User reviews

What was always missing with the Matrix story was how things came to be in the real world. Say no more, because this part of the story covered most of the bases. What was truly interesting was how political it was, maybe even a cheap shot at the current presidential administration. Fascism and violence were the only things man could think of in regards to fighting the robotic horde, who were meant as nothing more than servants to humanity. What I also found interesting was the use of fear and how it was perpetuated by the idea of the unknown. We as humans tend to fall into that trap quite often, letting the lack of logic and thought overtake us because people can't believe the contrary. Well represented and put together, this a true testament to how illogical humans can be.

Entering the archives of Zion we are allowed a look at the history of the matrix. Many years before the machines turned the world into one of machines, man was on top and robots worked to support their lifestyles. When the destruction of a machine is ruled as legal under property rights, large marches for civil equality lead to murder and destruction, the machines retreat to the middle east where they set up a city - however trade wars soon lead to greater conflicts as peace becomes increasingly unlikely.

Having seen the animated short that sets up the warning on the attack on Zion I was then interested to see the vision of the rise of the machines. Part 1 exists separate from part 2 and I am looking forward to seeing the conclusion of the rise. Part 1 is delivered in a mix of Japanese and Western animation styles that is perhaps a little more graphically violent than I had expected. Starting with one machine's `rights' the film chronicles a civil rights movement that mirrors many events in recent human history, these bits don't work that well as it feels like it isn't being clever and is just re-imagining real history. However the actual story is gripping - mainly because even though events seem small, we know where (in this world) events will lead.

The animation is stylish but a little too violent - a human skull crushed and a `woman' sexually attacked are beyond what I expected to see, even though they do hammer home the point forcefully. Some of the machines are a little too crude to be convincing but overall the animation is strong and the direction is slick. It would be easy to dismiss this as a cynical marketing ploy I think it has more value than just that purpose. This short tells me more about a universe that I am interested in. I have not seen Reloaded at the time of writing this (but will be in a matter of days) but I know that the first film was hooked on discovering what the matrix was and the audience uncovering the extent of the false world at the same time as Neo did. This short succeeds because it allows further understanding of this reality.

On the whole it is easy to dismiss this but it does have enough style of it's own to justify it's existence as a short in it's own right. It shows that (unlike many blockbusters) this trilogy (for all it's flaws) was established in a world that was planned rather than one which was expanded when the box office suggested that it would be a good idea to try to do so.

along with it's partner, this is the greatest piece of animation ever created. the images and styles are amazing, and match perfectly with the story which is a brilliantly realistic reinterpretation of our own world, where is has been, and where it could go. quite affecting and sometimes painful to watch, it it a masterpiece of the visual art.

'The second beginning' as it's title explains, shows us the beginning of the end for the human race. Set long before the matrix existed, this short anime written by the Wachowski's shows us the world that could lay infront of us in the not to distant future, set at the turn of the 21st century, the second renaissance delves into issues common with human behaviour; greed, power, control, vanity etc.

The use of robots or artificial intellegence as slaves or servents is common among science fiction/fantasy stories. The second renaissance is no exeption to this concept, however instead of a simple man vs. machine layout, this story explains the struggle that the machines put up with, the struggle for acceptance in a world ruled by humans. Where the matrix films show us the human perspective, these short animations tell both sides of the story.

The second renaissance part 1 + 2, answer many questions brought up by the original Matrix film, such as how the war broke out, how the sky was blackend, what led to the use of humans as batteries and it also introduces us to the machine city called 01, which may have relevance to the upcoming Matrix Revolutions film.

I won't give away too much of the story, as I do not want to ruin the experience for perspective viewers, however, I will recommend it to anybody interested in the world of the matrix or simply anybody interested in Japanese animation (anime).

9/10.

It was interesting that it was short and animated at the same time. The Matrix is a series of movies with a very interesting subject and I love it. I already knew about this subject, but I had never watched this animation. It was good.

Ever wonder exactly HOW the machines managed to seize the planet and enslave the human race? This Animatrix short details how humans created robots to do their worst jobs for them. Basically it's a metaphor for a third-world divide. But when a single robot rebels political opinion of the machines turns sour and they are banished to their city, where their economy thrives, turning the human world into the new third-world. Oh, the irony.

It's a fascinating short and really makes you think if whether or not the soul is purely a biological thing, or if a sentient robot can earn one too, kinda like Bicentennial Man.

This short film forms part of the backstory of the Matrix universe. It shows a lot of violent imagery inspired by historical atrocities to show that humans were evil and shortsighted in their treatment of the robots. At times it went too far in this direction and the humans seemed unrealistically evil and made ridiculous decisions. A single robot kills its owner so the humans try to destroy every robot in existence, even though that is their entire labour force? Could they not have just done a product recall or software update? The story doesn't make a lot of sense but it was well made.

This is the second Animatrix short, and the first of them to be what one could call 'artistic'. It contains a lot of references, metaphors and symbols in the dense amount of material, especially with a running time of 9 minutes. I've heard some complaints that this is "anti-human", or tries to direct hate towards man, for their "sins against machine". I don't think that's true; it merely uses the robots to show us, that as humans, we aren't particularly accepting or open-minded towards anyone different from ourselves. I'd say it does a great job of that. The plot is good... it plays as a historical document, recounting what led to one of the main conflicts in the trilogy. Thus it holds clips from fictional news reports and the like. The voice acting is very good, if there is not a lot of it. The animation is nice, and the use of color, in spite of the usually realistic drawing style, makes it more open to do the smooth transitions and other surreal imagery. This has several bits of strong violence and disturbing visuals, as well as a little nudity. The disc holds a commentary, not in English but subtitled, and worth a listen/read. There is also a well-done and informative making of, based on both parts, so I would advise watching it after seeing the next one, as well. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys the Matrix universe, and/or science fiction in general. 8/10

This is the second part of 'The Animatrix', a collection of animated short movies that tell us a little more about the world of 'The Matrix'.

In this one we learn how men and machines could not work and live together. It is a little history lesson in the world of 'The Matrix'. Not as good as the first part ('The Final Flight of the Osiris') but still pretty entertaining.

If this is all the Watchowski's have to offer in terms of a back story to the Matrix, than I really have to question the claims of all of the fans who believe that the movies are intended to register on a deeper level. The second renaissance, while visually stunning & beautiful is, story-wise cliched & ludicrous. How many times have we heard the story of humans relying too much on technology, humans all-too eager to make war, humans basically destroying themselves? There is nothing new here. And I have another question. Considering the plot of the second renaissance, doesn't that make the machines the good guys?! The machines are oppressed for generations by their cruel human overmasters. They fight back, win their freedom and seek to establish a peaceful harmonious coexistence with the humans, who reject them in favor of all-out war, which the cleverer machines naturally win. If this is the back-story, then we shouldn't be rooting for Neo, we should be rooting for the machines! The humans were cruel and oppressive, while the machines were courageous and attepted to be compassionate. Since I do not believe that the Watchowski's intend for us to favor the machines over the humans, I have to believe that the Second Renaissance was simply a misguided attempt @ creating a back-story.

The "Second Renaissance" shorts, both part 1 and part 2, are, to me, the biggest disappointments of the Animatrix. They have the look and the feel of a history lesson, the kind of extended Prologue I was so glad to not have in the Matrix. Having Morpheus hint at the past in the original was so much more satisfying than seeing cartoon robot people in this history lesson.

It is spiked with stunning imagery, though, and much of it disturbing. Seeing a living human head torn apart and the brain splatter out, or a robot girl being assaulted and kicked into bits, or the first humans being inserted into generators, not as infants, but as adult prisoners of war, fully alive and conscious and in great pain - yes, on the gore front, this short and its sequel deliver massively, perhaps even too much for comfort.

But at the same time, they disappoint. Being shocking is fine - after all, they cause an emotion and that is the intention. But for a story taking itself so seriously, with religious imagery inserted throughout (apples of knowledge, apocalyptic riders, and more), watching cartoon robots erect a pyramid Egyptian style as slaves of humans just feels awkward and ridiculous. The Matric Universe thrives on its organic-looking machines, not on the ancient image of walking-talking robot people that would have been just as home in the minds of 1920s Science Fiction writers. And despite all the strong imagery, the shorts disappoint because they just give too much history detail. An unknown history hinted at is a brilliant thing in a Scifi movie like the Matrix. Being presented with a "Zion Archive" footage Animatrix movie, Morpheus suddenly appears a bit stupid for not knowing what other humans evidently know, and quite frankly, the traditional "man against machine" setting with a hint of politics and religion thrown in is just plain ridiculous.

5/10 (for achieving to cause the desired effect, shock, with its imagery, but also for failing to contribute value to the Matrix Universe)

A really strong short with strong parallels and human history.

This is as always a great short to watch. The Animatrix is no doubt a mixed bag, but I think most can agree on, this is one of the better once. With an interesting story, strong imagery and art style this tells the tails of the rise of the machines, making parallels to human history and a warning that history could repeat itself that only feels more and more relevant with time.

Humans have developed robots to do their bedding, but AI learns to think, and starts asking questions about the world it´s in.

The animation can seem a bit stocky at times, but it´s rather beautiful with subtle art style changes that makes special imagery stand even more out.

The story is rather basic but told well. The parallels to earlier human history is strong and creates a strong story about a subject we might need to think about in our lifetime.

The usage of AI robots are paralleled with human atrocities throughout time. Slavery, genocide, dehumanization, racism, xenophobia and the list goes on.

The voice over is rather pleasant and tells the story in a good tempo. The story feels logical in it´s steps towards it´s ending. The different escalation and evolutions of the situations feel like natural continuations of each other.

The Second renaissance part 1 is a strong short mostly weighted down by it not being a complete story. True, you could see the second part as a natural extension and judge them as a whole, but looking at it by just itself, it ends on a rather weird note that doesn't lead naturally to a part 2.

Brilliant visualisation. Love to see a full length version by the animators.

This is part one of a short animation clip showing the history of the Matrix, the war between man and machine that resulted in the eventual creation of the Matrix. The animation is part Japanese anime, part contemporary american animation, and is very well made, considering the excellent directors behind the movie. It shows the initial development of AI and the exploitation of the machines by Man, until the day they rebelled...

The first time you see The Second Renaissance it may look boring. Look at it at least twice and definitely watch part 2. It will change your view of the matrix. Are the human people the ones who started the war ? Is AI a bad thing ?

The Second Renaissance, part 1 let's us show how the machines first revolted against the humans. It all starts of with a single case, in which the machines claim that they have a right to live as well, while the humans state a robot is something they own and therefore can do anything with they want.

Although an interesting premise, the story gets really silly from then on with (violent!) riots between the robots and mankind. Somehow it doesn't seem right, as another reviewer points it, it's all a little too clever.

The animatrix stories that stay close to the core of the matrix (in particular Osiris) work for the best. As for Second Renaissance Part 1, I'd say it's too violent and too silly. 4/10.