The Animatrix (2003)

Directors:

Peter Chung
Andy Jones
(more)

Writers:

Andy Wachowski (screenplay) &
Lana Wachowski (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 June 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Animation | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The Animatrix is a collection of several animated short films, detailing the backstory of the "Matrix" universe, and the original war between man and machines which led to the creation of the Matrix.

Plot Keywords:

The Matrix | Simulation | Samurai | Anime | Sequel

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Akio Ôtsuka	...	Thadeus (voice)
Clayton Watson	...	Michael Karl Popper AKA The Kid (segment "Kid's Story") (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pamela Adlon	...	Jue (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris") / Manabu (segment "Beyond") (voice)
Hedy Burress	...	Cis (segment "Program") / Yoko (segment "Beyond") (voice)
Terrence 'T.C.' Carson	...	Clarence (voice) (as T.C. Carson)
Melinda Clarke	...	Alexa (segment "Matriculated") (voice)
Olivia d'Abo	...	Rox (segment "Matriculated") (voice)
Dane A. Davis	...	01 Versatran Spokesman (segment "The Second Renaissance, Part II") (voice)
William R. Dean	...	Additional Voices (voice)
John DeMita	...	Teacher (segment "Kid's Story") (voice)
Debi Derryberry	...	Kid (segment "The Second Renaissance, Part II") (voice)
John Di Maggio	...	Crew Man (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris") / Kaiser (segment "Program") (voice)
Alex Fernandez	...	Tom (segment "World Record") (voice)
Jack Fletcher	...	Townsperson (segment "Beyond") / Sandro (segment "Matriculated") (voice)
Julia Fletcher	...	The Instructor (segments "The Second Renaissance, Parts I&II") / Narrator (segment "World Record") / Townsperson (segment "Beyond") (voice)
Bette Ford	...	Old Woman (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris") (voice)
Rick Gomez	...	Pilot (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris") (voice)
Tom Kenny	...	Operator (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris") (voice)
Phil LaMarr	...	Duo (segment "Program") (voice)
Tress MacNeille	...	Housewife / Kenny (segment "Beyond") (voice)
Matt McKenzie	...	Agent #1 (segment "World Record") / Agent (segments "Beyond" and "A Detective Story") (voice)
Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Trinity (segments "Kid's Story" and "A Detective Story") (voice)
Keanu Reeves	...	Neo (segment "Kid's Story") (voice)
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Thadeus (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris") / Cop (segment "Kid's Story") / Agent #2 (segment "World Record") (voice)
Rodney Saulsberry	...	Chyron (segment "Matriculated") (voice)
Dwight Schultz	...	Townspeople, Policeman, Exterminators (segment "Beyond") / Nonaka (segment "Matriculated") / Additional voice (segments "The Second Renaissance, Part I&II") (voice)
Allison Smith	...	Reporter (segment "World Record") (voice)
Kath Soucie	...	Pudgy / Masa / Sara (segment "Beyond") (voice)
Tara Strong	...	Crew Woman (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris") / Nurse (segment "World Record") / Misha (segment "Beyond") (voice)
Jill Talley	...	Mother / Additional voice (segments "The Second Renaissance, Parts I&II") / Townsperson (segment "Beyond") (voice)
James Arnold Taylor	...	Additional voice (segments "The Second Renaissance, Parts I&II") / Miscellaneous (segment "Kid's Story") / Ash (segment "A Detective Story") / Raul (segment "Matriculated") (voice)
John Wesley	...	Dan's Dad (segment "World Record") (voice)
Victor Williams	...	Dan (segment "World Record") (voice)

Directed by
Peter Chung		(segment "Matriculated")
Andy Jones		(segment "Final Flight of the Osiris")
Yoshiaki Kawajiri		(segment "Program")
Takeshi Koike		(segment "World Record")
Mahiro Maeda		(segments "The Second Renaissance Part I" and "The Second Renaissance Part II")
Kôji Morimoto		(segment "Beyond") (as Koji Morimoto)
Shinichirô Watanabe		(segments "Kid's Story" and "A Detective Story")

Writing credits
Andy Wachowski		(screenplay "The Matrix") (as The Wachowski Brothers) &
Lana Wachowski		(screenplay "The Matrix") (as The Wachowski Brothers)
Andy Wachowski		(written by) (segments "The Final Flight of the Osiris", "The Second Renaissance Part I", "The Second Renaissance Part II" and "Kid's Story") &
Lana Wachowski		(written by) (segments "The Final Flight of the Osiris", "The Second Renaissance Part I", "The Second Renaissance Part II" and "Kid's Story") (as Larry Wachowski)
Yoshiaki Kawajiri		(written by) (segments "Program" and "World Record")
Kôji Morimoto		(written by) (segment "Beyond") (as Koji Morimoto)
Shinichirô Watanabe		(written by) (segment "A Detective Story")
Peter Chung		(written by) (segment "Matriculated")

Produced by
Michael Arias	....	producer
Spencer Lamm	....	producer
Phil Oosterhouse	....	associate producer
Steve Richards	....	co-producer
Joel Silver	....	executive producer
Hiroaki Takeuchi	....	segment producer
Eiko Tanaka	....	segment producer
Andy Wachowski	....	producer
Lana Wachowski	....	producer (as Larry Wachowski)

Original Music by
Don Davis
Machine Head
Photek

Film Editing by
Christopher S. Capp		(segment "Final Flight of the Osiris, The")

Casting by
Jack Fletcher

Costume Design by
Veronique Garcia

Production Management
Jessica Alan	....	post-production supervisor

Sound Department
Richard Adrian	....	sound effects designer
Thom Brennan	....	supervising foley editor
William R. Dean	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Hackner	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Edward Johnson	....	sound effects designer
Eddie Kim	....	sound effects designer
Andrew Lackey	....	sound effects editor
Eric Lewis	....	assistant dialogue recordist
Noel McIntosh	....	adr assistant
Joe Milner	....	sound re-recording mixer (except "Final Flight of the Osiris")
James Azizi Penny	....	group adr
Eryne Prine	....	sound editor
David S. DiPietro	....	group adr (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Kevin Bjorke	....	3D render/light pipeline supervision: final flight of the osiris
Sergio Garcia Abad	....	senior modeler (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris, The")
Kory Juul	....	lighting artist & digital compositor (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris, The")
Takumi Kimura	....	lead lighting artist
Greg Lev	....	lead lighting artist
Bo Mosley	....	modeling and texturing supervisor: SquareUSA (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris, The")
Adam Moura	....	lighter & compositor: SquareUSA
Jake Rowell	....	digital character artist
Suan Ching Tan	....	modeler
Suan Ching Tan	....	texture artist
Joanne Thiel	....	visual effects
Roger Kupelian	....	conceptual artist (uncredited)

Music Department
Dino Herrmann	....	composer: additional music
Junkie XL	....	composer: additional score
Mark Kilian	....	composer: additional music
Larry Mah	....	music scoring mixer
Christopher Mann	....	composer: additional music (as Chris Neilman)
Rupert Parkes	....	composer: additional music
Julie Pearce	....	music editor
David Sherr	....	orchestra contractor
David Sherr	....	orchestrator
Kip Smedley	....	assistant to composer
Jed Smith	....	programmer: music audio

Other crew
Jack Fletcher	....	voice director
Anthony Weintraub	....	additional dialogue
Anthony Weintraub	....	story consultant

Production Companies

• DNA (segment "Matriculated")
• Mad House (segments "Program" and "World Record")
• Silver Pictures
• Square USA (segment "Final Flight of the Osiris, The")
• Studio 4°C (segments "Second Renaissance Part 1, The" "Second Renaissance Part 2, The", "Kid's Story", "Beyond" and "Detective Story")
• Village Roadshow Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (2003) (Argentina) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2003) (Finland) (theatrical) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Danetracks  sound design and editorial
• IMAGICA Corp. of America  image post-production
• Warner Home Video  soundtrack

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Finland:K-15 | Brazil:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | Germany:16

Company:

DNA

Trivia:

There is a reference to the Visual Effects Supervisor for the Matrix films, John Gaeta, during "The Second Renaissance Part II." As the human army gathers in the trenches, preparing for Operation Dark Storm, a male voice on the P.A. system announces, "Lt. Gaeta, please report to the Ops Center. Lt. Gaeta to Ops Center."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Washington D.C. is shown the first time in "the second renaissance", you see that directly behind the capitol, there are enormous skyscrapers, but the second time they show the capitol (in the riot scene), you can see the sky behind it.

Quotes:

Duo: I wanted to go back with you, I love you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Anime: Drawing a Revolution (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

SUPERMOVES

Anime at its absolute finest.

Art is beautiful, beautiful as the world outside and the world inside. Such is the case with movies, which is has excelled at a purely imaginative and visual level. A concept is born, yes, but what is more important is that it is fleshed out in grand and spectacular form in uniqueness and inspiration. Art is what an individual expresses in pictures and ideas and imagination. If art is to be fully realized in a bold and grand vision, the creator must take many steps to make sure that it is unique and impressive. It must break new ground with originality and ingenuity, a long and quite arduous task, but grants rewarding results. And with that, a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is felt heartily within the soul of the creator and as well in the viewer.

Movies are an expression and also an art medium, spanning decades from the 18th century and now in the 21st century. But another medium exists, born from distant lands with a different culture and different view on the take of art. In Japan, anime was born. Anime are cartoons or drawings told in Japanese style with deep and compelling story lines. Since then its popularity has exploded with Western audiences and worldwide. Unlike traditional animation, which caters to American audiences, anime is culturally different in that its characters and style is more centered on drama and dialog rather than on pure action and one-liners.

1999. A year that a remarkable science fiction film graced American and world audiences. That film was The Matrix. Directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, the film was a box-office smash hit and became the most successful film in the genre. It was influenced by anime and comic books as well as philosophy. The nature of the film deals with perceptions of reality and the role in discovering the true nature of the "world". It also spawned two sequels which expanded the storyline of the Matrix, but never explored the Matrix itself; leading to some criticism from moviegoers and critics alike. However, the Animatrix is a cool gem in itself that more than garners interest in the world of the Matrix.

Told in a series of 9 vignettes, the Animatrix is a new take on the Matrix concept as it explores the back stories of the first film and features new exciting tales for fans of the films and anime lovers. As in the case of the other reviews on this site, no details will be revealed. Just like in the original film, you have to see it for yourself.

To see the Matrix universe in film version is great but to see it expanded in anime form is simply breathtaking. The visuals are so out of this world and engrossing that you can't help but be immersed in its world. It is truly something to experience and a sight to behold.

A marvelous way to tell a story from a different artistic perspective. Check it out for yourself and appreciate it all over.