Matrix (feature 1) 138 min.
Matrix Reloaded (feature 2) 138 min.
Matrix Revolutions (feature 3) 129 min.
Animatrix (anime shorts) 100 min.
Matrix Experience (extras on double-sided standard DVD + separate standard-def DVD of Matrix to transfer to hard drives)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving
Directed by: The Wachowski Brothers
Studio: Warner Bros. (6 Discs in box)
Video: 2.40:1 anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9, 1080p (except Matrix Experience – 480i or p & 1.85:1 or 4:3)
Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, DD 5.1, DD 2.0; French/Spanish/Italian/Portuguese DD 5.1; Extras DD 2.0 only
Subtitles: English , English SDH, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese
Extras: (35 hours worth!) Intro by Wachowski Bros.; Commentary tracks – Philosophers (all 3 features), Critics (all 3 features), Cast & Crew (Matrix only), Composer Don Davis (Matrix only); “The Matrix Revisited” feature-length documentary; “Behind the Matrix” Documentary Gallery – 83 featurettes, including: 3D Evolutions, MTV Movie Awards Reloaded, 2 music videos, documentary on the Matrix Game with 23 live-action scenes shot for it, 4 director commentaries and 8 documentaries on the 8 animated shorts of The Animatrix – incl. “Scrolls to Screen: The History and Culture of Anime,” “The Burly Man Chronicles” documentary on the actors, craftspeople and filmmakers; “The Roots of the Matrix” Historical, philosophical and technological inspirations for the Trilogy; “The Zion Archive” concept art, storyboards, drawings, music videos, Matrix online etc.; Theatrical trailers & TV spots.
Total Length: 505 minutes
Rating: *****
Matrix fans with Blu-ray capability are going ape (all five Planet of the Apes features also have come out on Blu-ray at the same time!) over this most original trilogy of sci-fi films. Perhaps we should call it a quartet since the lavish package includes a Blu-ray transfer of the nine anime films exploring and explaining the world of the Matrix. I had the DVD versions of both the original feature and Animatrix and the improvement of both image and sound is major with the Blu-ray transfers. In fact, if you’ve already seen the original feature and perhaps its sequel in the theaters or on DVD, you might want to start by viewing the Animatrix shorts first. They are a fusion of animé and CG-animation and will give you a grasp of the complexities of The Matrix Trilogy which will deepen your understanding of the three features when you see them. The short “Final Flight of the Osiris” specifically sets the stage for the second Matrix feature. The prehistory of The Matrix is explained, including the rise of the machines, the war with them, and the downfall of humanity – to be used only as the power sources for the world of the machines.
Having the entire Matrix package in this collection should do much to ameliorate the negative opinions from some quarters about the series. The Animatrix, the unbelievably extensive bonus documentaries, and the most in-depth narrative track commentaries I have ever seen all conspire to expand one’s understanding of the philosophical/mythological/spiritual underpinnings of the story. The writings of Dr. Cornel West greatly influenced the Wachowskis in their screenplays, as did Joseph Campbell in the case of George Lucas. (West was given a small role as a member of the ruling council of Zion, and is featured in one of the documentaries.)
The initial Matrix feature is of course one of the most original and stylish sci-fi films ever. The special effects seem to have been cleaned up for the Blu-ray release and the fighting, flying and dodging bullets scenes in all three features look better than ever now. I noticed many small details due to having viewed some of the extras first – things which I previously had missed. The sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, was less confusing and more understandable now. In it, Neo begins to doubt his powers and purpose, about which he had been so confident at the end of the first film. The third film, The Matrix Revolution, has received its share of criticism for spending too much time on the machines’ attack on Zion and the introduction of a sort of purgatory between the Matrix and reality. However, seen following the other two features and with the background of some of the bonus features, it becomes a worthwhile conclusion to the series. The philosophical/theological aspects become even stronger here, but the final two scenes seem just a bit anticlimactic.
In the extras I was especially captivated by the story of animé: “Scrolls To Screen,” the philosophy behind the series: “The Roots of The Matrix,” and several of the Animatrix animations. (One deals with an apparent teen suicide; this disc is suggested only for those over age 17.) The day-by-day video on the shooting schedule is lengthy but interesting. The efforts that went into some of the sets and effects were herculean. One feels for actor Hugo Weaving, who undergoes the rigors of having a plastic mold made of his entire head so that multiple Agent Smiths could be outfitted for the mass scenes in which he has cloned himself. The major documentary has a “Follow the White Rabbit” feature in which a white rabbit icon appears in the lower right corner of the screen whenever a separate video is available providing more information about something or someone currently onscreen. For example, the ten-minute or so Dr. West documentary came up when I clicked on the white rabbit that appeared when he was briefly onscreen.
– John Sunier
