The AniMatrix

[fnordboy]

Anyone interested they have posted the first eps. of Animatrix, it is streaming on the site but if you just right-click and save from this link you might be able to DL it (it knocked me off the DL after a little bit):

http://progressive.stream.aol.com/wb/gl ... nal_dl.mov

Otherwise go here and watch it:

http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/r ... sode1.html

Enjoy

[GaryEA]

Friggin' hysterical. I just finished searching for a direct link, found one, started the D/L (at 25% as I type), and came here. Lo and behold, you have it here.

Silly me... heh.

Looking forward to it. Thanks for posting the link.

Gary

[GaryEA]

In a word? Wow.

SPOILERS - SKIP THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT!

The style is an interesting mix. It opens like TRON (or the old Disney shows before it), but immediatly opens up to an oranic-techno feel (the Buddhist imagery).

Then it resembles Metropolis - a lot; the frivolity of the priveledged humans, the marching of the robots in step on their way to work, the heaving of the giant blocks in the construction of the pyramid-like building. Very effective and sets it up nicely.

Quickly, as the humans take action, it resembles a mix of modern and Vietnam-era new footage. Endless destruction. The trial was both interesting (they look down upon them, but put one on trial when one commits murder) and numbing. The murder was intense. Maybe over the top.

Then it turns into the end of A.I. with the creation of a new city where I suppose humans no longer reside. Does the name "0-1" have a link to "Zion" (first city, last city)?

The timing of the real life state of war and the scenes of the embargo were chilling. Yes, the timing added a lot, but man the story is unflinching.

But what was worse, and again in light of recent events, was the robots attempt to communicate with the U.N., and the physical response to their ambassadors.

I'm still not sure how and where this will all fit into the Matrix canon, but it's in there, somewhere, and a welcome addition at that. I can't imagine what the follow-up episode will contain (I'm still spooked by the dumping of the robots into the pit).

I have to digest this some more. Just like a good anime, it offered a lot to think about.

Gary

OKAY, I'M DONE NOW!

[Nostradamus]

-- MORE SPOILERS --

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Then it turns into the end of A.I. with the creation of a new city where I suppose humans no longer reside. Does the name "0-1" have a link to "Zion" (first city, last city)?

I was thinking of Sector 001, the location of Earth in Star Trek lore and the target of the Borg invasion.

The timing of the real life state of war and the scenes of the embargo were chilling. Yes, the timing added a lot, but man the story is unflinching.

But what was worse, and again in light of recent events, was the robots attempt to communicate with the U.N., and the physical response to their ambassadors.

I agree that some of those cultural references were a bit suspicious, but as you pointed out, the "mechanical servants rebelling against human masters" plot is a common one in the Sci-Fi genre. The location of the machine city may have merely been an echo of the first human civilizations.

I'm still not sure how and where this will all fit into the Matrix canon, but it's in there, somewhere, and a welcome addition at that. I can't imagine what the follow-up episode will contain (I'm still spooked by the dumping of the robots into the pit).

Yeah, this almost makes the machines too sympathetic to be the villains later on, though even the "victims become the oppressors" twist is not unheard of. (Heh, here comes another Star Trek analogy ) The Changeling baddies of Deep Space Nine were once persecuted by their (speciesist? shapist?) Solid neighbors. After winning their freedom, the fearful Changelings grew in power and used it to impose a harsh order on all Solids throughout the galaxy.

From a different perspective, you could argue that the AI-endowed machines were the next step in evolution, and humans were bound to go the way of the dinosaur.

While I enjoyed the plot overall, some elements did seem somewhat contrived or exaggerated so as to intensify the emotional response of the viewer. Why make the worker bots humanoid; wouldn't the simple "R2D2" shape be more efficient? Similarly, why give these drones such a sophisticated AI that they feel exploited by the humans? One of the advantages of present-day robots is that they don't feel anything. Finally, why was it necessary to smash the robots to bits and bury them in mass graves? Couldn't you just push the "off" button and reprogram or recycle them? At the very least you could use the same kind of EM pulse weapon (which is already being developed in RL, BTW) that Morpheus deployed in the movie.

On the whole, a worthy prelude to The Matrix.

[GaryEA]

I was thinking of Sector 001, the location of Earth in Star Trek lore and the target of the Borg invasion.

Totally forgot about that one. I guess the name boils down to 1/0 or 1/0 principle in math and computing.

I agree that some of those cultural references were a bit suspicious, but as you pointed out, the "mechanical servants rebelling against human masters" plot is a common one in the Sci-Fi genre. The location of the machine city may have merely been an echo of the first human civilizations.

Good point. At first, I thought it was interesting that this tried and true theme was married to a religious undertone (as seen in the first film), but as you pointed out, sci-fi and religion are al over the place. Matrix. Star Wars. Star Trek. The list goes on.

Yeah, this almost makes the machines too sympathetic to be the villains later on, though even the "victims become the oppressors" twist is not unheard of. (Heh, here comes another Star Trek analogy ) The Changeling baddies of Deep Space Nine were once persecuted by their (speciesist? shapist?) Solid neighbors. After winning their freedom, the fearful Changelings grew in power and used it to impose a harsh order on all Solids throughout the galaxy.

Maybe it could have been handled a little more subtly, but it serves it's purpose here.

I was never a constant viewer of DS9, though I may try it with the upcoming DVD sets. From what I understand, the undertones of the show are more spiritual than adventure-laden, though the war in the later seasons sounded intense.

From a different perspective, you could argue that the AI-endowed machines were the next step in evolution, and humans were bound to go the way of the dinosaur.

Sounds like A.I. to me, but it makes sense. Again, a natural sci-fi progression; we are replaced by what we create (Blade Runner).

While I enjoyed the plot overall, some elements did seem somewhat contrived or exaggerated so as to intensify the emotional response of the viewer. Why make the worker bots humanoid; wouldn't the simple "R2D2" shape be more efficient?

I think the robot designs were both design decisions and a way to service the story efficiently. If the robots were less "human", such as the robots in the recent "Metropolis" anime, it would have removed the story from the early tech era it's trying to establish. I think more elaborate machines come later, like the Sentinels.

Similarly, why give these drones such a sophisticated AI that they feel exploited by the humans? One of the advantages of present-day robots is that they don't feel anything.

I guess that would be another throw back to old sci-fi themes. We create them to serve us, but at some point, our emotions and their technology merge.

Finally, why was it necessary to smash the robots to bits and bury them in mass graves? Couldn't you just push the "off" button and reprogram or recycle them? At the very least you could use the same kind of EM pulse weapon (which is already being developed in RL, BTW) that Morpheus deployed in the movie.

I bet the EMP is the "clean" way to dispose of robots run amok, developed after the dark moment in human history where we eliminated the robots and refused to hear what they had to say.

On the whole, a worthy prelude to The Matrix.

Indeed, if not a fascinating tangent to the mythology.

Gary

[fnordboy]

Not only is 6/3 the release of ben Stiller, but also the release of the Animatrix DVD.

Info:

The Animatrix features short films directed by some of the world's premiere anime filmmakers, including:

• Yoshiaki Kawajiri (writer/director of the anime classics Ninja Scroll and Vampire
  Hunter D)
  
  Shinchiro Watanabe (writer/director of the anime feature Cowboy Bebop)
  
  Koji Morimoto (animation supervisor of the seminal anime film Akira)
  
  Mahiro Maeda (director of the sci-fi anime series Blue Submarine No. 6)
  
  Takeshi Koike (lead animator on several of director Yoshiaki Kawajiri's films including Wicked City)
  
  Peter Chung (creator and director of the popular MTV series Aeon Flux)
  
  Andy Jones (animation director for the stunning CG film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within)

Special Features:

• The Animatrix DVD is highlighted by the following special features:
  
  Scrolls to Screen - The History and Culture of Anime
  
  Seven "making-of" featurettes including director profiles featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes looks at each film
  
  Four audio commentaries (featured on the films The Second Renaissance Pt. 1 & 2, Program and World Record) - all with Japanese audio and English subtitles
  
  Enter the Matrix Game Trailer - exclusive look into the creation of the "Enter The Matrix" video game, featuring interviews from some of the film's stars including Jada Pinkett and Carrie-Anne Moss

[Nostradamus]

Saw "Final Flight Of The Osiris" today. The character animation was even better than "Final Fantasy"

[GaryEA]

Fileplanet now has the third free installment available for download...

The third of the freely released episodes from The Animatrix, A Detective Story is written and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. Agents hire a detective to locate the beautiful hacker known as Trinity, who's voice work is done by Carrie Anne-Moss. Created with a distinct noir look and feel, this 10 minute video requires QuickTime to play.

Almost done downloading this one. Here's a pic from Fileplanet...



Oddly enough, the official Animatrix site is now two months behind. They have yet to make the March installment available...

Enjoy.

Gary

[fnordboy]

So anyone else pick the DVD up yesterday?

I got mine at Best Buy, it came with a patch (don't know if it is a Best Buy exclusive or not). I haven't watched it yet, but it did come in a crappy snapper case...why these are even still made I don't know.

[Nothingman]

I'm still debating on whether I should rent or buy it. I've seen 5 of the 9 films and am wondering if I'd really watch it more than once or twice.

A question to those who have seen it: Is it worth owning? Or should I just rent it?

[GaryEA]

I'm going to get it today, most likely from Best Buy.

nothingman, if you're on the fence on whether to rent or buy, I'd rent it first. If it makes enough of an impression after you watch it, you can pick it up worry-free.

Gary

[fnordboy]

I'm going to get it today, most likely from Best Buy.

nothingman, if you're on the fence on whether to rent or buy, I'd rent it first. If it makes enough of an impression after you watch it, you can pick it up worry-free.

Gary

See I go the other way, my feeling is buy it, watch it if you don't like it, or think you won't watch it again then unload it on ebay. You should make back the difference of the cost of buying vs renting it. Especially if you buy it release week.

I think I picked it up for 14.99, and it is about 4 bucks to rent. You should probably be able to unload it for like 10 dollars.

I am also someone who never rents though, so my opinion is slightly skewed.

[GaryEA]

I rarely rent, but it can help. I would never have bought Minority Report if I hadn't and it's one of my favorites now.

Occassionally I'll wait for a PPV showing, watch that and if I like it, I'll pick it up. Of course, this doesn't cover anime, but I've had pretty good luck with them.

As for Ebay; I'm Ebayed out. I spent a lot of time last year selling in an effort to pare down my collection and I got burned out by it. It's a lot of work. So I now consider that as well if I'm thinking about buying blind. But that's just me.

Another thing I've noticed is that if you try to sell, say, "Minority Report", you're competing with a dozen other selling selling the same thing. It's a popular title with a lot of copies floating out there (unless it's OOP).

Bidders are naturally going to go for the lowest price possible, so the question is where do you start? You can start at a buck and hope the price eventually inflates, and maybe cover your costs. Or you can start at 9.99 with a BIN of what you paid for the disc and hope someone will take the bait.

Then there's another concern; What if no one bids?

I'm not trying to nay-say Ebay (did I just type that? ), and I'm not trying to be an armchair know-it-all, so please don;t take it as such. It's just that I learned a lot while selling and there's a lot to consider.

But like they say: Your milage may vary.

Gary

[Natasha (candygirl)]

So anyone else pick the DVD up yesterday?

I got mine at Best Buy, it came with a patch (don't know if it is a Best Buy exclusive or not). I haven't watched it yet, but it did come in a crappy snapper case...why these are even still made I don't know.

Ha, my friend and I were just talking about whether to buy it yesterday (because he just can't wait) or wait a week or two and buy it used (he buys almost all of his movies used for about $4 in LA).

Speaking of Best Buy, the South Park S2 set came out yesterday and supposedly BB has an exclusive bonus disc. I'll have to find out what's on it to see if it's worth the drive to BB (and the extra $8).

[mglenn]

InDemand PPV is running The Animatrix. I just watched it last night.