kids believe to be a haunted house.You don't even need to have particularily liked the matrix or its follow up to enjoy these shorts. What you have is a collection of shorts by some of the most impressive animators currently working, commisioned with a large budget and creative freedom and the result is pretty spectacular. The animation is some of the best I've seen, "Program" picks up with the moody atmospheres that dominated "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust". "A Detective Story" uses a monochromatic style that looks partially like watercolor washes, partially like newspaper photographs, and partially like sepia toned photographs to create a visual style that compliments both the noir-ish aspects of the film as well as it's techno driven frenzy. "Matri(x)culation" has a sequence of beautiful if cypherish images that are dreamlike and hypnotic, sort of like one of those "beyond the mind's eye" videos used to illustrate a symbolic allegory. Some of the shorts are slightly more stylised ("kids story" and "World Record") and "Flight of the Osiris" is the hyper-realistic CGI work that you may have seen in "Final Fantasy". Each story is well told and slight, more like a tone poem, which suits the idea of being a collection, each one relating to the story that came before it and to the one that will follow it, supported by, but not dependent on the greater story arc. If you have seen or appreciated any fine animated films like Spirited Away, Metropolis, Ghost in the Shell, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Jin-Roh, or of course, Akira, then there is something here for you to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: If you like the Matrix and you like anime...
Review: I found the 9 anime short stories to be very creative and well scripted. This is not the Matrix. These are stories in the periphery. You do get to see the final flight of the Osiris but you also get to see where the Matrix goes awry in Kid's Story. I think they are actually a bit more human than the movie. They explain themes you don't otherwise get. The animation and subject matter in the 'Second Renaissance' is simply brilliant. If you like anime and you like the Matrix these are must sees.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome DVD! Buy it at Target!
Review: I was shocked to find this DVD for only $14.99 (fourteen dollars and ninety-nine cents) at Target. This DVD is very, very nice, and if you like the Matrix and/or good anime, this is a must-have. There are plenty of good plot summaries out there, so read those if you want a synopsis of the DVD, but let me just say that I thought the "First Rennaisance Part I and II" were awesome and crucial to an understanding of The Matrix. I was glued to the screen. "Program" blew my mind, and is probably my favorite. "Final Flight of the Osiris" is beautiful and a little racy--great, nonetheless--and is mentioned in the Matrix: Reloaded. I thought that was pretty cool. And "Kid's Story" is also essential to understanding one of the characters in Reloaded. "Matriculated" was a little strange, but I highly enjoyed the other episodes. My only complaint: the DVD's just too short!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I bought this DVD hoping to get more insight on the Matrix. I believe the origional plan was to make a full animated prequel film to the Matrix. Instead, we get 9 short episodes I don't know what. In my opinion, the only thing good about it is the animation. The stories make very little sense and have little to do with the movie. If you are an anime fan you would like this. If you aren't, it is a waste of time.
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Nov 7,2003
I would like to take back what I said about The Animatrix. My hopes were high before I watched it and I was disappointed after seeing it. I should have watched Matrix Reloaded before I wrote the review, which I didn't. After watching Matrix Reloaded I think Animatrix supplements the movie well. I take back my rating of 2 stars and give this a 3.5. Mainly, because I'm not a big anime fan. I'm sure anime fans would disagree with my rating. Judge for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Hmmm
Review: This is a very tricky piece to review. I'm actually torn between three and four stars but I put four simply because of the awesome animation. The first thing that came to my mind while I watched these short films was that I felt like I was at an independent film festival. This can be a good or bad thing depending on whether or not you're open to independent type films which can be wierd yet amazing at the same time. However, overall, I can truthfully say I did enjoy this Dvd. It was kind of like being on a rollercoaster since the stories seemed to change so fast and were only about nine or ten minutes each. The only problem with this was the fact that each story seemed very rushed and by the time you felt the slightest bit of attatchment to the characters or plot (or even figured out finally what the plot was) it was over and you were on to next episode. There were actually only about two episodes I did not like and one I was very uncertain about. I wasn't fond of Detective Story because it seemed to be building to something and when it got there, it just fell and then stopped. However, once again, the art was amazing! I've never seen anime in all gritty blacks, whites and grays before and it was really cool to look at. I also didn't like Matriculated mostly because aside from the interesting concept it presented of trying to sway a machine into joining the human side, it was a major let down at the end. In my opinion, stories that end in simply death are too lazy to think of a more creative way to save their characters. Its much easier to kill of people than to save them. World Record is one I'm not certain about. I liked the idea and the anime was interesting but the way it was presented was somewhat strange. I really think they could have gone about it better. It's showing someone surpassing their limits and therefore breaking out of the matrix by accident. Hovever, once again, we're left with a ending that leaves you angry. The Final Flight of the Osiris was very entertaining and I loved the Computer Graphics. You feel a great deal for the two main characters and it acts as sort of a trailer to the Matrix Reloaded. Program was a wonderful short story with beautiful character designs and great fight scenes. It deals with the tempation of going back to the Matrix and returning to a life of ignorant bliss. Beyond was cool mostly for the animation and the way they represented the Matrix and how messed up things could be. The focal point is a house that appears to be a glitch or defective spot in the matrix world. A teenage girl and a few kids stumble upon it and find they can do amazing things there because they believe it's "haunted". Kid's Story was probably one of my favorites. The story is thrilling and shows an escape from the matrix world. The art is very unique and has a squiggled, sketchy quality that gives the impression of motion,speed and anxiety. I found it very interesting. The Second Renaissance parts one and two are also my favorites. They tell the past and explain how the machines rose up against the humans in the first place. These are extremely interesting and thought provoking, dealing with many psychological issues as well. All in all, I did like this DVD and I'm glad I purchased it. The episodes I liked far outweighed the ones I didn't and the entire package is a feast for the eyes.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing peice of anime
Review: I myself hate almost all anime i see, with 2 exeptions, cowboy beebop, and this. this is an incredible 90 minute thrillride. alot of it doesnt make sence but 5 bucks says it will in november. the second renissance parts I and II are so cool. its the world before the machines rose and how they took over. if you like the matrix buy this. if you thought it was okay. rent it.
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