The red pill, or the white pill?

This DVD contains a number of anime short films. Each is a backstory that is sure to be enjoyed by fans of The Matrix. The films are: (and the director)-- Andy Jones (“Final Flight of the Osiris”), Mahiro Maeda (“The Second Renaissance Parts I & II”), Shinichiro Watanabe (“Kid’s Story” and “A Detective Story”), Yoshiaki Kawajiri Program”), Takeshi Koike (“World Record”), Koji Morimoto (“Beyond”), Peter Chung (“Matriculated”).

Each is a nice piece of work, and each is in a different animation style, ranging from something like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, to a stark black and white style. All are enjoyable, and some are amazing. A couple are in the style of the Matrix, but most are not. Sound is 5.1 Dolby, and very aggressive. Turn this way up, and strap down the loose items in your viewing room!

The films are based on an R rated movie, so heed the warning before showing it to or giving it to children.

Commentary by the directors is available for each film but only in a CC format. Most directors do not speak English during the commentary.

The films total 89 minutes in length.

Also on the DVD is a preview of the Matrix game. Not very interesting except for a couple of scenes from The Matrix Reloaded movie, cut along side some from the game.

All in all, for fans of the Matrix, this is a desirable addition to your video library. I found it a a reduced price at Best Buy. Don't pay anywhere near the usual movie amount of $20.00. This is not meant to sell for more than $12-$15. Look for it on sale, or go to half.com for a used or discounted copy.