Posted by ChrisMoses at adsl-66-137-225-55.dsl.rcsntx.swbell.net on June 01, 2003 at 04:34:08:
Yeah, I rented it from Blockbuster (work there, it comes out next week). I'd have to say its... ok. Its definitly worth a rental, but I don't know about buying it. To fully understand the Matrix mythos you need to see it though. It explains some things the movie left purposefully vague (to force you to see the Animatrix!) Maybe if you buy everything Matrix (Revisited, Enter the Matrix... anything else) then it wouldn't be a bad addition. Here's the breakdown:
The ones you might have seen:
1. Final Flight of the Osiris
2. Second Raissance Part I
3. " " Part II
4. Detective Story
The New ones:
5. Program
6. Kid's Stroy
7. Beyond
8. World Record
9. Matriculum (or something along those lines)
The one's that you might have seen are the better ones. Here is how I would rate them, and a teeny tiny synopsis:
1. Final Flight - The Square Animation one; the discovery of the sentinels drilling into Zion they mention in the movie.
2. Beyond - A story about a "Haunted House" where people can basically float. I've taken it to be a tear in the Matrix or something. I also think it has something to do with that hallway with doors that lead to everywhere that the keymaker shows Neo.
3. Detective Story - A story about a detective who is paid by the Agents to search for Trinity. Very cool looking animation in this one; everything has a washed out grey tone to it.
4. 2nd Ren. pt. I - The most information necessary to understand the Matrix; explains how humans and robots began to fight, and how it escalated to the Matrix. Kind of drab animation.
5. Part II - See above.
6. Kid's Story - The animation is really cool for this one, looks kind of how Waking Life does, with the wavy, dream-like animation. Explains where that annoying kid who idolizes Neo in Reloaded comes from, and what Neo was talking about whenever he says, "I didn't save you kid, you saved yourself."
7. Program - This one looks like typical Japanese Animation. It is a training simulation (like the one Neo and Morpheus fight in) between a girl and another rebel who wants to leave the Matrix, ala Joe Pantoliano.
8. Matriculum - Very weirdly portrayed story of the rebels (I don't know what else to call them) catching, and persuading sentinels to join their cause through a simulation.
9. World Record - About a man who broke free of the Matrix by pushing himself beyond the physical limits of the world while sprinting some distance in only 8.7 seconds.
If you have any questions, let me know.