4 Film Favorites: Matrix Collection (DVD)

I purchased the Ultimate Matrix Collection on Blu-ray a year ago here on Amazon. I already owned the nice DVD set that came in the large black embossed Warner Brothers box however, since the Matrix is one of my favorite movies it was time to move into 1080p land. I anxiously popped in the Blu-ray when it arrived expecting to see a revelation of sorts and had mixed feelings. At the time I had a Panasonic TH42PZ85 1080p Plasma. I definitely saw an improvement over my PS3's upscaled presentations of the regular DVD versions. I just didn't see a super difference which, rightly or wrongly, is what I expected. Fast forward to this past weekend. Last week I purchased a Samsung UN46D8000 LED and set it up over the course of a few days with a new receiver. I could not believe my eyes when I popped in The Empire Strikes Back Blu-Ray. I meant to just view it for a few minutes for testing purposes but, ended up watching the whole thing. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the familiar green symbols over black of the Matrix set peering back at me and said to myself, if the Episode V looks this good, what about the Matrix? The revelation I was expecting when this set arrived at my home a year ago happened at last. This blu-ray set truly is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. I just needed a better display unit in order to be able to actually see it. If you were like me and thought this set was only a modest improvement in picture quality over your dvd set, it is time to upgrade your TV! Seriously, my wife and I were glued to the screen and my wife and I were remarking on all different aspects of the movies from the fight sequences to joking about being able to see every flaw on the actor's faces. We truly were blown away and I can't wait for the next Matrix marathon to occur. This blu-ray set is definitely reference quality matierial. Of course the sound this set puts out is just as jaw dropping as the visual aspects. Dolby True HD never failed to impress. The Animatrix is the only disc of the 4 blu-rays where the transfer to blu doesn't increase the visual quality exponentially (well, except for Final Flight of the Osirus) as it does Matrix, Reloaded & Revolutions. But, that is because of the drawing styles of the various anime and not because of a limitation of the blu-ray itself. The only con to this set is that the special features are in standard def. Everything else flat out rocks. I noticed that Amazon has it on sale for 30% less than what I bought it for. This set belongs in your collection at twice the price!

First off, this package is well worth the money. It includes all of the movies, including the animatrix, as well as every piece of dvd extra that came out after each dvd on a bonus dvd. Nothign from the official Matrix catalogue is omitted from this package. It also includes an ingenius set of commentaries done in a way you've never seen before. It actually does a lot to expand on the mystery and philosophy of the series and give your personal viewpoint more fuel to back it up whenever someone next tries to tell you these movies are total crap. It also has a nice, small, but quality package and does the job in terms of design. I also wanted to say that I will never understand the plethora of moviegoers out there that dislike anything past the first movie. The first movie was outstanding and probably the best of the three, without a doubt, but Reloaded is unbelievable in its own right, as is most of Revolutions. People seem to think that the first movie was going to be remade twice and turned into a trilogy. This series was always the Wachowski brothers view on the world, their answer to or further distortion of the question why, and their ultimate vision of so many things human and divine. It was a sci-fi story to begin with and they did their best to make it viable in that genre while keeping to the original idea of the Matrix. Personally, I would agree that Revolutions could have been much less about Zion and the huge mother-of-them-all machine battle, but it still brings to a close the magnificient story and vision of the filmmakers. The one thing I do find among people who usually dislike 2 & 3 is that they usually lack any real knowledge of all the underpinings of the story and where it was going, what it meant, or simply dislike too much philosophy in general. As someone who enjoys philosophical debates and thinking about these topics, I've encountered plenty who think philosophy is a joke. Usually it's those people who simply don't understand any of it. Anyhow, if you're a fan of the series and want to see/hear it in its absolute best form, then go out and get this blu-ray. If the price bothers you then just wait for it to go lower on ebay 2 months from now. Something this good is surely worth the money.

Words cannot describe the joy I feel having acquired this set. In the words of Galadriel "I cannot deny that my heart has greatly desired this" It is marvelous and arrived ahead of schedule. Two of the disk trays have damage but I didn't expect a 20+ year old piece of memorabilia to be perfect, these things are not new and I wouldn't want it to be. All of the discs are immaculate with very light signs of viewing, and the case as a whole looks wonderful. My Neo bust is also just, chef's kiss perfect condition. I am so thankful! Even the booklet seems to have never been opened. My being is overjoyed!

Absolutely love this movie and a collections

It's been several years since I watched "The Matrix" trilogy, and for some reason, I had never purchased all the movies in high def. With 'Matrix 4' on the horizon there will most likely be yet another "Ultimate" collection to top this, but if you want the original trilogy of Movies plus the "The Animatrix" in high def plus just about every worthwhile bonus documentary and behind-the-scenes nugget available at the time (and if you are ok with that extra stuff presented on DVD), then this is a set worth seeking out. If you just want the three original movies and "The Animatrix" without the extras stuff, there is a cheaper option out there. The one thing nice about this set is that each film is in its own slim jewel case - I guess the packaging on the budget set has the movies stacked on spindles. One star off because instead of the extras being on three separate DVDs, they did cheap out and put a lot of the extras onto one double sided DVD along with a single DVD. Oh well. The films themselves have held up quite well, IMHOP. Of course, the original "The Matrix" is a sci-fi and philisophical classic - it's the source of countless thought provoking and fun conversations, debates, pleasant dreams and nightmares . The second and third movies not so much, but they do have a lot of entertaining scenes, and they do look beautiful in hi-def (I was really struck by the improvement in picture quality between the first and subsequent movies). Fans of animation should really enjoy "The Animatrix", but I guess at this point, I'm preaching to the choir. :)

Last Christmas, I received a Blu-Ray player and a small set of movies to get started. These films are Toy Story 3, Batman 1989, The Back to the Future 25th Anniversary Trilogy, and last but not least, The Ultimate Matrix Collection. This set includes The Matrix, Reloaded, Revolutions, Animatrix, and the Matrix Experience with an abundance of special features and documentaries, as well as a commemorative booklet describing the features. Unlike the HD-DVD version of this set, it has the 3-part Matrix Trilogy Revisited features and Animatrix in true High Definition, like quality over quantity. The cases are super thin and help save storage space. Here are my personal opinions of the films. The Matrix (1999, 9.4) The one that started it all and indeed the best of the series. It was groundbreaking for the time with state-of-the-art special effects, cool action scenes, top-notch acting, and complex story that would keep you thinking in a computer world where anything goes. It involves computer programmer Thomas Anderson who has a double life as a hacker under the alias of Neo (Keanu Reeves) teaming up with the Nebuchanezzer captain Morpheous (Laurence Fishburne), infamous hacker and Neo's love interest Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), and the rest of the crew trying to learn about the secrets of the Matrix while trying to evade the trio of nefarious agents led by Smith (Hugo Weaving) and crew traitor Cypher (Joe Pantoliano). Behind the cool concept, the plot is kind of like a basic underdog film in lieu of Star Wars, Total Recall, Rocky, The Karate Kid, Terminator series, Slumdog Millionaire, Avatar, some of Disney's animated films, you name it, but still overall enjoyable. The Animatrix (2003, 9.0) A great and informative compilation of animated segments that go deeper into the back-story and mythyos of the series with varying kinds of Japanese and computer animation listed below. *Final Flight of the Osiris - Shown in theaters with Dreamcatcher and involves the Osiris crew discovering that the sentinels have found Zion and are about to launch an attack and one of the members, Jue, sends a message to Zion in the Matrix while the sentinels attack them and destroy the ship. It was made by Squaresoft with excellent and detailed CGI animation from Final Fantasy: the Spirit Within. *The Second Renaissance - A two part back-story of the origins of the human vs. machine feud, when the machines started rebelling against humans and using them for infinite energy after they made a giant black cloud to block the sun, and how the Matrix came to be. *Kid's Story - A segment involving Kid being chased by the Agents at school after receiving an invitation from Neo to leave the Matrix and how he escaped the Matrix by apparently committing suicide without a red pill. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Clayton Watson are the only three actors from the trilogy to return for this special, let alone the Animatrix compilation in general. The first Matrix movie hints at the rare and nearly impossible self-substantiation and this, along with World Record do more in-dept on how a person can separate from the Matrix safely without a red pill. Program - Involves a trainee named Sis battling a test program called Duo in a training simulation and wins, but was distraught from killing him. World Record - A man named Dan was competing in a track meet to set a world record for fastest time. He succeeds, but accidentally unplugs himself in the process and needed rehabilitation in the real world before he can safely walk again. Beyond - A teenage girl called Yoko looking for her pet cat Yuki in an old abandoned shack with a group of children and discover a glitch in the Matrix and can do anything like stop in midair before hitting the ground and fall slowly with item regeneration. The Agents discover this, evacuate the group, and fix the glitch. A Detective's Story - A down-on-the-dumps detective named Ash takes a case about finding Trinity using plot-lines, quotes, and phrases from the Alice in Wonderland franchise. After finding Trinity on a train, they are ambushed by Agents and Trinity had to shoot Ash on the shoulder to prevent him from transforming into an Agent. After parting ways, the possibly dying Ash stays behind to take them out. Matriculated - A group of scientists on the outside world finding how to turn machines to their side by choice use a Matrix fun-house of various gags and teach them the value of human life like the T-800 from Terminator 2, and anyone who read my review knows my love for it and its predecessor. After the sentinels attack the base and kill the rebels, the reprogrammed machine plugs the dying Alexa to say goodbye. *Co-written by the film's writers and directors, the Wachowski Brothers (Andy and Larry). The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions (2003, 7.9 and 8.6 respectively) The Matrix sequels involve the group trying to fend off a war between Zion and the machines that the Osiris crew warned them about before its destruction, but they realized that Neo accidentally transformed Agent Smith into a dangerous virus in his attempt to destroy him in the first film and is now able to copy himself at will by transforming innocent bystanders, especially the Oracle, and plots to destroy the Matrix and all of mankind. After visiting the Architect and rescuing Trinity from her foreshadowed death, he fends off sentinels using his powers from the Matrix that lingered into the real world and slips into a coma that traps him in a train station between the Matrix and real world being held hostage by the Trainman, awaiting rescue from Morpheous and Trinity, and meets a married couple of programs with a daughter without a purpose while the Matrix begins to fall apart. This is basically one screenplay split into two films and released six months apart on the same year, just like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic and Knuckles nine years before. Both sequels are like a mixed opinion kind of thing, some people loved them, some others hated them or one of the other. I personally hardly heard people properly criticize the sequels without focusing their attention to occasional confusion in the story, which some excuse for stupidity. I know the sequels are harder to understand than the original, but that doesn't make them suck, but to just need time to grow on you as you begin to understand it. For some reason, some people I know favor Reloaded most of the time. People might make fun of me about this, but I think Revolutions is underrated and better than Reloaded which I still accepted as a guilty pleasure and necessary sequel. Yep, I said it! One of the recurring themes of the series is about the choices we make and how they affect the future and, like the Angry Video Game Nerd said, should I pretend to be confused and go along with the crowd or voice my own honest opinion and point out details that others might have missed? Whether you agree or disagree, here are points that some people prefer Reloaded: -More emphasis on philosophy in the back-story of the series. -The most action scenes in the series that are all over the place with the addition of a cool freeway chase. -Character resurrection plot twist involving Trinity getting shot in mid-air and Neo saving her. -An abundance of officially licensed songs in the credits. However, here are the points on how I agree with PlanetHell on favoring Revolutions: -Returning Agent Smith to his sinister roots after becoming a joke in Reloaded with the overuse of weak clones in battle, especially the Burly Brawl when Neo was able to hold off an entire swarm of them without a scratch, while the real Smith actually put effort into a fight. This is because Neo and Smith would always have equal strength no matter what. -A more prominent and crucial role with the Oracle instead of just a mere cameo in Reloaded with basic information on programs and choices we make in general that Seraph could have spread to speed up the pacing a bit, but I digress. -No pointless filler unlike the overlong dance, the Oracle cameo, and subplots that occasionally go nowhere, thus faster paced and more right-to-the-point. -Action scenes that are more focused, actually have a point to them, and not as over-the-top or excessive. -The darkest score Don Davis ever composed, but that is not saying much, the scores of the franchise are fantastic. -Recaptures the darker and more emotional tone of the first movie and doesn't cram as many questions so the characters can convey more emotion while Reloaded was more lighthearted and glossy as well as relies on a lot of exposition that can slow things down at times. People would have expected the traditional cop-out ending of the main hero defeating the villain once and for all and they all live happily ever after. Woop-de-doodle-do! That is not what the Matrix series is about. Like I said, it is primarily about the choices we make and how it affects the future. After meeting the Deux ex Machina (Latin for God of the Machine) and connecting to the unstable Matrix and challenging Smith to a final showdown with all the clones standing aidely-by, as well as losing the will to live due to Trinity's actual death upon arrival to Machine City and in a last-ditch effort to put an end to Smith's reign of terror, Neo lets Smith transform him into another clone so that Deux ex Machina can bring the Smith code to the source and delete him, sacrificing Neo in the process and making peace with the human race after the big war. The recasting of the Oracle of explaining the change in appearance due to a glitch in the Matrix during a rescue attempt is how you should do a proper transition instead of just leaving it at that. After Gloria Foster fell ill before her scenes for Revolutions and Enter the Matrix were shot and died during production, Mary Alice took over the role of the Oracle and the explanation for the change in looks made the transition easy and unique, kind of like Exorcist 3. By the way, is it just me, or does Alice give more helpful advice in terms of the sequels than Foster? Revolutions also features the train station between two worlds concept from Spirited Away and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In Reloaded when the beginning foreshadowed Trinity's possible death that nearly happened, showing the bit of her getting shot and falling on an oncoming car (ala Lethal Weapon, bipity-bopity-splat!) that early in the film made it feel a little bit predictable to me. Removing the small bit of the Agent successfully shooting her and only the airborne shootout would have been more effective so that people can keep guessing what the outcome of that free-fall would be. This is all my personal opinion. If someone agrees or disagrees, that's okay. I guess you can say, the Matrix really does have me. Anyway, this is a great collection of the series to own in High Definition if you are a die-hard fan like me. The picture and sound quality is amazing and the special features are great. High Definition is the definitive way to watch these movies.

Everything about this set is amazing. The HD transfers of the films are absolutely stunning. Natrually the second two are more visually impressive being that they had a larger budget and were shot in HD. If it wasn't enough to have the HD transfers and all the DVD features included and upgraded as well, you get The Animatrix which is also upgraded to 1080p HD and animation has never looked sexier. There are also brand new special features inluded with this which inlude "Making Of" features for all the episodes. Tired yet? Well you better not be because you're no where near done exploring this set. The sixth disc included is really two as its a duel sided "Side A, Side B" disc which features on one side an extremely in depth look at the pschycology and philosophy of The Matrix. The other side is a nearly two-hour long "fly on the wall" style documentary covering the making of the final two chapters in he triology. However its runtime actually well over four hours as practically every fifteen seconds a rabbit appears on screen o take you to a sub-section documentary which goes even more in depth on the the specific section you are watching. So for example when the section covering the freeway chase from Reloaded is on the rabbit appears to take you to interviews with Pope (the DP) Gatea (the visual effects guy) and numerous othrs including actors and other crew. Specific sections you will want to hear more about is the reaction to the death of Alliah, Gloria Foster and how the movie was set to shoot on September 11, 2001 and the cast and crew reaction to being overseas during the terroist attacks of that day. It's a truely fascinating and amazing Blu-Ray set and the makers clearly exhausted the entire Matrix archive collection. If there is anything you ever wanted to know about The Matrix it's on this set, from costumes to music to how people felt about the movie to the type of food they ate while shooting the flick, The Ultimate Matrix Collection on Blu-Ray is a must for anybody who loves movies. HIGHLY RECCOMENDED!!

This was my only birthday present. The year before was the Alien Quadrilogy, so I'll review this by disk like I will that. 1 The Matrix - 4.5/5 This movie was the groundbreaking event that started everything in 1999. It seems a little isolated compared to the epic sequels, but it's still the best of the three. The new quality and sound transfers are excellent. Looks the way it was ment to. 2 The Matrix Revisited This is probably the best of the movie supplemental disks as the documentary is a streamlined flowing feature rather than little segments like the other 2 movies. Interesting stuff and good cast interviews. 3 The Matrix Reloaded - 4/5 The first time I saw this I hated it and thought it was too long. Than I realised it's like 2 minutes shorter than the first movie and that it is extremely cool. I watched the Revisited disk before watching it again, and it gave me a whole lot more respect for the movie. 4 The Matrix Reloaded Revisited Cool segments on the enormous effort it took to make this and Revolutions. Hats off to the filmmakers and a big F U to those who think they made these movies just to get a couple bucks. 5 The Matrix Revolutions 3.5/5 I liked this better than Reloaded the first time I saw it, but now I realise that it isn't really as good. It focuses more on the real world than The Matrix. Cool special effects and a very epic feel. 6 The Matrix Revolutions Revisited Good segments on the making of Revolutions. It will give you alot of respect for the filmaker's efforts. 7 The Animatrix 5/5 The balance of all these shorts combined makes it better than all of the movies IMO. The Second Rennesaince Duo are the best 2. I have indevidually reviewed these. 8 The Roots of the Matrix Extremely modern and over my head. They're brand new. If I had been tired I'd have fallen asleep during this explanation of the philosophy and ****. 9 The Burly Man Chronicles A continuous piece of the consecutive filmings of Reloaded and Revolutions. Somewhat grueling, but that's good because it shows you how filmmaking for real is a grueling process and not as glamorous as it's made out to be. 10 The Zion Archive A whole lotta ****. Pictures, and stuff. Ad for the new game which looks like crap. It's a good disk. Character bios, sets, all the ships are here very good. Get off your *** and get this! Unless you think the Matrix movies suck, than U R CRAE Z.