Only two out so far with two more on the way and all of them on the DVD in June.
If you look at the preview for the DVD, it appears that the same animators who did Final Fanatsy: The Spirits Within are doing at least one episode.
I watched the two on line and thought they were pretty good. Fits pretty well within the world of the movie.
I'm also diggin the previews for "The Matrix: Reloaded" Anyone got any idea on the plot or the characters outside Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity?
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Well the symbolism is abundant. The slave droids pulling giant slabs for building corporate pyramids, as with the egyptian Pyramids (like they couldn't invent machinery to do that by now). The soldier shooting the tied-up, knelt-down robot like that historical vietnamese execution-picture and the "Tian'anmen Square"-tanks squashing protesters.
A bit too obvious mostly, this damnation of man. Fine for an art-piece cartoon, not so realistic if they want it to fit with the Matrix-movies.
Besides, if the human race did experience the sort of new renaissance the first Episode shows, before getting enslaved by the robots, I don't think the robots would revert to Neo's 1998 for a Matrix-mold like they will.
As a standalone pop-phenomenon cartoon inspired by Matrix, this is really great. Superb quality and all that. Love the design style of the characters, Manga-like and yet...not. :-)
Is there a better place to download these clips? I can only get to about 40% of the clips before the download freezes up or times out. And if I look at the clip through live-feed I can't save it. Grr.
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
You forgot to mention the mass graves (and I do mean mass), another clear element of symbolism.
The Pyramid scene: Perhaps it's cheaper to build thousands of these general purpose labour robots than it is to build hundreds of specialised ones?
Perhaps the first Matrix that Smith mentioned, (the one where everything was perfect) was indeed based on the time of the Second Renaissance, but when that Matrix failed the machines chose another earlier time of prosperity but one where human suffering was at it's height.
I've often wondered how the concept of time plays within the Matrix, if it has existed for such a long period of time (decades? centuries?) then at what point in our history did it start? Or is there no sense of time in the Matrix and things stay pretty much as they are, with only the dates changing.
You could always try downloading it from a P2P network like Kazaa, but it'll probably be quicker if you use a download manager like Download Accelerator or GetRight which have resume functions.
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Thank you, Reverend, Download Accel really sped things up a bit!
"The Pyramid scene: Perhaps it's cheaper to build thousands of these general purpose labour robots than it is to build hundreds of specialised ones?"
And also program them just like 1930's construction workers, with lunchboxes and a nap on a girder? An unpowered container on wheels would be pulled by a low crane and steel cables, not with slave labour. But it's fun to look at! :-)
Has anyone here played "Syberia"? The crude robots in this movie closely resemble the Automatons of Syberia.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
I saw the CGI Animatrix "Last Flight of Osiris" n Wednsday (before Dreamcatcher) and was totally blown away! Great story too...and a cliffhanger! I can't tell if the story happens just before, after or at the same time as the first movie though! Much better animation than even the Final fantasy movie IMHO. The other animated shorts were a big letdown. The story takes alot of the mystery away from the first movie and is way too artsy: the heavyhanded symbolism in particular.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I think the Osiris thingy takes place right before the next movie.
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
$$ Possible Microscopic, Tiny Little Spoiler $$
Which would put it at the same time as the first movie, given that Matrix 2 is supposedly continuing straight on from the first movie with Neo flying straight past camera.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
****BIGTIME SPOILER*** * * * * * * * * * * * The Osiris seems to be the same ship seen in the first Matrix movie (or the same type and we nver heard of other rebel groups) and it witnesses the AI's drilling down to Zion....just prior to being destroyed by Sentinls! How can this be? Is this the plot of the next movie?
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
quote: (or th same type and we nver heard of other rebel groups)
Yeah we did, something along the lines of "...all the ship Captains are given access codes to Zion's mainframe.".
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
I stand corrected....I'll have to watch it again.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Yes... I think it's pretty clear that there are lots of groups of rebels that are flying around hacking their way into the Matrix. They're probably looking for minds to free and at the same time, searching for The One.
There's a video game called "Enter the Matrix" that they advertise on the site that has a couple of the characters from the movie in in it. Supposedly this game weaves in and out of the events of the second movie ala "Shadows of the Empire".
The site has all of the killer teaser posters from the theaters available for download, too... They now decorate my office walls Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Yes, the Kung-Fu fighting moves in the game look better than any game I've seen, even Oni.
I especially like the feature of putting a wooden stake in the chest of a foe, then jump-kicking him right on the stake, sending him flying. Heh.
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Well I've watched the remaining three "free" episodes.
The second film, "Program", was cool, beautiful weapons and scenery, I also like the drawing-style, very thick lines and contours. Fantastic fight-scenes, esp the "balancing on spear" bit. Who was first with that stunt, btw?
The third film, "Detective Story" was ridiculously filled with plot inconsistencies and way too short, even for a short film like these. The main character is a man inside the matrix (ie unawakened). Point 1: The "matrix" he lives in seems to be set in the 1930's, which is wrong since the robots long ago settled for 1999. Point 2, during the film it is revealed several times that he's not aware of the grand illusion, yet he owns a "Nebuchadnezzar"-style makeshift old-typewriter-turned-computer, with advanced software and he visits chatrooms. How is this paradox possible?
The fourth film is a continuation on the first film, "The Second Renaissance, Part II". Even more disturbing and apathically violent than the first part. But very high quality work, as with the first part. Neatly ties up the story into what became the Matrix, although I think the humans could've fought a little harder...
I don't think I'll go see "Dreamcatcher" just to cath the Matrix Reloaded short movie "Final Flight of The Ossiris" that is shown before it. I don't know about the rest of you but in Sweden current cinema movies cost about 12 dollars (8 pounds), I'm not willing to risk it on "Dreamcather".
Posted by Ultra Magnus (Member # 239) on :
Wait until you see all of them. They're a nice addition to the whole Matrix "mythos."
Though, you know, Kicking and Sploding make for a slightly weak "mythos."
Posted by Griffworks (Member # 1014) on :
quote:Originally posted by Nim: >SNIKT!<
I don't think I'll go see "Dreamcatcher" just to cath the Matrix Reloaded short movie "Final Flight of The Ossiris" that is shown before it. I don't know about the rest of you but in Sweden current cinema movies cost about 12 dollars (8 pounds), I'm not willing to risk it on "Dreamcather".
If you at all like Horror/SciFi, I highly recommend Dreamcatcher. Great flick, IMO, w/o compromising too much of the Stephen King novel to make the movie work.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
"Detective Story" is beautifully animated, though.
(You didn't mention what I thought was the only real inconsistency in it, namely, if the agents could just grab ahold of anyone like that, why not Trinity? Or Neo, before he's spirited away from the Matrix?)
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Yeah - I agree with that. I thought it was strange.
I think it was set in 1998 but it's just the style of the short was trying to be film noir etc.
I've just started a new thread - but has anyone else go the Animatrix at the theatre yet? I went and saw all 9 last night. Very fucking cool.
The Popper kid was really good oh and well they ALL were. I might go see it again tonight! I liked it that much! It's only on for 3 days. Friday, Saturday and today, Sunday.
Posted by NightWing (Member # 4) on :
I've been comparing the Osiris with the Nebuchadnezzar. The Osiris seems to be a larger vessel. The cockpit is larger and it has almost twice the amount of hoverpads.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Incidently, Andrew, it's only getting a theatrical release in Australia, New Zealand, and other points Oceanic.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Cool! Cause the SOUND - my GOD! The sound was awesome... like when the letters fall down the screen. Or the bit in the samurai story when those Japanese Gates appear and fly passed them. Or especially in the Last Flight...
So only Australia, NZ - Oceania sorta places - like where-else? And it was only on for 3 days. Lucky I saw it twice!
Oh let me gloat for once - we never get anything unique - movie wise here. We only just pulled of 1 day earlier for X2 and 1 day early for First Contact! Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Well, the Agents couldn't get Trinity because she's not connected to the Matrix anymore. They could've possessed Neo during the first film before Morpheus disconnected him, but they didn't realize who he was. They were after Morpheus and were just using Neo to get to him. Possessing him would have served no purpose.
As for the typewriter thing... I think it was just a function of the style of artwork. Yah... it was a little futuristic for '98... but it looked really cool.
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
But I believe he said he was "old fashioned", that sounds like something from the 50's, doesn't it?
And the people in the train cars were screaming when the agents were walking through, even before they'd whipped out their Desert Eagles. Why would they be afraid of them if they didn't see that they were kind of "alien"?
And hello? Steam trainz? Since when did Chicago have steam trainz?
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