Anybody out there enjoy the Animatrix?

I did. In fact, I eagerly anticipated the DVD release of this heaping helping of Matrix-related anime short films as much as The Matrix Reloaded.

If Akira helped usher in a new generation of anime fans, then hopefully, the Animatrix will do as much especially since The Matrix is so much a fusion of American comics, anime, and Hong Kong Wire-Kung Fu action.

While not all nine of the short films can be said to be brilliant, they're nonetheless, fun to watch. Some have direct links to the Matrix movies (The Final Flight of the Osiris, The Second Renaissance Parts I & II, and Kid's Story), but part of the beauty of these short films is that you can enjoy them on their own.

The best of the lot is "The Final Flight of the Osiris." (Did they really show this before that dreadful Dreamcatcher movie?) Directed by Andy Jones with CG animation by Square Pictures USA (the same crew that brought us Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within), this 9-minuter introduces us to some pretty fascinating characters, Thadeus and Jue (Joanne). In fact, Jue's aerial maneuvers in the matrix is much better than anything Trinity has done in the first two films. Too bad she had to bite the dust.

The Renaissance stuff was very much interesting, providing much needed background info on the war between man and machine. The plot is so much more interesting, frightening and plausible than the Terminator movies. Directed by Mahiro Maeda, of Blue Submarine 6 fame, the Renaissance films are disturbing for their violence which lend an eerie realism to the news reel footage type story.

Other stuff I enjoyed: Beyond (which is pretty unusual) and Program.

I urge people to get the DVD version as opposed to the VCD (well I know its cheaper) because of the extras such as the History of Anime and the various behind the scenes stuff. They didn't even release a VCD version in America, dito lang meron.

But each to his own, right.

So are there any Animatrix fans out there?

the 1st part was fun!
the rest that followed were weak...
i was hoping it would be all in 3d,
turns out it only lasted for about 30 mins...
all in all, its an ok flick...

I liked it, the first segment was as good as it gets, production values and character design were comparable with the best CGI movies or videogames that came out.The Jue character design was just right in terms of not making her too beautiful, unlike the girls in the Dead or Alive (DOA) or FinalFantasy games.

The Renaissance episodes were also interesting. Touches of Akira, PATLABOR and Ghost in the Shell were evident. great details in the designs.

Haven't gotten to the other parts yet,

it would have been great had every short film on the DVD been rendered by Square Pictures but that's the beauty about different interpretations. some are great, some good while others downright suck. just like tribute albums.

I'm hoping we get to see more crew other than the Neb and the Osiris. There are quite a lot featured in Matrix Reloaded but I'm pretty sure that we'll get around to seeing some untold tales of different crews down the line.
:cool:

nice nga yung first part. I thought CGI animation na lahat... yun pala yung osiris lang. :confused: anyway maganda yung animatrix because it tells us the history of the matrix..