I’m just going to assume that everyone reading this is familiar with the Matrix. So I won’t get into details about how the films are about a future Earth where machines have taken over and humans are used as an energy source. Or how the human race is kept in this constant dream-like state where their consciousness is in a computer program called the Matrix. Because you all already know everything there is to know about the Matrix, I’ll just get to the real reason you’re here: the Animatrix. What is the Animatrix you might be asking yourself? Well that’s simple. The Animatrix is a series of nine animated short films, done by some of the top directors is the Anime industry.

    The Final Flight of the Osiris is the first of four episodes that were written by the Wachowski brothers, the men responsible for the Matrix movies themselves. If you’ve seen Matrix: Reloaded then you might be a bit familiar with the Osiris. The story here follows the crew of the Osiris who have the great misfortune of running into some sentinels. “Some” might be a bit of an understatement. Try a few thousand. This is the same few thousand that is tunneling down to Zion in the Matrix: Reloaded. Realizing that they are the only ones who know about this, they know that Zion needs to be warned. The animation for Final Flight is all computer done. It’s actually done by Square USA and the director worked on the movie “Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within.” This really shows as the animation is quite similar. Because of the high quality of computer animation in this episode, there are actually times where it can be mistaken for a shot of real life or even a shot from the movies.

    The Second Renaissance episodes will truly stand out for any Matrix fan. Not because of the action or animation (well, maybe because of those), but because what these episodes are all about. They essentially tell the history of the Matrix. If you ever asked how that future came to be, then this is where you’ll find the answer. The renaissance episodes play as if you were in Zion researching your history. Part 1 explains how the machines became outcast to man’s world and how they started their own nation. Man, feeling threatened by this new nation, decides to use a naval blockade in hopes of containing them. Part 1 ends with 01’s request to join the UN being denied and the narrator giving an eerie line of foreshadowing: “But it would not be the last time the machines would take the floor there.”

    Part 2 is all about war: the war between Man and Machine, death and survival. Man becoming desperate to win this war come up with a solution called Dark Storm. Dark Storm was the blackening of the sky so the machines would lose their biggest source of energy, the Sun. But it would be in vain. The bulk of Part 2 are shots of the battles fought. Most are of Machine dominating Man. Of course we already knew that Man lost this war. And with this, Part 2 ends with an all too familiar shot of the power plants that harvest Mans’ energy.

    Kid’s Story stars a small character from the Matrix: Reloaded film and has a cameo by the big man himself, Neo (Keanu Reeves). It begins with The Kid seeking answers to his dismal teen life on the net and meeting Neo. The next day at school, a phone call initiates all kinds of chaos. A great chase scene ensues with the Kid on a skateboard fleeing some Agents. Kid’s Story has got to be the most unique out of all the Animatrix episodes. The drawing has a rough, sketch-like style to it. During the chase scene the characters even get a little deformed, but it all works. Kid’s Story is the first of the two episodes that were directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. Probably best known for his involvement with the “Cowboy Bebop” TV series and movie.

    Program is based around an idea that was had in the first Matrix movie when one of the crew wanted to be put back into the Matrix. It starts off in a feudal Japan setting with a number of riders heading towards one woman on a horse, Cis. After a short engagement and overcoming the riders, Cis is confronted by a member of her crew, Duo. In the midst of their sparring, Duo confesses to Cis that he has made the decision to go back to the Matrix. So basically, the episode is about Cis’s struggle with what she feels is the right thing to do. The environments really stand out in this one. The chase and final fight on the roofs especially. Kawajiri has written and directed several other animes in the past. You might notice a similarity between Program and “Ninja Scroll” (maybe, just a little?), well that’s because “Ninja Scroll” was one of his earlier pieces.

    While all of the episodes are unique, World Record does a fine job of standing above them. The animation is reminiscent of Peter Chung’s work (he’ll come later in the review), but with its own original qualities. It’s a story about a track runner who becomes aware of the Matrix. It revolves around a race, showing scenes from the past days. The flashbacks mainly explain why he wants to run the race. World Record isn’t the most straight-forward stories. Even after several times of watching, I’m still questioning several aspects of the story. The character designs and attire that they are wearing give World Record a sort of futuristic feel to. The ways the Agents are designed also add to this.

    Beyond is one of the more innocent episodes of the Animatrix. It tells that story of a girl who goes in search of her cat. After coming across some kids, she decides to follow them to this “haunted” house. Of course we know this house isn’t haunted, but that the Matrix is malfunctioning in a way. All kinds of bizarre things happen while she searches the house for her cat. One small area is raining, while another has the wind begin to blow newspapers through the walls and floors. You’ll want to watch this episode several times over, not because the storyline is so complex but because there are things that you’ll miss in that “haunted” house the first time through. The animation and artwork in this episode are really exceptional. The use of all those different, bright colors makes all the environments and characters have such feeling.

    The first thing that’ll be noticed about A Detective Story is that it’s in black and white. Don’t let this stray your feelings towards this episode, because it truly is something else. The black and white gives A Detective Story a gritty feel. Designing the city, cars, and music in a vintage gangster style, helps this feeling a whole lot. The story is about a detective who’s having doubts about the business he’s in, boredom and money problems see to this. He’s quick to have a change of mind after getting a phone call about taking a case to find a hacker named Trinity. With some small encouragement from some money, he decides to take the case. So what we have here in the purest sense is an old fashioned detective tale. A Detective Story does a nice job of showing us what it must be like for Trinity and others freed from the Matrix on any given day of the week. While the action is limited, A Detective Story is still entertaining enough to keep viewers happy.

    Without a doubt the most complex and thought provoking of all the episodes, Matriculated will keep you thinking long after the episode is done. It’s done by the man behind greats like “Aeon Flux” and “Alexander.” Matriculated is a somewhat bizarre tale about a group of humans who are trying to make humans join their side of the fight. But instead of reprogramming them or giving them new information, the humans are trying to change the machines “minds.” So we start with a quick scene of two machines chasing a woman to a building. Of course this is just a trap so that the machines can be disabled. Only one of the machines survives the trap and after a short preparation period, the humans are ready to begin. To get the machine to convert, the humans actually plug it into a program, much like they do when they get plugged into the Matrix. A strange series of events led to the finally. One of the machines had dropped a tracking signal before entering the trap, so now another group of machines has found its way. I’ll just stop here before I give away the ending, but it’s something that must be seen for someone to even begin to understand. Within in the program the machine is exposed to some trippy environments, basted in bright, vibrant colors. Matriculated is the longest of all the episodes running about 15 minutes.

    The Animatrix is a series of nine great shorts. Each with its own unique animation and take on the Matrix would, makes it hard to pick out a favorite. With all the references and information about the Matrix, fans of the movies will really enjoy this. Also, with all the different directors and approaches taken on the different episodes, anime fans will really appreciate what fine pieces of animation they have here.