Animatrix ~ Review

[Straylight]

The Animatrix – Review by djnoz

The Animatrix is a DVD release that I have purchased. It consists of 7 short stories presented in anime form. These stories help fill things out by improving the viewer’s understanding of the Matrix universe. The ‘shorts’ are done by several different anime directors. Consequently the styles vary greatly. In this review I assume a reasonable amount of Matrix knowledge.

~~Beware… this review is laden with spoilers!~~

I am going to review each short story separately in the order that they appear on the disc. Do note that the disc is rated 15 BBFC (British Board of Film Censors) – there is some content on here not suitable for anyone under the age of 15. I think they should up it to 18. More on this later.

1. The Final Flight of the Osiris – SQUARE

Summary ~ “The Osirisâ€

[Stephen]

Nice review...too bad one episode is so raunchy...they all come on one dvd...so I guess I wont be buying it...what a shame. Oh well. :rolls_eye

[madphilb]

DJ, you beat me to it... I was just sitting down to write the review for the Animatrix, I had pulled up the CAA boards to borrow the format for some of the previous reviews (as an aid) and found this review as one of the new messages.

Oh well, you did a great job.

It is a shame that the 2nd and 3rd "vissions" on the disk had to ruin it... I too decided after a rental that I most likely won't buy it, or at least I won't be paying the normal full price (if I can pick it up used in good condition for, say, $5... then maybe).

I'd like to add a few things if I may...

1) You can view all of the different anime movies seperatly (that's how I did it, over a couple of days)... so you can opt to not watch the offending ones at all.

2) There are some other stuff on the DVD which was kind of interesting, including the directors comentary and a mini-documantary about Anime and Manga.

Well, i guess I'll just go read the rest of the new messages now...

Again, good job on the review

PHIL

[ShiroiHikari]

Good review Noz...screenshots and everything

Anyway...I might rent it, but I dunno, I haven't rented anything in a year or so. o__o

[Gypsy]

Excellent review, Djnoz!

[Christianotaku]

the violence might be ugly but it shows the reality of what happened. the same as jesus dying o nthe cross. it was gory it was gruesome but its the truth..........

[Gypsy]

Yes, violence is ugly, and is used in stories to show certain points - most of the time. But, most people find disturbing amounts of violence and blood greusome. That is why it is included in warnings for reviews. And seeing animated machines ripping a human's face off has nothing to do with Jesus dying on the cross.

[Straylight]

If you want to watch the Second Renaissance, it will really shock you, so don't say I didn't warn you :/

[Stephen]

I personaly think the nasty content is for 2 reasons.
1. Shock value
2.The pervs got money, its why the porn industry is a multi-million dollar game.

Personaly, I could care less about the Animatrix....I might watch a few of the clean ones...but I will never buy it now. I don't want my money to support it. Just my take.

[funnyvalentine]

i really didn't think it was that gruesome...at all...of coarse if blood bothers you then you shouldn't watch it.

[Straylight]

Did you watch all of the Second Renaissance?
I found it really disturbing.. the episodes are worth an 18 rating on their own I reckon. The gut reactions have been pretty shocking on some of the secular anime forums I visit too. Many people were really freaked out by it

[Saint]

if you are a Matrix fan i would say you should see atleast some of them. i totally agree about the "history" ones. i believe the directors were aiming to show the dark side of man and history. and they show a bunch of stuff that is horrible. it isn't something to recomend.

i would say the rest are all right. some are great i love "beyond" and "a detective story." i really enjoy the different styles as well and personally i like the "rough" style that is used for "a kid's story." its fun to watch, its like it flows..

if you could get the dvd and only watch the better ones i would go along with that.

[funnyvalentine]

hmm...maybe i should see it again...i remember it being gory, but nothing that trully disturbed me.
Anyway i think me and Saint have the same tastes...i really liked "beyond" and "detective story" too. Detective story reminded me alot of cowboy bebop except it was in black and white. Which i thought was cool because it was different, but color would have been nice. "Beyond" was the most "traditionally" styled anime(from the guy that made ninja scroll), and i liked the story. "kids story" was a really original, or at least really old style of animation. I liked that one too, and if you've seen Matrix Reloaded, it's about that kid in it. So i thought it was neat how it tied in. I wasn't too crazy about the other ones though.

[BrianC]

I haven't seen all of the Animatrix, but I couldn't get myself to watch much of Second Renaissinance. The disturbing content sounds like too much for me.

I downloaded Detective Story from the official website http://www.intothematrix.com and I loved it. IMO, It's Definatly worth checking out, especially if you like Cowboy Bebop.

[webranger7]

You are absulutely right. When I watched it , I was grossed out. I fast fowarded past the whole Renaissinance sequence. And yes, how can blood and gore depict Jesuss death on the cross. It only show's how sinful and evil the world can be. I'm with you bro.

[Benu]

Really i didn't think the Second Renaissinance was really that bad. If you've seen Arika and was able to handle it I think you can handle the Second Renaissinance. But i really didn't think the Animatrix was really that great but what else can I say about an american anime production I really think the whole thing was missing that special feeling that makes anime, anime. But if you don't know what anime is or don't know how bad anime gets run away fast from the animatrix. I was shocked to find out that my Pastor got the animatrix (knowing that most of the people in my church think anime is Pokemon or Dragon Ball or Porn) his son told me they turned it off after the first five mintues of the first short and he told me "Why does all anime have to be porn?" so that has left a bad mark on anime for my pastor. But I think there were enough warings on the dvd and video that this is a rated R movie.

[Technomancer]

Personally, I thought that the Second Renaissance told a good story. I'll admit the "face-ripping" was perhaps gorier than it needed to be for the purposes of the narrative, but it was only a small part of the film. When you get down to it though, there are worse things shown on the evening news. I did enjoy the Animatrix as a whole (especially the "haunted house" film).

I think a lot of people's negative reaction to anime stems from their attitute towards animation as a whole. We see violence or sexuality in the movies and for most people it's par for the course. However, the assumption in North America is that animation is essentially for children. Scenes that would not raise many eyebrows in live action cinema, suddenly are perceived as wrong because they're now intruding on something many people associate with childhood

[Straylight]

I think a lot of people's negative reaction to anime stems from their attitute towards animation as a whole. We see violence or sexuality in the movies and for most people it's par for the course. However, the assumption in North America is that animation is essentially for children. Scenes that would not raise many eyebrows in live action cinema, suddenly are perceived as wrong because they're now intruding on something many people associate with childhood

I think you hit the nail right on the head there, technomancer.

And I'd agree the Second Renaissance tells a good story, I just think the medium was wrong -- via the use of disturbingly detailed violence. That's why I have a real problem with those episodes.

[madphilb]

And I'd agree the Second Renaissance tells a good story, I just think the medium was wrong -- via the use of disturbingly detailed violence. That's why I have a real problem with those episodes.

Honestly, the opening bit of Osiris and both of the Second Renaissance pieces set the whole rest of the DVD in a negitive tone for me. Even watching the DVD in two sittings didn't seem to help. Maybe it's partially because the whole world of the Matrix is a bit of a downer, the shorts aren't exaclty happy comedies or anything

PHIL

[SMoonEmpress]

Hey guys-
I watched Animatrix at a party a few weeks ago and never had a chance to post my reactions. Really, I enjoyed the dvd, and although I did feel "Second Renaissance" was a bit, err, strong, I felt it was a nice addition to the story of the Matrix as a whole.

Just a quick note, though. The name of that one episode is not "A Kid's Story". It's "Kid's Story". Kid is a character in the second Matrix movie (Matrix Reloaded). You see him following Neo around and he keeps asking Neo if he can go with him. The episode on Animatrix served as a sort of introduction and view into his past. For me, "Kid's Story" was my favorite episode. I thought it was very neat how as he started to "wake up" the real world around him fell apart. So cool!

So yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the Animatrix, but I was also a bit disturbed by "Second Renaissance". I do recommend it, though, especially to fellow Matrix fans.

[kriz182]

Animatrix ROCKS! love every minute of it!!

really! i'm wondering why some of you are so bothered about the "Second Renaissance", it's really not that bad at all...especially if you claim yourself anime fans. Because that's just the way animes describe things and telling story, we're not talking about Nikelodeon or TNT cartoons here...the story is all about the machines conquering human world merely because of human carelessness. And it has to be gore and bloody to stressed the story and to give a strong impression to the storyline. What kind of conquer if there isn't any blood spilled? What if a film of Jesus' crucifixion uses no blood and violence? D'uh...

if we tried to look deeper behind the concept, i think it's absolutely okay to use explicit scenes (language, violence, sex) for the sake of the storyline and the real messages. The explicit scenes are wrong when people start to focus on them instead of the story. That's what American cartoons - such as: Looney Toons- are all about, meaningless "funny" violence.

Bad or not bad, negative or positive, disturbing or not disturbing, i think that's up to our interpretation and point of view and we should be mature enough to learn the positive lessons out of it. ^^

[madphilb]

I got this vague Deja-Vu feeling like we've ridden this train before... hmmm.

PHIL

[Ashley]

What if a film of Jesus' crucifixion uses no blood and violence? D'uh...

Violence that is done to show what truly happened to a man, and to convey the Truth needs no justification. Violence in anything else is pretty much worthless. Sure, some of it can have a place in say, a war movie, but even then more than half the time it's questionable. But this kind of bloody fest deserves no comparison to the Bible. We've had things like NGE compared over and over ad nauseum to the biblical "violence" and the truth is, you really can't compare it. That would be trying to put anime on the same level as the Bible, which is a dangerous practice.

[kriz182]

Violence that is done to show what truly happened to a man

well...in this case, the violence in second reinasance is truly happened because that was the story. that was the plot. and that was the truth...at least the truth in the matrix world.

That would be trying to put anime on the same level as the Bible, which is a dangerous practice.

hahaha of course I know that the bible is uncomparable to those fictional anime story. What I did was trying to give an extreme example on how we just can't blame every violence scene in every movie. I think we're mature enough to look deeper behind the storyline and the messages rather than focusing on the explicit scenes. Anyone who compares NGE to the Bible is really a person who doesnt understand Christianity right and doesn't understand the film right.

i'm still a newbie here, so i don't know whether argumentations are acceptable in this board. If anyone got offended, than I apologize...but I really had to say my thoughts.

[Stephen]

Hey Kriz...I know what your trying to say...what Ash was saying was that its not really fair to compare the violence of Jesus dieing on a cross to gore in an anime....thats all.

"we just can't blame every violence scene in every movie" I agree with you...and we don't blame anime, or bash them, or anything else for violence...we simply warn. We warn in reviews of content so a 12 year old member does not convince a naive parent to buy them a DVD that has a face being tore off...see what I mean? Personaly, violence does not bother me...but I will warn of it in anime for others. Keep in mind, people have different convictions about violence, and some people just plain don't like to watch it...(makes em queezy). We warn in reviews not to run an anime down...but so that people can use this site as a place to know if an anime is safe to watch for them, or there children. As for arguements...I don't think you really argued...you just stated your opinion...as far as debating...no we don't really like that because it just ends in people with hurt feelings....anyway, I hope this clears things up...nobodys mad at you or anything...were glad to see ya posting around.

[Christianotaku]

WAR is violent is scary. the matrix is a story. a story of what could happen in the future of mankind if god didnt exist. and just like a history story it is very realistic. I compare the second renasaince to saving private ryan or any other movie. it has the violence of the story
of something that really appened. now in the matrix world which could be viewed as a alternate universe that stuff really happened. so what good is showing not showifn what actaully happened

[Ashley]

For the last time regardless of the justification of a war movie or whatever, the violence is in there. Period. That's all we were saying. Not "watch this" or "don't watch this", just "hey this is what's in this". I'm sick to death of people saying "well it's a war movie" or "It's realistic" or whatever...the point is it's in there, and people have to know about it to be a fair review.

[DarkLight]

I apologize if I am digging up an old thread, but concerning the Animatrix, I would have to agree with you for the most part.

The Second Renaissance did seem a bit unnecessarily violent and gory, although, I was able to endure it solely because the plot was interesting . . .

I actually listened to the commentary for the Animatrix on the DVD (which I borrowed from a friend), and it seems that the directors who made the Second Renaissance were actually hesitant and worried about the amount of violence and gore. They actually were considering toning down the gore, and it can be noted that a lot of the most violent scenes are done in black and white . . .

In the end though, they decided to keep the gore specifically to elicit a disgusted response from the audience and show that violence and war are not pretty or to be glorified. Essentially another social commentary, as to the way media and even anime can glorify violence and war . . . like how a lot of anime characters seem to get away with mass murder while looking cool . . . or the way CNN presented the Iraq war . . .

Sorry, I think I should avoid that controversial subject . . . please ignore the last statement.

[Bobtheduck]

I have to agree with the second rennaisance, but Animatrix is an anthology made by like 4 or 5 different creators... So I would definately buy the disc for the other anime... And the violence doesn't bug me, it was what was looked to be rape (even though it wasn't at the end) that really turned me off on it...

And for Benu, I'd really like to talk to your pastor... but then he'd probably just blow up at me like most people with that mindset do... But I am pretty sick of people saying anime is all porn... I say that is a lie, and a bigoted statement... It just makes me mad (although if it weren't for this forum, in any otehr forum I'd use different wording as I would with my Chrsitian friends...)

[majanthehun]

well i finally talked myself into renting it (i was wavering) and i must post my opinion.

i loved the final flight of the osiris... it was wonderfully real while still maintaining the anime feel.

per your advice (thank you all) i didn't bother watching the second renissance.

i have to say kid's story was my favorite... i loved the sketchiness of it... it added to the story instead of being confusing.

the rest of the movie was good. i loved the "old school" overtones of program and beyond was really cute.

i didn't like the style of world record, so oh well. a dectecive story had great style and story.

im going to watch matriculated again right now... my mom came home at the same time it was on so i was watching my moms reaction instead of the actual short... she said you'd have to be on half a head of acid to understand it (whatever that means).

all in all, if you can skip through the second renissance, its a good flik.

sorry for repeating everythig that everyone else has said, but i just had to get my two cents in.