---

Calling all Matrix, comic book, and animation freaks - there is a new DVD available called The Animatrix which you need to own. The Animatrix is a collection of several animated short films, detailing the back story of the Matrix universe, and the original war between man and machines which led to the creation of the Matrix.

In nine animated shorts, you will see the rise of the machines, the creation of the Matrix, how some people woke up from the Matrix, some of the original battles, and some problems with the program. Honestly, without having seen the original Matrix movie, this would be hard to absorb, but if you have seen the first and second movies it is an interesting pre-amble to watch.

There are various styles of animation used, owing to the fact that seven different directors were used in creating this collection.

My favorite sections?

The first was called Beyond in which a twenty-something girl discovers, along with some kids in her neighborhood, a building in which the rules of physics and gravity do not seem to work. On the surface you watch Men in Black type folk come in and close off the building but if you have seen the movies, you know that this is the computer program for the Matrix being repaired. The girl does not wake up. The second was Final Flight of the Osiris which shows us how the story for the Matrix movies developed. This seems to be the last step before the filming of the movies.

I was lucky enough to see these films on a large screen - we were told they would not be shown that way very often. I think that on a smaller screen, though the dynamic colors will be even more vibrant, but if you get a chance to see this collection at a film festival, it would sure be worth your time. If not, grab it at the video store either as part of your collection or for an interesting evening of rental DVD.