Rating: 
Summary: Nice anime sampler platter
Review: This is a great DVD for a fan of the Matrix or for introducing someone to anime. If you're a fan of the Matrix, it answers some of the unanswered questions from the movies. "We don't know who struck first, us or them. But we do know it was us that scorched the sky." Thanks to "Second Renaissance," now we know who struck first and more.If you want to introduce someone to anime, this is also good because of the diversity in this DVD. Each segment shows a differant aspect of what anime has to offer. It's like a really nice sampler platter to help whet the appetite. There's only reason I didn't give five stars. Some segments were way too compact for the amount of story they were trying to cram in. To be fair, there's only so much story you can cram into a 9-16 minute frame of time. That these writers/directors were able to do as much with their segments as they did is a real testiment to their skill. A word on the sound track, it's definetely worth the extra bit of cash. With 12 tracks including "Meat Beat Manifesto" and "Juno Reactor," it's a great listen to.
Rating: 
Summary: Big Disappointment
Review: I believe that this animated movie is an attempt to milk as much money from the Matrix's name as possible. Based on my observation, "The Animatrix" is a collection of old and poorly written animations that are designed to cash in on a film with a low production budget. The 1st animation was nice but then it goes down hill from there. I do not recommend buying this item. I am not disgruntled I just wish someone was honest in their reviews before I purchased my copy. After watching it for a while you definitely can't wait til it is over. The only thing that keeps you watching is the fact that maybe a good story is coming, just like the 1st scene. In any case, I recommend that you just wait until your buddy gets it. Trust me, he won't mind you borrowing it for a few weeks maybe months.
Rating: 
Summary: Unoriginal
Review: After reading the scores of positive reviews here, I decided to buy the DVD without renting it first. Boy was that a bad decision. Although some of the episodes were entertaining, most of them resorted to simply copying basic themes and visuals from the first movie. The dialogue tends to draw staight off the first movie which can get really annoying. Also, rather than coming up with new machines, these episodes show that in fact squidies are the only machine we will ever see. Except in the last episode which manages to destroy this one good point by being extremely confusing. I suppose if you really like anime then you might like this dvd more than I did. I'm a really big fan of the Matrix. I thought the first and second movie were fantastic. This DVD is definitely not anywhere near the level of those movies. But if you are a big fan, you'll probably want to see these once so rent it or borrow it from a friend.
Rating:
Summary: Start's great then fails
Review: This DVD start's off wonderfully with "Final flight of the Orisis", the animation is outstanding and it does a great job of setting you up for "The Matrix Reloaded". But after than there isn't anything really worth your time. Only two others come close and those are "Kid's Story" and "Detective Story" and those are really pretty far from relating to the movie. If your a anima fan you may enjoy these just for the animation, but for my after "Final flight of the Orisis" it lost any real Matrix feel to the stories.
Rating:
Summary: Great but lacks replay value
Review: The Animatrix is a great dvd that delves further into the rabitt hole. The anime shorts are excellent and range around fifteen minutes on avarge theres an hour and twenty nine minuetes of great anime, and an hour and twenty eight minutes of extras (which arent junk extras like as in many dvds). Each anime short is unique in its own way whether its the writing or animation style. The Anime shorts are: Final flight of the Osiris-A cool cg anime with a [bucket] load of action. The crew of the Osiris must warn Zion of the onslaught of advancing Sentinels before it's to late. This movie sets you up for the Matrix Reloaded. The second renaissance part 1-This anime has to do with the beginning of events that would later begin the war between the humans and the machines. The second renaissance part 2-This anime is about the war between the humans and machines and the creation of the matrix. Kid's story-Is the story about a teen hacker who by jumping off a building while escaping agents is able to wake him self up and unplug himself from the matrix. He does this because he does not believe what is happening to him is real.(this is about that annoying kid in the matrix reloaded who keeps bothering Neo). Program-Is about a a female practicing her fighting skills in a medieval Japan setting. When she encounters a fellow rebel something goes horrible wrong. This anime is great and has an even better ending. World Record-A runner with super fast speed is able to break the rules of the matrix and wake himself. Agents don't like this and silence him by putting him back to sleep rendering him comatosee. But the runner refuses to believe that he cant run and wont be stopped. Beyond-A women is invited to a haunted house by a group of kids who know its secret. The house is really a glitch in the matrix. There's a part of a highway street in the garden, rain in one part of the house and a hallway which becomes an alley. The women and kids are able to break the rules of the matrix. Agents find out and come to destroy the house and fix the problem. A Detective story-A detective is hired by the agents to track down trinity. Matriculated-A group of rebels kidnap a sentinel like robot and plug it into a simulation where it is given a choice to get help form a human to save it's life. The rebels are trying to give robots the "choice" to become good once more.(this one is very weird and out there I hate this one but at the same time like it).
Rating:
Summary: Two-thirds great, one third terrible
Review: "The Matrix Reloaded" was a fantastic film-- after the first half hour or so, once the excruciatingly boring setup and that ludicrous Zion rave/sex scene were finished and the action kicked in. Similarly, "The Animatrix" is a phenomenal collection of anime interpretations of the Wachowski brothers' vision-- once you get past the first three segments (which add up to approximately half an hour... coincidence?) Strangely, the weakest sections are the ones written by the brothers themselves. "Final Flight of the Osiris" is an absolutely gorgeous demonstration of the capabilities of CGI animation, but it's utterly empty plot-wise, and even the central action is fairly dull-- it's mostly a vehicle for Square to show off how they can create cool skin textures. The true abomination of this collection, though, comes with Mahiro Maeda's "The Second Renaissance (Parts 1 and 2)". It attempts to fill in the backstory of how the machines came to power and the Matrix was created, but it's so nihilistic, so repulsive in its violence, it leaves a bad aftertaste. Neither side, humans or robots, is the slightest bit sympathetic; Maeda pounds us relentlessly over the head with visions of brutality and cruelty, pretentiously evoking Vietnam and Tiennanmen Square, and the effect is overwrought and didactic. Rather than enlightening, it makes you feel that if humanity behaved this horribly, why should we care if Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus win the war? Fortunately, it's all uphill from that point on. Shinichiro Watanabe's segments are especially effective; "Kid's Story" (the one successful Wachowski-written section) uses a pencil-sketch style that provides incredible fluidity of motion, and its minimalist story is well told; while "Detective Story" conjures the feel of classic black-and-white noir (love the computer with the old-fashioned typewriter keyboard!) The most traditionally "anime" of the films, Yoshiaki Kawajiri's "Program", is also one of the best, once again pivoting on a simple conundrum that proves more complex than it appears; the beautiful animation, evoking the look of medieval Japan, is far more compelling than Maeda's computer-enhanced effects in "The Second Renaissance". I was also quite taken with Koji Morimoto's section, "Beyond", which expands on the idea that what we think of as supernatural phenomena are actually glitches in the Matrix. The character designs reminded me a bit of Gainax's "FLCL", while the detail in the backgrounds is on a par with Studio Ghibli's scrupulous work. And I enjoyed the two films that have received the harshest evalutations from others-- "World Record" (written by Kawajiri, directed by Takeshi Koike) uses a visual style drastically removed from traditional anime, but one well suited to the story it tells; and Peter Chung's "Matriculated", while suffering a little from its overly slick CGI surfaces, takes a fascinating approach-- what if a robot were plugged into a human-created Matrix? It's a little long, but still a solid mixture of philosophizing and action, in true "Matrix" tradition. The extras are genuinely worthwile: making-of features on each film, a detailed history of anime drawing on interviews from genuine experts (though I do fault it for making no mention of Hayao Miyazaki), and directors' commentaries for four films. Sadly, two of those are the two parts of "The Second Renaissance", and they shed little light on why Maeda made his piece so unrelentingly vicious. I would rather have heard Watanabe discuss "Kid's Story" or "Detective Story" in greater detail. So if you love "The Matrix", this collection is definitely worthwhile; just bear in mind you'll need to skip past the dismal segments to get to the real gems.
Rating: 
Summary: Why oh why didn't I take the Blue pill?
Review: Alrighty, this will be a bit different from my usual reviews. Animatrix is done as an omnibus, so therefore, I shall give my opinion of each segment on its own. 1. Final Flight of the Osiris: Top notch computer animation and a story that leads straight into the second movie. This one is more eye-candy than anything else, but it's good eye-candy. 2. The Second Renaisance Pts. 1 & 2: The history of our future, as told by the archives of Zion. Learn the chilling origin of the Matrix, and learn that the machines aren't the only ones to blame for the downfall of humanity. Chilling and graphic imagery, with direct parallels to well known historical events. This gives us an expanded view of what Morpheus told Neo in the first movie. Not for the squeamish. 3. Kid's Story: Utilizing bizarre imagery, this is the tale of one young man who became aware of the Matrix, and his efforts to escape. Symbolism is thick, and there are thoughts on modern youth culture in this world. 4. Program: All cel animation, but you would never know from looking at it. Two lovers quarrel over returning to the Matrix as they fight in a gorgeous rendition of old Japan. This one will leave an indelible mark on the viewer. The keen ear will detect superb voice acting from Samuri Jack's title actor, Phil LaMarr. 5. World Record: This one is wholly symbollic of man's eternal struggle, not against machine, though the Matrix is certainly involved, but rather, against his own human limitations. A tribute to the indomitable spirit of humanity. This tale is about a track runner trying hard to push the limits of his mind and body...and paying a heavy price for doing so. 6. Beyond: A glitch...or a haunted house. Either way, a group of children discover a place of magic in the world. But the Agents have discovered it, as well. Ever wonder why there is no magic left in the world? This story will offer you one possible reason. 7. A Detective Story: Harken back to the days of Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe in this film noir homage. Detective Ash is hired to find Trinity, but his search through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole will not be an easy one. The art here reflects the true beauty of old black and white films. 8. Matriculated: What if the problem is that humans and machines never really tried to understand one another? What if neither understood the others suffering? Is it possible to reach out and offer an olive branch for peace? Or have the machines learned too well the art of cruelty from their former masters? This one features the familiar art style of Peter Chung, of Aeon Flux and Reign: The Conqueror fame. Also voice acting by Dwight Schultz from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Enthusiasts of voice acting will recognize several voices, including Tara Strong, notably of the Powerpuff Girls, Kevin Richardson, who, ironically enough, played Morpheus in a Matrix parody done by Kevin Smith in his Clerks animated series, and the voices of Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Matt McKenzie of the original movie. The soundtrack disc included is also of good quality, featuring a number of innovative techno style songs, most notably the track "Who Am I?" from the Kid's Story segment. The only pity is that we will never get an anthology like this for television, because there is so much of the Matrix that could be delved into. P.S. There is no spoon.
Rating:
Summary: Shockingly Good
Review: I knew buying this that with 9 short films there had to be a couple ones that weren't great. I was shocked to see each film is beyond the level of fantastic. I can't believe how good ALL these films were. Any fan of The Matrix, CGI, or Anime, will love this. In fact, I think anyone who likes movies in general will find all these films to be great.
Rating:
Summary: Nothin' Special
Review: I am a huge Matrix fan, but I was disappointed with Animatrix. I went out and bought it the first day because I thought it would be great. My friends and I watched it together and were not impressed. Kid Story and Detective Story are the only two I really liked. Kid Story tells the story of the kid in Reloaded that is obsessed with Neo, so it is good to know the story behind him. Also, many of the stories tell a lot of the background info of Matrix, which is interesting. This video is something all Matrix fans should see, but don't buy it. You probably won't want to see it more than once or twice.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning! But it helps to like a variety of animation
Review: I had no interest in getting this DVD until I saw a clip from it on a TV show last week. For someone like me whose only real exposure to animation (other than Chuck Jones and Tex Avery cartoons) was the film "Heavy Metal" and the "Battle of the Planets" on television in the late 70's, this type of animation seemed, well, a bit nerdy. BOY WAS I WRONG!! This is stunning work! Creative in its execution, brave in its storytelling, and mind-boggling in its visuals! My favorite ones are the first three, but especially "The Last Flight of the Orisis" (did I misspell that?). Animation sure has come a long way since the old days of painting on cels. The computer-generated 3D-like visuals are so realistic that you almost forget you are watching animation. Think of the film "Final Fantasy" with the benefit of a few years' worth of technological improvements. The second two short story animation pieces are as much commentary on the surety of modern civilization collapsing as they are simply backstory for the "Matrix" films. They are morally thought-provoking and sociologically scary. All in all, the 9 short films run the gamut over many different styles of animation, from the computer-generated to the more traditional. The separate stories are bound by a common thread, but some of them diverge farther than others. But the mixing of the numerous styles of animation keeps the whole affair from getting visually repetitive, and that is a definite plus, despite the fact that the animation is superb anyway. The bonus features on the disc, including commentaries, b-t-s features, etc., are good for fleshing out what you get for your purchasing dollar, but I'd almost rather NOT know how they did some of this stuff. It's really more fun just to watch it and stare in awe and wonder. You animation junkies, however, will be more than pleased with the extras, I'd imagine. Though each of these films are short (around 9 minutes each), none of them feel skimpy. They were obviously crafted with as much meticulousness and caring and talent as the "Matrix" feature films were. Bottom line, "The Animatrix" features some solid and compelling storytelling, and the fact that these are animated features hopefully will not scare away the more traditional film fans who have yet to discover how animation has jumped forward in leaps and bounds since many of us were kids. Rent it if you want, but you'll probably end up buying it anyway. Highly recommended!
| 
