The Animatrix

Anthologies of animated shorts based on Western properties have become something a big deal. In the past two years we've seen both Batman and Halo get this treatment, as well as the videogame Dante's Inferno. However, the Animatrix is still the gold standard of such works, even going so far as to outshine some of its source material.

The secret for the Animatrix's success is the talent that was poured into it. Some of the creative minds that worked on it include Mahiro Maeda (Gankutsuou), Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll), and Shinichirō Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop), in addition to some up-and-coming talents as well.

While the ... Matrix sequels devolved into mysticism and spectacle, the different pieces of the Animatrix give us new spins on the ideas that first made this world so compelling. Each segment gives us something completely different while still remaining true to the thematic elements of reality and identity that are at the heart of the Matrix. And these differing visions are captured in a kaleidoscope of visual styles, making the experience an enriching one for the brain and the eyes.

Of course, in an anthology work such as this, everyone will be drawn to different parts. I certainly have my favorites, but I found that each segment had some to offer - with one exception. The first segment, The Final Flight of Osiris, made by Square (who you might know from Final Fantasy:Advent Children), features remarkably realistic CG but has such a poor story that any sense of wonder is lost, and the overall effect is rather one of boredom. Fortunately, this misstep is quickly forgotten as it is eclipsed by the equally pretty and much more interesting works that follow it.

This review is for Beyond.

From a Matrix fan's point of view, I feel it's one of the weaker pieces of the collection. It wouldn't be able to really stand well on its own because there's not enough substance. However, in tandem with the rest of the shorts, I think it gives an interesting view into how the Matrix affects "normal" people's lives. It displays the extent of the Agents' and Machines' control over even the most seemingly innocuous areas of the system.

The art and animation were done quite well by Koji Morimoto, who did the art direction for Akira. The characters were a bit ... generic, but they're not really meant to be the main focus of the piece, in my opinion. It's more of a look at the Matrix itself and how it shapes the lives of its inhabitants. You could've inserted different characters and still had the same story, basically. The ending of this piece is what really makes it worthwhile to watch for me. There's a sense of loss that colors it that is made more striking because of the difference in mood from the beginning of it.

SHORT 1 - Final Flight of Osiris (dir. Andy Jones and prod. SQUARE USA)
So, this short only really exists to set up Matrix Reloaded as well as Enter the Matrix (greeeaaaattt), and in spite of a well choreographed opening fight scene, it quickly devolves into gray mush with muzzle flashes. It suffers slightly from Star Wars prequel-itis, yes it is tying directly into events of the film I like and yes I do recognise the iconography, but the reason these shorts exist is to expand the universe beyond what was seen before. FFoO meanwhile does very little to expand the universe, stylistically ressembles a Matrix ... themed Second Life server, and is a boring slog to begin with. This short should've been called The Blue Pill because it sure as hell put me to sleep.
2/10

SHORT 2 - The Second Renaissance Parts 1 & 2 (dir. Mahir Maeda and prod. Studio4oC)
Now this is where we should have started, detailing the conception and subsequent rise of machines, it's an interesting expansion of this world. The visuals are interesting with overall fine designs, the main focus are the machines and they look great, but the humans all look very bland bar a few close up shots with some interesting shots with a portrayal of them being extremely animalistic. It's also one of the more intense and mature execution of the robot uprising idea, with neither the message of "human bad" nor "technology bad" it shows the conflict without bias with both sides being given a part to flesh (or metal) out their motives.
7/10

SHORT 3 - Kid's Story (dir. Shinichiro Watanabe and prod. Studio4oc)
Whilst The Second Renaissance showed a larger conflict as whole, this short shows the personal stakes of a Neo-like character living in the Matrix whilst questioning his reality. The sketchy visuals with the fluid almost jittery movements is an amazing portrayal of the characters perception of the Matrix. Although an extremely simple short it's effective in its execution with a brilliant soundtrack to couple some interesting animation and it really does a good job at justifying this collection's existence as a whole since it and the previous short have already displayed the diversity of Matrix as an IP.
9/10

SHORT 4 - Program (dir. Yoshiaki Kawajiri and prod. Madhouse)
Kid's Story was more about animation in motion, meanwhile Program is extremely picturesque and beautiful with a further exploration of small scale conflicts found within the resistance groups, it was extremely effective in both tying familiar iconography with unique ideas, the use of paper doors as an obstacle was a cool moment, the simulations bleeding code was very nice, and overall the samurai setting is a brilliant set up that gives this short its own identity.
8/10

SHORT 5 - World Record (dir. Yoshiaki Kawajiri and prod. Madhouse)
And it's a sports anime now, no but seriously as expected from Madhouse it's got some amazing animation, my main description would be "Redline - except my car broke down" and you can really see those aesthetics in this short almost 4 years prior. It's an interesting addition to this collection and also a very unique spin on a sports story like this, I probably would've preferred if Matrix Reloaded was about this guy instead. My only real complaint is it's placement, we just got a Kawajiri/ Madhouse short, so it somewhat nullifies the complete variety displayed prior, that being said the style is still different enough with more exaggerated faces as well as a larger emphasis on movement and a more naturalistic environment that breaks into some unique visuals in the sequence with the Smiths (Agents, not Morissey).
7/10

SHORT 6 - Beyond (dir. Kouji Morimoto and prod. Studio4oC)
It wasn't at all surprising when I checked Morimoto's page and spotted Tekkon Kinkreet inhabiting his body of work, this is definitely my second favourite stylistically and in motion it's an absolute treat. I see why Thor: Dark World directly ripped this scene into their movie (yeah Marvel, I fucking noticed). There isn't really much else to analyse with this short, I adore the aesthetic, it fully utilises it's format as a short to tell a concise yet realised story.
10/10

SHORT 7 - A Detective Story (dir. Shinichiro Watanabe and prod. Studio4oC)
Watanabe is back and hey look, it's my favourite! I love how it blends the Matrix universe with a film noir/ manga aesthetic, it was definitely a smart choice putting this towards the end seeing as it seems to tie directly into the films somewhat with the appearance of main character (okay, yeah Neo and Trinity showed up in Kid's Story, but Trinity is like the central focus). The writing is sharp, the soundtrack is amazing and the mystery while small is still very fun. My only complaint is it seems t be cut a tad short, but when my complaint is that I want more, that's not really a complaint. I would love to see Watanabe do a detective series sometime since this style very much suits him.
10/10

SHORT 8 -Matriculated (dir. Peter Chung and prod. DNA)
I was awaiting a short to explore the spirituality of Matrix, sadly they saved it for last, conceptually the short has interesting themes with the humans somewhat reprogramming a machine by making it feel like a human almost. Aesthetically in its backgrounds it is gorgeous and the sequence wherein they explore this weird space within the machine is rife with Buddhist imagery and interesting ways of bending the reality. Aside from that, this short is ugly as sin, the awful proportions, the nauseating use of CGI that just doesn't meld well with the rest of the scene and good lord the outside world is so mind-numbingly dull, sadly we visit there often.
5/10

IN CONCLUSION: If the first and last shorts were cut, this would be amazing, but with those two bad apples I would say this is just pretty great, I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to just about anyone, but not without a "skip the first short and the last short, they kinda suck" prefacing it. Definitely a perfect companion for the Matrix and a much preferable addition to the series than Reloaded or Revolution.

Rate:8 (very Good)
English Dubbed

Hard not to like this anime. For those not aware you have an animation sequel to the popular film The Matrix. It has 9 stories. Each story is very different from each other.

Likes:
Like i said among the 9 stories the plot and art differed quite a bit. The artists did a wonderful job in blending the art to a way that best matches the story. For example, if you think of a detective movie. I mean a real good one. what comes to kind other than the trench coat? Black and white. Which is what they did and more. Sure, they matched ... the story but they did not drop from character. The ride presented within each story was a virtual roller coaster ride that placed you in the seat of the action. Never once tilted you too far out of your seat.

To make matters better even though the stories were different they all came back to the anime's origin.

I’m not a big fan of The Matrix trilogy, one of the more mainstream science fiction spectacles of the past twenty years. When I was a kid, I loved it. It was my first R-rated movie, it was dark and edgy like any kid is bound to like, and it had neat martial arts action. But as I grew older I finally watched the second and third films and began to hate the series. Anymore, probably thirteen or so years after watching The Matrix for the first time, I think it’s overrated and I can’t see the appeal. It hasn’t aged well and that, on ... top of pretty bad storytelling as the movies continued, led me to neglect the series for years…

Until now. I never watched the Animatrix, I don’t think I had any intention to after Revolutions. So now, years later, allow me to break down the pieces that comprise the Animatrix and tell you which are good and which are bad.

Final Flight of the Osiris-Written by the Wachowski brothers and animated by Square, this nine minute segment looks like the opening cutscene of a PS2 game. It starts with an entirely pointless fight where two characters cut the clothes off each other. They are suddenly pulled out of the simulation as Sentinels are chasing down their ship in the real world. What follows is a six minute sequence ending in a climax that isn’t satisfying, nor really matters. This entire short is nothing more than an introduction to the style of The Matrix rather than pulling us in early on. The writing is lame, the CG is very dated, and you’ll find nothing of value here.

The Second Renaissance Part I-The second short details events before The Matrix, namely the divide between humans and machines. What you’ll find here is an interesting background story about humans and machines having a schism that leads to animosity and violence. The machines build their own nation, wind up creating better technologies and having more valuable currency, which doesn’t make humanity happy at all. This is all visualized stunningly, with many disturbing images as well as copies of real life historical moments such as the tank running a robot down a la Tienanmen Square. A fan of the movies will enjoy this history lesson.

The Second Renaissance Part II-While containing some of the fantastic visuals of part one, part two is a lot less compelling. The humans put a dome around the Earth so the machines can’t operate on solar power leading to a war that ends with the machines realizing they can harvest energy from human brains. Thus the Matrix was born. This part was pretty stupid. While the first part set up the idea of a smart science fiction story, the second reveals how ridiculous the plot of the series really is and how much the Wachowski’s love to ruin good ideas with nonsense. If you watched the first part, watch the second, but be forewarned, it’s stupid.

Kid’s Story-The first visually appealing short from an artistic standpoint, Kid’s Story is directed by my biggest adversary in the directing world, Shinichiro Watanabe. A high school kid realizes he’s inside of the Matrix, leading to agents coming after him while Neo guides him toward escape. While not the most impressive in plot, the animation is gorgeous. For style alone, I’d suggest this segment. It’s the best of the bunch.

Program-A shorter piece, this one is another visual feast that concentrates on two people fighting over ideologies in a feudal Japanese setting. The action here is crisp, the dialogue is pretty smart, but it, penultimately, doesn’t matter. I feel that to have a good short here, you need a beginning, middle, and end, not just a singular idea that doesn’t go anywhere. Program is nice, but I still don’t see how this is enriching me any further in the world of The Matrix.

World Record-Here is the story of an Olympic racer who runs so fast he breaks the Matrix while some agents go after him to keep him locked within the program. That’s it. The animation isn’t that great, the story isn’t exciting, and I think this may have been the weakest segment so far.

Beyond-A pretty good short about a group of kids discovering a glitchy area in their town and exploiting the glitches for fun. While again not telling a compelling story this one does give us an idea of the process that is gone through to repair problems in the Matrix. It has good animation and ideas, but it’s an otherwise unremarkable piece.

A Detective Story-Another piece from Shinichiro Watanabe, this one is a noir adventure about a detective who is recruited to track down the hacker known as Trinity. From the outset you can see and hear the style (of course, very typical of Watanabe). This one’s a good short with an actual plot, neat design, and it ties into the movies, making it feel more relevant.

Natriculated-This one is made by the people who gave us Aeon Flux and is another eh on my part. It’s got the trademark style of Flux but I wasn’t impressed by the story nor did I find it to be exciting in any regard. As a finale, it’s weak.

The Animatrix is a very mixed bag. There are a couple of notable segments but it’s just about as underwhelming as the actual Matrix movies. If you’re a fan of the movie series, then you’ll find some enjoyment here, but if not it’s an lame grab bag of great talents producing mostly half-assed shorts.

The anthology to trump all anime anthologies.

The Animatrix is without a doubt, the greatest thing to come out of The Matrix trilogy. (that 4th one isn't real.)

The Matrix itself has a pretty spotty track record. From the masterpiece original, to the flawed, but awesome second, to the forgettable third.

The Animatrix cuts all the fat and gives you what the series always should've been. As much as I like all the existential cerebral thinkpiece essays mouthed off in the movies, Animatrix strips itself to the bare essentials of the plot and concept of the Matrix. The animation varies in quality, (from great, to excellent) due to ... its episodic format of utilizing a different studio and director for each part.

They pulled out every ace in their pockets for this. The minds and animators behind some of the greatest anime of all time give their talents to this anthology, from Ninja Scroll and Blue Submarine No. 6. (The latter being one of the best ever) All the way to Aeon Flux and Akira. It truly is an amazing lineup of the all time greats. It also works as a time capsule for the best era of anime, the early to mid 2000's.

The compilation covers how the whole idea of the Matrix began, to the people living in and around it, to the industrial dystopian aftermath of the rise of the machines. It's a heady, abrasive, and electric showcase of a re-industrialized world thrown in chaos.

I'm sucking this hard, but for a good reason. Talented animators and artists collaborating with a single goal in mind. Expand an already riveting world, and getting the freedom to bend it to their will.

It’s rather hard to talk about a show like this because it’s mostly like a range of different episodes. They may all contain the Matrix like style but there really isn’t much that connects them. From the story to the animation, each part is different and told in its own way. The movie gets more and more confusing as the stories keep going, making it hard to get what is going on. There isn’t an indication of if you are inside the Matrix or outside it. All I could understand was how pretty the animations were at points and how ‘crappy’ they were in others. ... The whole mix of samurai to space age, to computer simulations that look so real that it could be live action, all of that just seemed a little overboard.

Question, why does it start out with a man and women undressing each other with katanas? Is it just for sexual looks or is there actually a reason for it? Can someone answer this part for me?

The animation was all over the place from CG to Cartoon, to whatever. I felt rather bombarded by all the different art styles just as it happened in ‘Dante’s Inferno: An animated epic’. The only thing that saved this a little was that the stories were not all linked to one storyline like Dante. When I say Crappy artwork, I don’t mean bad artwork. I just mean stuff that really doesn’t look right in my eyes. The style that is so loaded with detail that you can see almost every line in the face right next to stuff that is very simplified. I may not be using the right word for it but I have no other idea what to use for it. Now the detail work pretty much is nice in the CG part, but I thought it never worked in the cartoon part of the show.

The voices are actually pretty well done and one of the only fluid parts of the show. They have voices that work out rather well for the mood that the ‘scene’ is trying to show. If it’s intense, it sounds intense, if it’s slow, it has that feeling. Some of the characters sound like they were voiced by some of the voice actors that were even in the matrix itself.

The Animatrix consists of 9 completely different shorts so it's hard to review in one go but let's try.
I can only say that I really wished that the original sequels to the first matrix movie were a bit more like these shorts. They are much closer to what I loved about the first movie than the sequels.
To everyone new to the matrix I always use to say: "Don't watch Reloaded and Revolutions. They are bullcrap. Watch the first movie and animatrix and be done with it."
Before taking a short look at each episode I just want to say that this collection is a must ... have for people who like high quality anime productions.

The Final Flight of the Osiris 9:

The Final Flight of the Osiris tells a story about a crew of a rebel ship in the real world. The animations and fighting scenes are breathtaking (measured by the standards of 2003). The story is well made and has the typical dark matrix atmosphere.

The Second Renaissance 7
Explains how the Matrix and the rule of the machines came to be.
Visually well done.

Kid's Story 7:
Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop) contributed this weird looking movie to the OVA. It's not very "pretty" because they left the drawings "raw" on purpose. Looks kinda cool though.

World Record 7:
Nicely done short about a man crossing the boundaries of the matrix by his own willpower. Nice idea but I don't like the art that much.

Beyond 7:
Beyond gives a good perspective on errors in the matrix. Not that action packed but nice to watch.

A Detective's Story 10:
Strongest short on the DVD in my opinion. A film-noir style short about a detective. It's dark, badass and clever.

Matriculated 9:
I don't like Peter Chung's artstyle that much. In my eyes Aeon Flux looked horrible. This one is different though. The after-effects look nice, and the story is sad and beautiful.

Japanese animation had forever left it's footprint in the world of science fiction by the late 90s. Works like AKIRA and GHOST IN THE SHELL were just the kind of stylish, cool, violent, dystopian, and thoughtful visions of the future that would land them squarely within the favoritism of American pop culture, impressing Hollywood titans like James Cameron. Nowhere are these influences more noticeable than in the Wachowskis' hit trilogy THE MATRIX. The merging of stylish action, philosophical themes, and a futuristic setting provides a unique cocktail that is heavily indebted to anime. It only makes sense for the Wachowskis to give it back to ... the animation their success has been built upon.

THE ANIMATRIX is a collection of nine animated shorts set within the universe of THE MATRIX, each with a different director and production studio. Released in the short six month period between RELOADED and REVOLUTIONS, it's easy to see this collection as the typical sort of transmedia promotional material for the movies. But a lot of real talent has been brought on board with this project and some of the shorts contain ideas more interesting than anything that was invented for the sequels. Like any collection of stories however, the quality can be mixed. Thankfully, THE ANIMATRIX is more good than bad.

First up is "Flight of the Osiris." This short, the only one to be done entirely with CG, was directed by Andy Jones, a notable special effects artist who has since gone on to win several Oscars. But it was his work on FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN that probably brought him here, especially considering Square Pictures also get production credits. Written by the Wachowskis and set before the Machines assault on Zion in RELOADED, "Flight of the Osiris" is the least inspired short in the collection both visually and narratively and serves as a weak start. It's basically an amalgamation of ideas and images familiar to anyone who has seen the original 1999 movie: a simulated dual (with some cringe-inducing eroticism), fighting off Sentinels in a hovercraft, plugging into the Matrix's urban landscape, romance, and self-sacrifice. This is more or less a tech demo for the CG work. And while the animation is impressive enough in its photorealism to hold up pretty well today, it just doesn't add anything to our understanding of this universe.

"The Second Renaissance" is a step up. This two-parter is a narrated overview of the origins of the Machines, their war with humanity, and their enslavement of humans. Mahiro Maeda (GANGKUTSUOU) and Studio 4°C are up to bat for this one. The mechanical designs and their gradual evolution are great and the scenes of gory violence against both robots and humans is glorious and unnerving its parallels to our own history, giving us the perspective that humanity's suffering under the heals of the Machines are a product of its own foolishness. Some CG work was used in the larger-scale moments can be a bit iffy though.

The legendary Shinichiro Watanabe (COWBOY BEBOP) directs the next short "Kid's Story," also produced by Studio 4°C. However, it's Shinya Ohira and Shinji Hashimoto's sketchy and expressionist animation that really makes this short a visual treat. Kid's gradual awareness about the fictitiousness of his reality culminates in a frantic evasion of Agents inside of his school. The blurry skateboard chase is a favorite in sakuga MADs everywhere.

Yoshiaki Kawajiri is an obvious choice to write and direct a short as WICKED CITY and NINJA SCROLL are noted sources of inspiration for the Wachowskis. Like "Osiris," "Program" also features a simulated dual, this time with the theme of feudal Japan. It's not the strongest short. The colors are great and Madhouse's production is solid, but the story and dialogue aren't particularly compelling.

On the other hand, Madhouse's other production "World Record" (also written by Kawajiri) is the real deal. Takeshi Koike brings his avant-garde sensibilities to this fantastic segment, an inspiring story about one track athlete's final shot for glory and redemption bringing him to awareness about the Matrix. Sweat and muscles have never been rendered in such slow-motion glory. This is definitely the strongest short of the bunch.

"Beyond" gives it a run for its money though. This time, Studio 4°C's own co-founder Kōji Morimoto is at the helm exploring a part of the Matrix that was introduced in the trilogy but never saw any elaboration: glitches. Set in a modern Japanese city, several youth investigate an abandoned property subjected to a glitch where the rules of reality begin to break down. Takeshi Honda's colorful designs and Morimoto's skillful direction result in a gorgeous and playful piece that is dense with atmosphere and an eye for the surreal.

"Detective Story" is an obvious crowd-pleaser. Of course Watanabe would get to direct two shorts. The overtly noir style is much more to his familiarity than his previous short, although perhaps a bit too pastiche. The short more or less parallels "Kid's Story" with its framing device and focus on individuals engaging with the leads from the trilogy. It's attractive, but not as much of a standout compared to some of the other shorts.

Unfortunately, THE ANIMATRIX ends on a note that is about as weak as the one it came in on. Peter Chung's MTV series ÆON FLUX is enough to justify his inclusion in this project. "Matriculated" has an interesting enough conceit as well: Machines getting a taste of their own simulated medicine INCEPTION-style. But the whole thing long overstays its welcome and the trippy visuals during this sequence are too garish to look at for any significant amount of time. It's just weird, and the ending is too understated to leave much of an impact.

Shorts ranked:

great-

1) "World Record"
2) "Beyond"
3) "Kid's Story"

good-

4) "The Second Renaissance Parts I & II"
5) "Detective Story"

mediocre-

6) "Program"

bad-

7) "Matriculated"
8) "Flight of the Osiris"

Coming into this knowing nothing about it, it actually caught my attention right away
as someone who has watched all of the matrix movies I enjoyed the different aspects/takes on the universe

watched it dubbed and the voice actors are great!

unlike most people, we actually enjoyed the art styles, the old animation was cool to watch, and how the origin always comes back to anime. At moments felt nostalgic

story's were really interesting and even though they had their own meaning it was like the watcher could also spin their own
ideology on the story.

Only complaint was with some of the segments had a really great ... idea going that wasn't properly executed and left a little vacant hole.

if you are a fan of the matrix I recommended this you will probably get some kind of enjoyment out of it.

I'm not going to go through and rate every episode but as whole I give the

Story: 8/10
Soundtracks: 8/10
Animation: 8/10

REVIEW WITH NO SPOILERS

First of all, you need to watch the Matrix movie. Then you can watch this anime.

The show bring us some other stories from the Matrix universe, some of them before the war with the machine (something as a prequel of the Matrix first movie) and other tell parallel stories... but all of them are really interesting.

If you liked as least the first movie, then you'll probably like this. But I should warn you: the animation is pretty bad. Really bad, even if you consider the time it was made.

So, if you're a Matrix and an anime fan, it will worth the bad ... animation, cause the stories are really awesome!

I saw this show when I was 8 and the only thing I could remember was the final episode and how abstract and weird the program for the machine looked. Now as I re-watch it 10 years later it leaves a very big impression on me which is the reason I rated it so high as only few anime can bring my mind to life like this.

The episodes cover a variety of philosophical scenarios from the Matrix world. The application of most of the episodes leaves you wondering if such phenomena could occur in our reality. Each episode felt like it was teaching you ... something emotional about the machines perspective and then they hit you with the final episode where they convince you to feel pity for the machine. All of this adds up to a surreal work of art in my opinion.

Overall, super good if your baked.

It's an odd collection of miscellaneous stories regarding the Matrix universe, all short films. You see a two parter explaining how the Matrix dystopia was reached which is cool. It's tragic, but grand, awesome and dark all at the same time. The other movies are fascinating, playing with different art styles from occasionally famous directors. There's a samurai one which is cool.

Different themes are explored in the short films, some more emotionally impactful than others. One relates to a runner trying to hard to run that he ends up breaking the Matrix. Cool stuff.

There's a badass detective movie as well, alongside a movie which is ... more relaxing, showing a young women/teenager with some young boys playing around in a glitched Matrix area.

I particularly liked the final short film, it grapples with the idea of empathy and how to get AI to have it. The animation is vibrant and beautiful and it's really cool to see how it plays out. The ending is depressing and kinda shit though in my opinion.

The colours and aesthetics are varied, but I always appreciate the neon green that the closing and opening screens in between the movies offers. Matrix colours are sweet.

If you like the Matrix this is definitely worth a watch, it fleshes out the universe more in an interesting and creative way. It's well done, I'd consider it a 7/10.

The Animatrix is significantly better than I expected. The quality of the shorts varies heavily from 4/10s to 9/10s, so I'll go through them one by one.

Don't be driven off by the first short because it's easily the worst.

Final Flight of the Osiris:
This one is easily the worst with dated 3D animation. Besides that, the voice acting and the action is all still fine. It's just very basic and there's not much to say about it. Apparently it's supposed to be a prequel to a Matrix video game if that interests you at all. Still better than Resurrections at least lmao

The Second Renaissance (both parts):
From ... one of the worst to arguably the best. If you're a Matrix fan, this is where you get answers to questions like why the robot uprising happened, why the sky outside seems dark all the time, and why the robots look like weird squid things. And the answer is actually very satisfying. Clean animation and manages to get you pretty invested in seeing the world gradually go to shit.

Program: This one was also very solid. Fun action, good animation, and a compelling plot. All you can really ask for.

World Record: I like this one less on its actual merits and more just because it's insanely cool to watch a guy break the Matrix out of sheer willpower.

Kid's Story: Possibly my favorite. The action is some of the best and it stays very true to the spirit of the original movie.

Beyond: It's good but it doesn't amount to much more besides wooooah glitch in the Matrix. The definition of "mid" imo.

A Detective Story: Another short that I enjoyed purely because the MC is cool and it has Trinity in it.

Matriculated: This one has a compelling story but it's a little less fun to watch.

Final verdict: Watch it if the concept interests you. If you don't really care, you don't have to see it. I think this anthology fits very well in between viewing the first and second movie.

Before you even watch this anime you should probably at least watch the first Matrix movie or ortherwise this might seem like a confusing movie.


Most of the stories were really interesting and were very thematic and had a lot of meanings to them.The sounds were really good especially the music which was unique and different and each one of the epsidoes. The biggest issue was with the consistency of the movie. Some of the episdoes were really good while others were alright but still good.

Overall an enjoyable anime that adds some new details to the world of Matrix. So many words to describe it a ... mix of emotions for me.

I'll make a review on every short, just so people can see if they're interested in just a part of the anthology, instead of watching everything.

Final Flight of the Osiris: 4/10

The weird, out of left field sexual energy of the short was so... strange.

As an introduction to the animated world of The Matrix, "Final Flight of the Osiris" fails on many levels. Choreography is finicky, the voice acting is strangely plain, even if the ideas it presents could be a lot better. Filling the blanks on parts of the films could be okay, as long as you give a good reason for it. Other shorts ... explore the origin story of the whole matrix, others interest you in how anomalies are fixed, or how they affect the rules, ways people wake up from the Matrix. This one just tells us how a bad day goes for people destined to die, no feelings for them, no dilemmas or questions about the world, just a bunch of people you won't care about.

Probably the worst of the bunch, at least comparing with the other ones. However, the others start getting a lot better.

The Second Renaissance Part 1: 10/10

"The Second Renaissance" may just be the reason why you should watch "The Animatrix".

We don't really get characters, just sides. The world is something we know, people filled with vanity, and cruelty towards things they label as inferior. If one of such beings decides they had enough, even if they were created based on human's good behavior, what does it say about us? A constant destruction and genocide against something that can fight back will only result in the eventual end. It's not as if the robots didn't do something terrible at the beginning of their uprise, but the rest, is the sad exaggeration that leads to pure suffering.

I could see this story being told in a long way; film, series, animated, any way it could be conveyed has the potential to be a favorite of the franchise. The origin of the Matrix being this hard hitting and morally questioning isn't something I expected at all. The commentary on humanity, the critique on war itself, the horrors of it; amazing short, being only part 1.

The Second Renaissance Part 2: 10/10

Part 2 and the single best short of "The Animatrix". The horrors of war aren't something that's easily conveyed with sincerity; usually a realistic depiction of the world is needed for it, but not in "The Second Renaissance" ending. You can call it pretentious without meaning, or how it doesn't make much sense, but again, leaving some things unexplained, or up to interpretation don't detract from the imagery. In contrast to the smaller details of how this situation came to be, the big details of how it ends leaves such an impact. The eldritch horrors of how everything eventually crumbles, humanity being used as a mere battery in a symbiotic relationship with those they tried to enslave, become so meaningful in retrospective.

The images that scale aspects that aren't bound by live action are something to marvel at. Animation as a medium allows for things like this to exist, and I love it just for it in general. Are the robots doing something horrifying? Yes, absolutely, but this humanity, in this certain reality, brought this upon themselves. With such a context, how would the movies change? I'll have to check them out, since this information is great for a new perspective on the hero's struggle and how it takes upon a new meaning.

In short, this is the reason you should check out "The Animatrix".

Kid's Story: 9/10

"Kid's Story" is such a ferocious experience. A frame by frame, and what looks like rotoscope animation. The Matrix hangs on the concept that everything you know is a lie, that the world is simply onto your every move, as well as how everything feels like a dream. Everything breaks loose when everybody knows what's going on, and the feeling of the rush perpetuates in every next frame.

Running for your life in the brink of uncertainty, that's the short's intent throughout the rest of the runtime. An accelerated feel of how sloppy everything feels in the presence of adrenaline. Nothing looks quite as it seems, the perception of yourself shifts as nothing matters other than escaping, how would a person feel when everything you knew didn't matter? To be met with the reality of paranoia, of not belonging because there never was something to belong in general.

A perfectly animated experience that thrives in a feeling, accompanied by a good, simple story. I loved "Kid's Story", with the only little problem being a bit of stale voice acting.

Program: 9.4/10

Now, this is a short that works just as its own little thing. The other ones can only work when attached to the franchise, and in contrast, two characters you care about, with a complete build of personality, of likes, dislikes, and love in the middle, as well as the curse of knowledge.

Reality can sometimes be cruel, and sometimes fiction, running away from the truth seems to be easier to do, easier to cope with. Offered with the chance to get away from the constant struggle of an apocalypse, it's hard not to consider letting oneself get consumed in lies. A creative setting to show this particular duel of ideologies, of questions that motivate each of the personal sides.

I love that particular style of animation, with a great choreography, an actual relationship I really care about and ideas that fill me with intrigue. Every element present here shows how the first episode can succeed. No need to fill a gap in an existing narrative, no need for sexuality, just a question with opposing sides.

Amazing short, but I wish that ending wasn't a cop out, I wanted the stakes and the final answer to make a real difference for the characters.

World Record: 8/10

A visual experience, even more than most of the other shorts. "World Record" is a question in story, nothing more, nothing less. What if the limits of your body, are only in your head? A man breaking The Matrix just because he believed he could go even faster than ever. I adore the visuals of going further beyond, of every muscle contracting, getting destroyed against your own will to be more, to achieve more. Not even for the cost of fame, but because you know you can do more than anybody. Extremely motivational if you think about it.

A message, hand in hand with abstract animation that not only needs no words, but shows everything with only visuals. We don't need much more than that, we can only wonder, what is actually the condition to break The Matrix? Is it only belief? Only breaking a mental limit renders the hold of a cosmic horror useless, it really says a lot about us as humans and the power of our minds.

Lovely short, but too simple to be outstanding.

Beyond: 7.5/10

"Beyond" works as a slice of life piece of The Matrix. It feels like a childhood abandoned house, ripe for exploration. Weird rules, the strange feeling of danger, just like a moment of discovery in your own little world. The characters are simple, no complex thinking is needed from them, we just observe how they react to a cool little thing. We see the world with eyes of tranquility, and finally can take a breath from the other high intensity shorts.

I loved the animation, it felt like the episode 4 of those anime with a relaxing atmosphere. We got in the middle of a mystery with some fun visuals and an overarching element of interest that doesn't get evolved. The short told us: "It is what it is" and moved on without much of an impression, but it still felt good to watch it.

No story gained, only a fun little experience.

A Detective Story: 6.7/10

Style over substance; a simple noir story about a simple detective in this weird world. I can't say much about this one, since it doesn't say anything special or interesting. The atmosphere didn't feel intense or relaxing, it was just a middle ground that showed off how they could animate this in black and white, without feeling potentially pretentious, contrary to the other ones that could be seen like so.

I did like the ending part a lot, since it feels like this could've been the introduction of a movie, cut short by the sad reality of how the rules impede it from happening.

Very nice little short, not impressive, yet, stylish and fun to experience/watch.

Matriculated: 6.3/10

I feel as if this short had much more potential to say something. The perspective here is more so on the potential humanity of the machines, limited by the runtime, or what they could do with such a concept. We establish new rules with the previous shorts, rules that really change how important this short is by being the ending of the story. I wish they could've asked more about how they're programmed, or how does the method they use work.

Using the visual medium to inject a psychedelic flair into the story managed to make this a bit more interesting than the other ones, but since it lacks much more than that, it does fall short on what I liked about the rest.

I liked the short, but it was the slowest of the bunch, even with the ending in mind. Maybe a bit anticlimactic from the high quality to drop eventually.


Overall: 7.9/10

Not much of a mixed bag, but a great level of quality around the whole thing. The last two shorts were the most okay of the bunch, leaving it in an anticlimactic way. Doesn't detract from how great, astonishing, and beautiful others were; I recommend this anthology to anybody that likes animated beauty.

One of the most amazing animes ever made! I love it from the beggining to the end... The cyberpunk visuals, the art direction, the stories.... My personal favorites are The Second Renaissance Part 1 & 2, Beyond, Detective Story and A Kid's Story... There are just soooo much interpretations you can make from it.... Many discussions! So much interesting ideas and philosophy behind it, truly a masterpiece!
I highly recommend it for anyone who wants some existencial questions answers, or if you're just a big fan of the first movie, The Matrix. I don't think I've ever saw an anime more cyberpunky than this one. ... Only the most professional japenese artists involved! The Second Renaissance Part 1 & 2 was definitely the story that most impacted me...
Beyond is amazing too, how it shows the girl finding a secret room where all her conversations on her phone are like, recorded... The kids trying to break the bottle, but nothing happens (I noticed the bottle is not even there on the ground, which is a little weird, I think they forgot to draw the bottle).
Thank you, Wachowskis, for making such an spectacular experience!