Animatrix

Daianara · #1 (**permalink**) 09-26-2006, 03:36 AM

I did a search with the word Animatrix but it didn't return a specific topic for the movie, thus this one!

I saw it recently altough I've had it around for at least 2 years. Don't know, maybe because I was really disappointed in the 2nd part of the movie (still didn't see the 3rd) that I didn't want to watch this. But last week I did and I liked it even more than the movie.
For those who haven't seem it, the Animatrix is made out of a series of cartoons/animes with no connection between one another except that they take place in the Matrix universe.
The first one is mind blowing. Ok, I was kidna tired when I saw it and it took me about 2 minutes to figure out that it's computer made (note the avatar

). The 2nd and 3rd are also amazing, explaing how the war between the machines and the humans began. How true it is. I can actually see that happen.

Other than that I really liked the one with the girl who goes after her cat and find a house where there's an anomaly in the Matrix.
Did anyone else watched/liked it?

Siberys · #2 (**permalink**) 09-26-2006, 04:29 AM

Oh yes, IMO, they were most definitely better than all three Matrix Movies. And I like the in depth coverage of how the humans defeated the solar powered machines, but it backfired when the machine could harvest human life.

Greatest matrix vid I have ever seen, just the greatest.

CFM · #3 (**permalink**) 09-26-2006, 08:30 AM

What a coincidence! I pulled out my copy of The Animatrix DVD just this past weekend to watch again. (I bought a giant LCD projection TV at the end of last year, and I'm slowly re-working my way through my small but prized-possession DVD collection.)

My 2 Cents:

"The Matrix"
It doesn't happen very often: a movie comes out of nowhere, you didn't see it coming, and it blows you away with something you've never seen before. I do not enjoy movies that seem like a video game, with one impossible stunt after another (ala "Jurrasic Park 2", "Van Helsing" and recent "James Bond"). Yet for me, the suspension of disbelief was there with "The Matrix", because what they can do fits within the context of the reality the story takes place in.

Many movies and shows are really great at introducing a mystery, but the answer to the mystery is rarely as good as the mystery itself, if there even is an answer ("X-Files" comes to mind). But the answer to the mystery "What is the Matrix?" was as unique of a movie-going experience as I can ever remember having. It introduced a modern day digital superhero mythology that I hope hasn't ended with the last movie.

We all have a list of great movie-going experiences. For me, "The Matrix" was definitely one of them.

"The Animatrix"
I saw "Final Flight of the Osiris" in the theater months before "Reloaded" was released, in front of a really bad Stephen King movie. I watched it again this weekend, using a 5.1 home theater turned up LOUD. It blows me away everytime I watch it. It's a great prologue to Reloaded.

Both parts 1 & 2 of the "Second Renaissance" documentary were amazing. I found them intense and horrifying, especially when you know how it ends.

Some of the nine Animatrix shorts I liked more than others, but they were all unique (or I just don't stumble upon enough anime). They all tied into the movies well, either directly (like how the kid in "Kid's Story" appears in both sequels) or by introducing a concept having to do with the Matrix mythology.

For example, "Beyond" introduces the concept of the Matrix as being a sort of 'haunted' or 'magical' place. As a group of kids discover the 'magic' of the local neighborhood haunted house, one kids swan-dives off a ledge. He should end up flat on his face with a broken nose. But because that 'area' of the Matrix is 'bugged', the kid 'magically' floats just above the ground. Yet his nose bleeds, because the programmed logic of the Matrix's physics dictates that he *should* have fallen flat on his face. Simply genious, imo.

Reloaded:
Great fun, expanded the mythology, continued to show us things I've never seen before in a movie as the first one did. Among other things, that highway chase scene was amazing (although, I still liked the last 30 minutes of The Road Warrior more, for some reason).

Revolutions:
Honestly... I've NEVER left a theater before, scatching my head unsure of whether or not I liked a movie. Never. I guess the unique experience that is The Matrix continues on. (For the record, I'm still not sure.)

Daianara · #4 (**permalink**) 09-26-2006, 08:57 AM

Quote:

in front of a really bad Stephen King movie.

Isn't that a pleonasm?

Quote:

Yet his nose bleeds, because the programmed logic of the Matrix's physics dictates that he *should* have fallen flat on his face.

Yes, that was a great touch! Interesting how he was just bleeding, without (IMO) feeling any pain.
I forgot what Kid Story was about (bad memory when it comes to names)...if you can refresh my memory.

Btw, what did you think of the one where they try to turn a machine over to the human side? Nice twist!

CFM · #5 (**permalink**) 09-27-2006, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daianara

Isn't that a pleonasm?

Ah yes. (*closing dictionary.com*) Although I did like "The Green Mile".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daianara

Yes, that was a great touch! Interesting how he was just bleeding, without (IMO) feeling any pain.

Yeah, that haunted house was definitely full of 'bugs'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daianara

I forgot what Kid Story was about (bad memory when it comes to names)...if you can refresh my memory.

I think it was the one with the highschool kid, riding his skateboard around, disobeying the faculity's authority because he thinks there's something wrong with the world... he attempts suicide, but is 'saved'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daianara

Btw, what did you think of the one where they try to turn a machine over to the human side? Nice twist!

I can't really remember that one too well, I'll have to check it out again. It's been awhile, I only had a chance to watch a couple of them this past weekend ("Osiris" is my favorite for sure... the opening segment is ~hot~.)

Daianara · #6 (**permalink**) 09-28-2006, 07:58 AM

Green Mile? The movie with Tom Hanks and that really tall black dude who could heal people? Hmm, didn't know it was made after a Stephen King book.
I think Kid Story is the last one, so I didn't get to see it yet (just the begining). I stopped after the stupid one with the athlet. Hope I'll get to see it soon. From what I remember, I didn't really like the way it was drawn.
Also the one in black&whit, Max Payne style was pretty cool.