posted
We've done our Matrix Marathon, where we tried to watch everything in chronological order. For the record, we watched everything in the following order. Spoilers, probably:
1) The Second Renaissance Parts 1 and 2 2) Beyond 3) A Detective's Story
4) The Matrix
5) Matriculated 6) Program 7) World Record (we skipped this one, actually) 8) Kid's Story 9) Final Flight of the Osiris
10) Matrix Reloaded
As I understand it, the "Enter the Matrix" game runs only slightly before, and then parallel to the events in "Reloaded"... Basically chronicling what Niobe and Ghost are doing when they're not onscreen in the movie. It ends pretty much with the end of the film.
As for the order of the "Animatrix" segments, we decided to play 3 and 4 before the first film because they needed little understanding of the Matrix story arc, and only offered a glimpse into the understanding that the world the charcters were in was not quite normal. The "between" segments required an understanding of how the world works, and while they could have technically gone before the first one as well, we decided that it would be better if we refreshed our understanding with the first movie before dealing with it. And of course the last two deal with events or characters introduced after the first film.
Perhaps the least "placeable" short would be "Matriculated", whose story really had nothing to do with the arc; given the substantially different "look" of both the simulation and the "real" world outside, I'm even willing to bet that the events of this short could have been from an earlier incarnation of the Matrix.
For further background on how the Matrix world works, I've found this page. Any other ones out there that delve into the workings of the Matrix?
posted
Looks about right to me. Matriculated sucked, though.
According to the DVD extra dealing with the making of the game, you're right. Enter the Matrix starts about two days before Reloaded and then runs with the movie.
I'd love to watch a run through of the game from both characters POV to get that aspect of the story. Anyone know where I can download one?
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
You think "Matriculated" sucked??? It was the closest thing to a real Short Movie that they came, IMO. The CGI is the best of all the shorts, the story has a point (for once), it ends with a glimmer of hope and it bore a close resemblance to the design and choreography in "Aeon Fluxx". (Edit: Just found out that Peter Chung, who created "Aeon Fluxx", did direct "Matriculated").
If programs can go renegade and set up small empires for themselves, why couldn't a robot change into good? Or not necessarily good, but with a passable conscience. The obstacles it went through and had to make choices for probably changed its software matrix (no pun intended) on the base level.
-------------------- "I'm nigh-invulnerable when I'm blasting!" Mel Gibson, X-Men
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I just thought it went on way too long and was just all a bunch of flashing lights and psychodelic weirdness. The point of the story was ok... I just didn't like how they got there. But, hey, I'm no expert.
I dug Osiris and the artwork in the one with the haunted house (Beyond?) was top drawer.
-------------------- "That's the problem with nature. Something is always stinging you or oozing mucous on you. lets go watch tv." - Calvin & Hobbes
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
Oh, there's no "allegedly" about it. Chronic constipation is more fun than Enter The Matrix.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Max Pain!
-------------------- ".mirrorS arE morE fuN thaN televisioN" - TEH PNIK FLAMIGNO
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
Matriculated was my favourite! (along with Renaissance & Osiris of course.) It must be one of those love it or hate it things. I guess I liked the idea that the machines are as much individuals as humans are, a theme I suspect will be carried on in Revolutions. Smith is most certainly not a drone, as I've heard some describe the agents and he never was, as evidenced by his behaviour towards Morpheus in the first movie.
posted
Especially given that if he makes a move, Neo will beat the living crap out of him.
-------------------- "This is why you people think I'm so unknowable. You don't listen!" - God, "God, the Devil and Bob"
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
The idea that the Machines are as much individuals as humans are is supported by "Reloaded" as well, what with the Keymaker assisting Morpheus / Neo / Trinity, and the Merovingian's / Persephone's antagonistic yet not in line with the design of the Matrix behavior. All the references to vampires, aliens, etc. are also sentient programs "doing what they aren't supposed to do" according to the Oracle. I haven't got her entirely figured out though. She may just be another form of control as Neo thought or she may be genuinely benevolent and trying to help the human cause. As mentioned previously Smith acted quite outside the norm of an Agent even in the first movie before Neo imprinted his code on him. Especially during the interrogation of Morpheus when he sent the other two agents out of the room.
"Matriculated" was just a bit too out there for my tastes. I can appreciate the intended goal of the storyline but it just seemed kind of silly. Fine, the Machines can have a mind of their own but it becomes infatuated with a human woman after five minutes of sentience? And the weird psychedelic imagery was just a bit too much like the end of "2001" mixed with "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". At least it introduced us to a new type of Sentinel.
I think the ideas of Machine individuality were explored much more effectively in "Second Renaissance 1 & 2".
-------------------- "You must talk to him; tell him that he is a good cat, and a pretty cat, and..." -- Data "I will feed him" -- Worf (Phantasms)
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Well, the programs are definitely individuals. And there are certainly some machines that are too. But I don't know if I buy the sentinels being sentient. But I don't know... people wouldn't want to have children that had no free will or personality. So why would machines create other machines without the same qualities they have?
posted
Yeah, the Sentinels do seem more like "Smart Weapons" then sentient machines, at least in the movies.
At the end of Second Rennaissance Part 2 they do show a machine that looks almost identical to a Sentinel speaking at the UN as if it were sentient. It signs mankinds surrender, then nukes everyone for good measure (makes you wonder why they bothered to sign the document in the first place).
-------------------- "You must talk to him; tell him that he is a good cat, and a pretty cat, and..." -- Data "I will feed him" -- Worf (Phantasms)
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Or why it asked them first to surrender their flesh. If it'd asked and then got told to sod off and die, I could understand the nuking part. But just straight off? Doesn't make huge amounts of sense.
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