Taking characters and the premise from the groundbreaking science fiction film, THE MATRIX, this ambitious project compiles nine short films directed by animation specialists from Japan, Korea, and America. The action is rapidly paced and Combining all different styles of animation from CGI to anime to more traditional animation, the program's unique and varied look is even more stunning than its predecessor. A sampling of the talent includes MATRIX creators Larry and Andy Wachowski, Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll), Peter Chung (Aeon Flux), and Shinchiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop).
The Final Flight of the Osiris:
The crew of the hovercraft Osiris must get a message back to Zion, a message of vital importance. Easy to do... but for the armada of Sentinels between them and Zion. (Written by Andy and Larry Wachowski; Directed by Andy Jones; Animation and production design by Square USA, Inc.)
The Second Renaissance - Parts I and II:
The Genesis of the Matrix: the last cities of mankind, the war with the machines, and humanity's ultimate downfall. An epic guided tour of the Zion archives and the history of the Matrix. (Written by Andy and Larry Wachowski; Directed by Mahiro Maeda; Animation and production design by Studio40C, Tokyo.)
Kid's Story:
Sitting in his high school classroom, THE KID gets a personalized invitation from Neo (voiced by Keanu Reeves) to escape the Matrix. But finding an exit proves more difficult than he ever imagined. (Written by Andy and Larry Wachowski; Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe; Animation and production design by Studio40C, Tokyo.)
Program:
In the simulated world of a Samurai training program, CIS, a soldier of Zion, is forced to choose between love and her comrades in the real world. (Written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri; Animation and production design by Madhouse Studios, Tokyo.)
World Record:
Through an incredible combination of will power and physical strength, DAN, a world-record- holding sprinter, breaks out of the Matrix and gets an all-too-brief glimpse of the real world beyond... (Written by Yoshiaki Kawajiri; Directed by Takeshi Koike; Animation and production design by Madhouse Studios, Tokyo.)
Beyond:
In a quiet town where all is not as it seems, Yoko finds a bug in the system: an abandoned mansion in which anything seems possible. And then the exterminators arrive to "de-bug"... (Written and directed by Koji Morimoto; Animation and production design by Studio40C, Tokyo.)
A Detective Story:
Hard-boiled private investigator Ash tracks cyber-criminal Trinity (voiced by Carrie-Anne Moss) through the looking glass... (Written and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe; Animation and production design by Studio40C, Tokyo.)
Matriculated:
A small group of rebels have captured a sentient robot and proceed to program it to act as an ally for their cause. They succeed too well in teaching the robot to prefer their "human Matrix" to machine reality and the robot's appetite may exceed the humans' ability to supply it. (Written and directed by Peter Chung; Animation and production design by DNA, Seoul.)
Genre: Anime / ActionSatrring voices of: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne MossDirectors: Andy Jones, Mahiro Maeda, Shinichiro Watanabe, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike, Koji Morimoto, Peter ChungAge Restriction: 16Running Time: 89 minLanguage: EnglishSubtitles: English / French / Hebrew / Dutch / Arabic / RomanianScreen Format: Widescreen 2.35:1Sound Format: Dolby Digital 5.1Special Features:
The Second Renaissance Part 1 Commentary by Mahiro MaedaThe Second Renaissance Part 2 Commentary by Mahiro MaedaProgram Commentary by Yoshiaki KawajiriWorld Record Commentary by Takeshi KoikeScrolls to Screen: The History and Culture of Anime Making Final Flight of the OsirisMaking Second Renaissance 1 and 2Making Kid's Story and Detective StoryMaking ProgramMaking World RecordMaking BeyondMaking MatriculatedEnter the Matrix Game Trailer