The Animatrix
2003 · Japan, United States · 97 min
- Director
- Mahiro Maeda, Peter Chung, Shin'ichirō Watanabe, Kōji Morimoto, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike
- Screenplay
- the Wachowskis, Shin'ichirō Watanabe, Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Producer
- the Wachowskis, Michael Arias
- Music
- Don Davis
- Production company
- Studio 4°C, Square Enix, Madhouse
- Based on
- The Matrix
What the critics say
89 % Rotten Tomatoes positive reviewsWhat it is about
The Animatrix is an anthology of nine animated shorts set in the world of the Matrix trilogy. Some act as prequels, others as sequels or side stories that widen the saga's universe. The common thread is the relationship between humans and machines, which each episode approaches with a different style and voice. One short follows the crew of the hovercraft Osiris, who discover an army of Sentinels preparing to attack Zion and look for a way to warn its inhabitants. Another, in two parts, traces the origins of the conflict: the creation of robots as servants, a trial that shook public opinion, and the road to a devastating war. A third focuses on a disaffected teenager who, unknowingly, makes contact with Neo's world.
How it was made
The anthology was produced by the Wachowskis together with Michael Arias and brings together animation directors from Japan and the United States, including Mahiro Maeda, Peter Chung, Shin'ichirō Watanabe, Kōji Morimoto, Yoshiaki Kawajiri and Takeshi Koike. Writing credits go to the Wachowskis, Watanabe and Kawajiri, among others. The shorts were made at several studios, including Studio 4°C, Madhouse and Square Enix, which accounts for the wide range of visual approaches, from traditional Japanese animation to more experimental work. The score is by Don Davis, who composed the original trilogy. The result is a set of self-contained pieces that share a universe and a cyberpunk science fiction tone, with an emphasis on action and suspense.
Reception and legacy
The Animatrix was released in 2003, amid anticipation for The Matrix Reloaded, and helped expand the saga's mythology. It also reached television, airing on Cartoon Network's Toonami block in Spain and Latin America. Its value lies mainly in the variety of its registers: the shorts are appreciated for their narrative originality and visual richness rather than as a uniform whole. Some of its stories, such as the Osiris one, connect with later video games and films, which makes it a useful piece for understanding the franchise's transmedia expansion.
Stills
Trailer
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Trivia
An anthology of styles
Each short was directed by a different team, resulting in very diverse visual registers within a single film.
A link to the video game
The message the Osiris crew leaves in a mailbox inside the Matrix serves as the prologue to the video game Enter the Matrix.
Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.