The Animatrix
Matrixwriter-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski commissioned seven  artists from Japan, America and Korea to make nine short films set in the  world of theirfeature trilogy. Some of the top anime directors contributed  to this anthology, including Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll), Koji  Morimoto (Robot Carnival), and  Shinchiro Watanabe (Cowboy  Bebop). Some of the films tie directly into the narrative of the live-action movies. Drawn in a style reminiscent of Jean "Moebius" Giraud, Mahiro  Maeda'sThe Second Renaissance(Part I & Part II) depicts the  human-machine wars that caused the enslavement of humanity and the creation  of the Matrix. The duel between two flamboyantly costumed Kabuki warriors in  Kawajiri'sProgramis an expanded version of the cybernetic training  Neo (Keanu Reeves) undergoes in the firstMatrixfilm. Watanabe evokes  the look of old newspaper photographs inA Detective Story,which  falls outside the storyline of the features. Fast-paced, violent and grim,The Animatrixis an uneven but intriguing compilation that represents  a new level in the ongoing cross-pollination between Japanese animation and  American live action. (Not rated, suitable for ages 16 and older: considerable  violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery, brief nudity, alcohol  use)--Charles Solomon