THE ANIMATRIX

Sometime in the distant future, the human race has been subjugated by machines. Using a program called "The Matrix", these intelligent robots have linked human minds to a virtual world.  The human race goes on about its business, never realizing that they are nothing more than living batteries.

In the war against the machines, there are many people with many different stories.  Some have tales of woe, while others have tales of adventure.  Some cover the events of the past, while others may decide the future of all humanity.

Now, the Animatrix has you, and it will show you how different and complex the world of wonderland can be. 

THE SECOND RENAISSANCE--PART I: (Written and directed by Mahiro Maeda) (Story by Larry and Andy Wachowski)

Oh man, this is scary.  Not in a visual way (although there are some disturbing images), but in a "mirror of the world" way.

Like Gasaraki, they took familiar images from history (Vietnam, Tianimen Square, the Holocaust) and modified them to show us how horrible the human race can be, even though the atrocities committed were against robots.  This segment, along with part two, finally answers the statement Morpheus made in the first movie "We don't know who started it..."

In the "shoot em' up" category, there is not a lot of action.  There is plenty of violence against both man and machine, and it's very graphic.  This is not one for the kids to watch.  The animation is nothing groundbreaking, but the CG and the cell animation blend well together. 

THE SECOND RENAISSANCE--PART 2:  (Written and directed by Mahiro Maeda) (Story by Larry and Andy Wachowski)

While Part 1 was disturbing, this one is just plain violent.  You see the finial battle between humankind and machines.  We see how we darkened the sky.  We learn how the machines came to use "man" to power their weapons. It's very easy to see how this story parallels the world today.  Told documentary style, this is the end of the world according to the book of Wachaowski.  

One of the things I found ironic was human kind had set aside their differences to fight the "robotic menace". There are many scenes of people from different religions worshiping on the day of battle.  Unfortunately, this unity came too little too late.

A lot more CG animation used in this one, with the designs from "The Matrix" used to frightening effect.  This episode proves the adage "You can do things in Anime that would cost millions to do live." There is a level of scale that not even "The Matrix" could reach.  

WORLD RECORD: (Director: Takeshi Koike) (Written by Yoshiaki Kawajiri)

Dan is not just a runner, he is the fastest  man alive.  That is until he is accused of using drugs, and his title is revoked.  Trying to prove himself, Dan attempts to push his body to the limit.  His comeback has come under close scrutiny of the agents, guardians of "The Matrix".  If he succeeds, Dan may be able to break through to the other side.

Unless you have seen Takeshi Koike's other work (the opening for the "Party 7" move or the video series "Grasshoppa"), his unique style may throw off a lot of anime fans off.  The dark, solid colors lack the warmth seen in other anime.  Personally, this one is my least favorite. Along with the animation, the story is rather dull. 

BEYOND: (Written and directed by Koji Morimoto)

Yoko's cat Yuki is missing.  While looking for her pet, she comes across a group of kids who tell her that the cat went into the haunted house down the street.  While there, she encounters bizarre things she can not understand.  She must hurry.  Agents are on their way to fix the problem, and they don't want any witnesses.

If you want an idea of what life in Japan is like, Beyond is your anime.  Despite the SF trappings, Japan is very much like the country portrayed here, fast, crowded, and hip.  You have a rather apathetic 19 year old, who's life is dictated by trends. There are the kids who do what they want, and not worry about the consequences.  Upon discovery of this strange house, it becomes a game, a novelty.  It isn't until the Agents arrive that Yoko learns that there is more to life than her limited view.  "Beyond" is an interesting indictment on the current state of Japanese youth.

It's fitting that the same team what worked on the animated version of the Glay song "Survival" did the "Beyond" segment.  Like this story, the video centered on an apathetic teenager, who's world is turned upside down by the discovery that there is more to her "reality" then she knows.  While I don't like the rough features of Koji Morimoto's characters, there is no denying his talent as a director and writer.

Personally, this is one episode that works better in Japanese than English.  Maybe it's the setting, or the fact that the characters are Japanese, but the way they speak in Japanese seems more natural.

KID'S STORY: (Written and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe) (Story by Larry and Andy Wachowski)

Kid has trouble fitting in.  He feels like he is trapped in a world that does not seem real.  When a call from Neo shows him "the truth in his fiction", his very life is on the line.

This is not a typical looking anime, despite it being made by Shinichiro Watanabe of "Cowboy Bebop" fame.  It reminds me a lot of "Heavy Metal", with it's rotoscopic looking animation style and almost liquid motion.  Like "Finial Flight of the Osiris" this story sets up the character of "The Kid", whom I presume to have a major part in "The Matrix Revolutions".  In "Reloaded" it was pretty small (i.e. lame).

A DETECTIVE STORY: (Written and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe)

Ash is a down on his luck private detective.  Tired of working for jealous husbands, he is ready to quit.  That is until a mysterious client hires him to find a well known cyber hacker named "Trinity".  Hot on her trail, Ash may not make it out of this case alive.

This one feels a lot more like Shinichiro Watanabe's international cult phenomena, "Cowboy Bebop".  Like Spike, you have Ash, who is just one step away from poverty.  Once again, a woman in tight leather puts our hero in jeopardy.  Like "Bebop", this one is very stylish, and very cool.  Unlike "Bebop" the black and white animation brings it closer to a true "film noir" anime than any Bebop episode.

This one also uses some interesting techniques. For one thing, they used real backgrounds instead of painted ones.  The "manga style" of the animation is a refreshing change, and the actual character designs are more "realistic" than any other "Animatrix" segment.  I don't count  "Finial Flight" because it's 100% CG. 

PROGRAM: (Written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri)

A different take on "simulation" training, we have Cis, a lone warrior practicing against Samurai in feudal Japan.  When another warrior named Duo arrives, he gives her an offer she may not be able to refuse.

This is a beautiful looking anime. The level of detail is fantastic, and the animation was breath taking. However, if you are looking for the visceral thrills typically found in Kawajiri animation (Wicked City, Ninja Scroll) you may be disappointed.

This one is pretty brief, but it packs quite a lot of power.

MATRICULATED: (Written and directed by Peter Chung)

A team of humans has been working on a way to convince "Sentinels" to fight on the sides of the humans.  By entering directly into the mind of the machine, the 6 of them attempt to convince it that man and machines should work together.

Very surreal, very counterculture.  Weather your are referring to "Matriculated" or "Aeon Flux", those two adjectives could only describe Peter Chung's work.

Matriculated is the most surreal of all the segments, with it's bright colorful imagery, shifting and liquid CG animation, and its unique take on the whole "mind of man and machine" theme presented in "The Second Renaissance".  The ending will leave many pondering the message presented.

FINIAL FLIGHT OF THE OSIRIS: (Director: Andy Jones) (Written by Larry and Andy Wachowski)

This segment is a setup for "The Matrix Reloaded", with a "gee wiz, look at her bootie" fight to eat up time.  You learn nothing about the characters except that Jue and the captain like to play "Strip Sword Fighting" and are hot and heavy for each other.  Unfortunately, if you have seen "The Matrix Reloaded", you already know how it's going to end. That and the title "FINAL FLIGHT of the Osiris" is a dead give away.

This short looks great, better than Square Pictures own "Finial Fantasy" movie.  The motion is smoother, and the characters look more real than they did in FF. It's a shame that Square Pictures is no longer with us. This movie shows what they could have done. If they had picked a game like "Parasite Eve" instead of "Finial Fantasy" for their first endeavor, I think they would still be around. In a way it's ironic that the only two things made by Square Pictures had "Finial" in the title. Perhaps that was an unwise move since the "Finial Flight" short wound up being the "finial" thing they made.