I'm utterly shocked to hear the Animatrix being talked about as anything less than a masterpiece... It's undoubtedly among the best anime anthologies out there and absolutely the best one I've seen... Each short is so distinct and well made, each has its own point of view and approach and yet they all feel connected because the Matrix as a concept lends itself so nicely to multiple interpretations and iterations making all the diferences in aesthetic and themes easilly explainable and plausible in the context of a reprogrammable digital world... I think that World Record was devastating, The Second Rennaisance was absolutely epic, Beyond (other than the Last Flight of the Osiris and A Kid's Story) feels the most connected to the movies and shows what all the glitches and digital inconsistencies look like to an unaware person which is a pretty interesting perspective given that all the characters in the movies know what's going on...Most of Matriculated visually is surprisingly close to what AI generated images looked like just a few years ago...A Detective Story is just plain old good noir and Program is peak anime in every possible way...
@@eamonndeane587 It's at the very end of my comment :D ... Although it's definitely not my least favourite...I think they're all absolutely brilliant...
There was a window between the release of The Matrix, and when the sequels came out, where there was an explosion of creative storytelling surrounding this world. The comics, essays, and short fiction related to The Matrix that emerged then were phenomenal. The Animatrix was the highlight of this second wave of stories of the Matrix. Possibly my biggest complaint of the Matrix sequels was they marked the complete stop of this creativity. The studio didn't want to fund more Matrix projects, and people lost their passion for telling stories about this world once Reloaded and Revolutions came out.
Great comment, my friend. The problem with Revolutions was that it turned out to be a colossal failure on every level. It grossed 50% less than Reloaded in the US which came out 6 months prior, it had 47 on Metacritic, neither sequel could gather a single Oscar nomination after the first one won 4 out of 4. People who were too young in 2003 can't understand the disappointment around both films when they were released. The Matrix was instantly iconic. The sequels were incredibly hyped. The predominant opinion after Reloaded was that it made the first film null and void, and the third one simply finished what Reloaded started. It felt like the GoT series finale, a conclusion with no wit or satisfaction. Just like GoT, it damaged the brand so much, it was dead for 17-18 years, which was revived by a sequel that was an even bigger bomb. I personally enjoy all when i rewatch the quadrilogy but every time i finish the original i get that inescapable feeling of ''This is about as good as it gets, why did they make sequels only to erase everything in it including choices, motivations, outcomes and victories?'' In any case, The Matrix + The Animatrix will always be an all time favorite combo and we can hope some creative, hungry up-and-commers will take over the baton from the Wachowskis and start a new era in this incredible universe.
One of those whiplash moments for me realizing people have forgotten about the Animatrix. This is pretty much the only exception to the broad statement you can forget the rest of the Matrix IP beyond the the first film (I enjoy the 2nd and 3rd films, but they're nowhere what the 1st film had for impact). My friends and I can still rely on the others to remember most random Animatrix references or topics brought up. Great set of stories, and agreed it could well have been a program picked up for adoption after how well it was received at the time. In the end - And it was good, for a time.
Agreed! And the 2nd Renaissance also made me realize that there would be no outright winning that war for Humanity. So the ending of The Matrix Revolutions made sense to me given the obvious overwhelming power of the Machines.
It really needs to be released on streaming services with each story as a selectable episodes rather than a single watch film like it was on DVDs. I think that would get it noticed again
anime wasnt mainstream like it is now, i never watched this cuz at the time anime was for losers. which is ironic cuz 6 years later i would be properly introduced to anime and actually give it a proper chance and to this day i think its the only creative medium left for story telling even if at this point isekai has consumed the genre too much
I really loved it. I'm such an animation fan so seeing 3D reach the levels it hit, it was jaw on the floor stuff for me. I don't see the uncanny in anything really. I've played far too many earlier 3D computer games and got so used to limited motion capture that it looks fine to me. I especially appreciate the leaps forward like what we see with meta humans from unreal engine right now but it doesn't stop me enjoying what came before.
Even now, 20 years after the movie came out, I still have played a whopping 15 minutes of any Final Fantasy game ever. So the movie itself wasn’t that bad to me when it came out. As a standalone thing, it wasn’t that bad.
In April 1999, I was hired by WB's DVD division and yes worked a little bit on the Matrix's first international release. In 2003, I made a tiny disc that was distributed by Best Buy when Matrix Reloaded went on sale to also sell Animatrix and Revolutions. When I saw Animatrix, it was indeed hands-down my favorite part of the Matrix's legacy. To this day, that is my response to people criticizing the sequels. That said, I knew at the time that if Reloaded was the brain, that Revolutions was the heart of the trilogy. So I love your crafting of these 4 narratives around this franchise I hold in such high regard. Thank you for your kindness and love of this series!!! 😊❤
Wicked City has been one of my fav classic animes for so long. Don't often seen strong male protagonists who aren't teens, unsure of themselves, and such , so it really stood out for me. Incredible anime.
Nice one! Thanks for shining a spotlight on The Animatrix! Oh, and thanks for the Path of Neo shoutout. I worked on that title as a Level, Encounter, Combat, Controls, UI, and Narrative Designer!
Considering I've been a Matrix fan since '99 and have rewatched The Animatrix countless times plus replaying the official and unofficial OSTs almost daily... yeah it impacted me even more than the sequel movies. In my mind The Animatrix is a proper and vital part of the movie franchise, never in a second have I doubted that. Fun trivia: Peter Chung also worked on the animated entry for the Riddick franchise called Dark Fury, he collaborated with Fil Barlow who worked on Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers chronicles among other things! My mind is literally spinning a web trying to connect all my favourite franchises and universes into some coherent mess of random associations! The worlds of Alien, Riddick, SST and The Matrix are very near and dear to me.
THat was interesting to learn, Ima also fan of the anime Ridick episodes. And I've have the Animatrix OST loaded on my all phones since release. Re watched it countless times.
@@ZigUncut Who can forget one of the most imaginative and creative animated series to come from the west in recent times? Now I might be double biased in my opinion by being both a 90s child and growing around european fiction and art but Aeon Flux seems to get far less recognition or even mention than it rightfully deserves!
I loved The Spirits Within when it came out. I watched it on repeat on DVD. Haven't seen it for probably 15 years so it could be terrible, but I have very fond memories of it. Same goes for the Animatrix, particularly Beyond. I found that very moving as a teenage boy, which is saying something.
Ironically, literally just found my DVD copy of the Animatrix, buried in a box I hadn't opened since I moved house! It was second-hand, bought in a charity shop for a pound or two. I remember watching it once, loving it (considerably more so than either sequal). I believe its due a repeat viewing, and this video has sealed the deal😊
I was blown away by the Second Renaissance pt 2. It went so hard, it shocked me to the core and really stuck with me. The rest of it as well, but that one is the one that left the biggest impression.
You're not a weirdo. I saw The Spirits Within 5 times in theaters and ran to the next city over to buy the OST as soon as I was able. Underrated, misunderstood, not appreciated nearly enough! And yes Final Flight of the Osiris was on repeat in my dorm room all through college! These films are incredible! Program has to be my favorite though! Love those capes and deep shadows! 😊😊
I absolutely love the animatrix, my favorite of them all is the animation with the runner ("World Record"). I realy want to find more stuff that creates the same feeling that that animation did. Also, love the psychedelic animation in matriculated, it definetely has inspiration from real life psychedelic experiences!
To me, The Animatrix and Resurrections were peak Sci-fi for their time, they put on the big screen ideas that really only existed in anime and video games. Seeing thousands of sentinels and massive defense ships guarding the machine city was just mind blowing for a big budget Hollywood movie.
There were a couple shorts for Bladerunner: 2049, Blackout of 2022, an animated short, 2036: Nexus Dawn and 2048: Nowhere to Run, live action shorts, prequels to the 2049 film.
I made the interesting choice of watching Animatrix for the first time in my car on my phone while working night security watching an empty field way out in the country. It was completely dark with no electric lights anywhere around, and I just had to sit wand watch some parked tractor equipment that was being stored here over the winter. And I was watching Animatrix, and seeing the earth, blackened and ruined with no sign of life. Then I'd look up and look around me and see a dark, black landscape and dark sky. I got such a chill. The film definitely put me in the right state of mind to be truly creeped out by the dark emptiness.
Alongside Star Wars Visions which I hear has a second series coming along there was also Halo Legends that did this formula for the Halo franchise and I think with much the same success as the Animatrix. So many different styles and mostly forgettable stories with a few exceptions. It definitely deserves a mention as something else using this style of lore building. It even has one telling the history of events in almost exactly the same way as here.
Well this was a pleasant surprise, haven't seen it in years yet many of these clips bring back memories. It was definitely a pioneer in the animated anthology genre and would almost certainly be a major event release if it came out now as a new Netflix show. Shame it doesn't appear alongside the main trilogy more often in discourse or streaming, i guess its probably treated more as a deluxe-edition bonus now than as a main title. I recall there was also a limited comics run around the same time too, i had a couple of graphic novels that were pretty decent and comparable in terms of mythology/narrative.
I have watch the animatrix, likely if not surely more times than I've watched the initial trilogy. This video is so fantastically put, it almost feels as if you were typing the script from my mind haha. Thank you for showing all the people that put their souls into this and thology some of the love and attention that they deserve! Can't wait to see what you do next
Fun video!! Animatrix kinda changed my perception of entertainment and computer generated art in general. The one titled "World Record" in particular has a beautiful aesthetic quality that reminds me of a combination of Reign: The Conqueror, Phantom 2040, and Æon Flux; though I doubt they're related. "Beyond" is my favorite Animatrix short.
I had one really big beef with the Animatrix and it's that it all ended far too quickly. I remember demanding more. I tend to avoid short story type animation for the same reason. If you really get into it, its all over far too soon and it leaves you just wishing this was a series or an entire movie. I guess that's not really a critique of it, wanting more. I enjoyed all of it and watched it over and over. Far more than the actual Matrix movies. It showed that there was a whole world of extra movies, TV shows and games that could have been made around the world of the Matrix. Sadly we never really got much from the games and sequel movies burned some bridges with the enormous fanbase that was building from the first one. BTW I have also enjoyed the other movies and Final Fantasy. I have never met anyone yet that has said they love every single Alien movie but I love them all. So either my standards are just very low or too many people are just far too critical of sci-fi for their own good. I avoid so many review channels because they seem to rely on shitting on everything. I'm looking at you Red Letter Media! And I just want to enjoy my sci-fi, its not like there was that much of it growing up, so you treasured what little you could get hold of.
Oh yeah these were great, solid worldbuilding excercises overall and great The Second Renaissance two parter , Program,World Record, and Detective Story were may favourites
I recently, upon watching Star Wars visions, was quite impressed with it, going, "Ah, so they took a lesson from the Animatrix..." to which, again and again, I'm tragically finding myself having to explain to people what it really was.
Another influence of The Animatrix was Batman: Gotham Knight which came out in 2008. Another WB production, it was clearly inspired by the Animatrix, and was also used to promote a new movie in the series.
Remember staying up super late to catch the early preview showings of a couple of the shorts on mtv and recording them to watch them over and over until the actual release : D
As much as I loved the Animatrix, in particular "Detective Story", I believe that the biggest problem (shared by the comic book anthology) was how little most of these stories impacted the main narrative. "Last Flight of the Osiris" was the intro to the "Enter the Matrix" videogame, but its impact on the game and Matrix Reloaded was pretty minimal. The same can be said for "Kid's Story", which introduced a new character... whose insane feat of getting out of the Matrix on his own is never even mentioned again. Visually, the Animatrix is a great time capsule, showcasing many different styles from the late 90s/early 2000, but as a part of a narrative cohesive narrative universe, I fear they fall quite short.
If we're going to talk about how forgotten the Animatrix has become, I think we have to also consider another branch of the multimedia blitz that I suspect gets talked about even less, the comics and short stories that were originally posted to The Matrix's website and then mostly later collected into graphic novels. They were an even further dive into the Matrix's mythology, which took some unexpected turns at times, such as the story written by Neil Gaiman, Goliath, which featured The Machines having to defend earth from attacking aliens, and sending a human up in a space ship to fight them. Great stuff, but the pop culture footprint these stories have left is probably about the same as those Powerade commercials where an Agent was very concerned that everyone replenish their electrolytes.
When I saw the matrix, my mentality was,"I'm watching a movie." Seeing the animatrix BEFORE the sequels, helped me accept and enjoy the complete story much more than it seemed like many could. It was all very simple, if you watch with the mentality, "I'm watching an anime." many of the issues had with the sequels explain themselves. I remember my dad liking the sequels, but said "I don't like that neo dies at the end." I understand his thoughts, but that wouldn't even be a blip as a story point if it were an anime.
Interesting the parallels between the Animatrix and the Blade Runner 2049 shorts. Both do a remarkable job of flushing out the story without getting in the way, giving a different take on the mythologies. Of course the obvious of 2049 being a very cerebral film (to Reloaded and Revolutions), but actually expanded the ideas of the original without the apparent detractors.
I'm a big fan of The Animatrix. I felt it was artistically varied, oftentimes stunning, charming, interesting, thought provoking and an all round good edition. I liked it better than the 2nd and 3rd movies, and whenever the subject of The Matrix comes up in conversation, I bring this into it. A lot of people, even those old enough to be around at release, don't seem to be aware of it, which is quite the shame.
I remember dismissing animatrix without watching it. Ended up seeing it ten years later and realizing what an idiot I was. Animatrix has a dream-like quality to it that is hard to convey in words. It somehow hacks your emotional state just right. You feel it.
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008) and Star Wars: Visions (2021) and Love, Death and Robots Are The most accurate analogies imho. Great retrospective, as always. I think in general the scope of the Matrix Sequels along with Enter the Matrix and Animatrix is totally underrated. Riddick did something similar only a year later with Chronicles of Riddick, the game Escape from Butcher Bay and the animated short Dark Fury (which came out in 2005 I think). I honestly love that kind of creative exploration of a universe. A true transmedia approach.
Great video essay, man. Although, I think Animatrix inspired and opened the door for all the following animations related to movies. It is the first to try something like that, so the others just followed. Sometimes creators don't recognize their influences.
With Blue Submarine No. 6, don't forget about that soundtrack from The Thrill. Still an amazing ost. addendum: Want some awesome jazz fusion, look up their song Speed Jazz
Animatrix was released theatrically?? I don't remember that at all, I must have missed it, as I would definitely have gone to see it...Never knew that Osiris triggered people's UV, it still looks fine to me. And I would certainly consider Star Wars Visions a spiritual successor to the Animatrix!
FInal Flight of the Osiris was released as a short before the movie "DreamCatcher," I went to see it as a kid for the sole purpose of seeing that short. I think Final Flight was the only one to get a theatrical release.
One of my favorite parts of the whole Matrix universe. The visuals, what it adds to the mythos, the concept of each chapter. Beyond, Kid's Story and Program are my personal faves
One project The Animatrix can be said to directly inspire was 2008's Batman: Gotham Knight. A six short anthology with each segment done by a different anime studio/director. It was (loosely) set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
I enjoyed this, but you left out probably the most interesting parallel. Cyberpunk 2077, had a very bad release, axes many promised and teased features, admittedly released early for money, and spent very little time testing for compatibility of older systems. The game and the company experiences a resurgence in popularity, after the Edgerunners anime released. Many who had not followed the game's troubles (and many patches have occurred) were hungry for more content and the sales have exploded ever since.
Oooh I was really hoping the Ronald Moore Battlestar Galactica was next in the queue. You must be taking your time so you can really do this series some justice. I eagerly Await.
My favorites were World Record, Kid's Story, and The Second Renaissance. I lost my shit when the kid showed up in Reloaded and Revolutions. When he uses the power armor and says "I believe, Neo...." I lost my shit in the theater. I loved how they connected it! Speaking of Star Wars Visions, they just dropped the trailer for Season 2!
Also, Enter the Matrix was great. They filmed new material for Ghost, Niobe, and Trinity. And of course, Sparks, the greatest Operator ever. Just watch those short clips for a little more Matrix!
Great Video Rowan, but I think the "Animatrix" is more influential than you may think. I'm 95% certain that the "Animatrix" influenced "Batman: Gotham Knight," which was an animated anthology series that supposedly bridged the gap between "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight". Also, the animated shorts that are attached to the "Blade Runner: 2049 blu-ray and 4K discs were most likely inspired by the "Animatrix" And, I would also say that "Riddick: Dark Fury" as well the Motion comic vignettes attached to the "Predators" blu-ray discs were inspired by what was accomplished by the Animatrix". I could be wrong. If someone has a different perspective, by all means, please share.
I'm a big fan of The Animatrix and the related soundtrack. I revisit both on a regular basis. But, art is subjective and people will have their varying views and opinions of it. Personally, I think it helps enrich the Matrix universe and I'm glad they pursued using different mediums to try and realise their vision. I always appreciate experimentation, even if it doesn't ultimately work.
The Animatrix can be viewed in a similar way to today's Star Wars Visions series. The sequels to the main films are bad as hell, but such "experiments" show creativity and more quality.
I’m not even a fan of anime and the animatrix absolutely blew me away. It’s such good story telling along with a soundtrack which is marvelous. It fills in a bunch of gaps and I am going to watch it again soon because AI has come a long way since the first time I’ve watched it.
The Animatrix is fantastic, has great stories that really bridge the gaps from first to second movie, and provide a much wider perspective of the Matrix world as a whole Imo The Animatrix is incredibly important to the franchise
I'll be honest, when I watched these back then, some of them didn't make much sense to me. But seeing Kid in Matrix Reloaded after watching that short really felt compelling because when he was talking to Neo, I am sure as hell, many didn't even knew what was going on, but seeing it in the actual story made it feel much more interesting. Regarding animation, I am glad that so many of them stood out. But Final Flight of the Osiris was most technically impressive at that time - while I can't really find info or substudio that worked on it, I am positive that it was Visual Works, nowadays known as Square Enix Image Studio Division (I am surprised how mechanical and functional this name sounds, but hey, their subdivision that made my favorite game is literally called "Creative Buisness Unit 3" so what do I know?). What sets me into "Feels strange" territory is the fact that they pushed for realism instead of stylizing their characters, which worked beautifully in Final Fantasy X - if you doubt, watch their cinematics - even by today's standard they look really nice - you can even compare them to more modern works of ISD such as Kingsglave Final Fantasy XV or cinematic trailer of Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker and while yes, technics are more primitive, stylised approach made then stand close with old designs without looking bad and made them still hold well even for today's standards.
I hate how Warner Brothers have refused to acknowledge its existence. Multiple steelbooks and rereleases of every other movie, but none for The Animatrix.
Another great video man! I always loved the Animatrix and the way it fleshed out the backstory with one-off stories and characters. Great retrospective! As always...
Not really a fan of the matrix series, but I absolutely love the animatrix, and I rewatch it all the time. And I’m will you 100% on The Spirits Within. I adore that film
Only just started the vid so this may be in there but music was by the Technical Itch. One hell of a good producer (I have a friend on his label) and from what I've heard a really nice guy.
0:57 Just a little something off topic, I could use that sentence to describe how I feel about the Star Wars Prequels *and* a large majority of Marvel Phase 4 & 5.
The Animatrix seemed to be a bit unloved and not widely recognised for the amazing work and storytelling, it enriched the legacy and ethos of the Matrix no end. Hurrah for this video and highlighting how incredible the Animatrix is 😊
The Animatrix' most direct legacy is Halo Legends, another animated anthology that was said by its producers that it would never have existed without the Animatrix forging the path first. Star Wars Visions feels to be a direct descendant of both the Animatrix and Halo Legends.
Halo Legends even has an almost direct "rip-off" of the two part Second Renaissance, with its two part Origins, with Cortana outlining the history of the Halo universe, at least as she knows it.
Too bad The Animatrix came so late after Matrix cause it failed to capitialize on the popularity of the first two Matrix movies because by the third and final Matrix movie, filmgoers had already moved on and the Matrix 3 and the Animatrix had failed critically, financially and successfully.
I too have a soft spot for animation from that era and while I find it uneven, I think The Animatrix is a brilliant showcase for why animation is an ideal medium for science fiction storytelling.
The Animatrix is a mixed bag, but they contain some interesting ideas. And at least none of them outstay their welcome, lasting less time than the Architect's speech in Reloaded (OK, that may not be true, but it certainly feels like it)!
Surprised you didn't mention how spiritually connected Animatrix is to the classic run of Matrix comics which were originally free on the official Matrix site. Really good video though, thanks.
The Animatrix is so good in both art styles and stories. I love them so much. The antology and the video game fill out some holes in the story that the movies left out.
I think some people just enjoy finding the holes then pointing to them. I've never really cared. I can accept so much without worrying about it. Finding Nemo had fish that can talk under the water but it had to be pointed out to me that this was absurd. I'm happier not giving a shit and just enjoying the work.
I first rented this from Netflix when they were mailing DVDs. Matriculated would always screw up about 2/3s of the way through. Got another from them, it didnt work either. Bought the DVD of it a couple years later, and again, Matriculated screwed up at same point. I went through at least 5 DVDs trying to finish that short. I still have 3 of them. Didn't get to until I came across it on HBO max a few years ago. It was like a decade long journey to see the last 3 minutes of a short film.
