Kid's Story

The fourth of the Animatrix shorts, this is one of those of them that ties closely into the trilogy, specifically, the sequels. This provides the background for The Kid, seen in the second two movies, and he's genuinely not irritating in this(no, seriously). The concept is highly interesting, although, for obvious reasons, this should not be seen by anyone too likely to imitate it, anyone whose behavior is that easily influenced. The animation is well-done and quite interesting, with a style of limited motion in the drawings, and the camera being responsible for a lot of the movement, in a way that feels reminiscent of regular, live-action films. The atmosphere is impeccable, and the pace is spot-on throughout. The voice acting is great, Watson does well with what few lines he has, as do Anne-Moss and Reeves. The idea and execution of this are excellent, and this is a remarkable addition to the overall universe. This has a making of, shared with Detective Story, which is well-done and informative. It's 9 and a half minutes, same as the short itself. This has one disturbing aspect, nothing objectionable beyond that. I recommend this to any fan of The Matrix franchise and/or science fiction in general. 7/10

The Animatrix is a very entertaining, very interesting experience. But of all the short movies, this is simply the best.

What makes it so obviously superior? Is it the swishy-swooshy animation that is incredibly alive and dynamic? Is it the constant mood of bewilderment that seeps through the entire movie? Is it the subtle, yet suitable score? Or is it the story about the most exceptional character in the matrix universe so far?

Yup, thats what the story is about - in my eyes. It's not about Neo or Morpheus or Trinity or any of the other cool people we already know (though Neo and Trinity cameo) - it's about the least likely character, the annoying side kick from Reloaded who made some of the Zion scenes so awkward. Watch "Reloaded" without seeing this first, and you may not like his character, or his very presence in the movie, one little bit (I did not). Yet this touching short movie shows a totally different side to him, and hints quite strongly at a powerful relevance for the matrix universe - even if that is not capitalized upon in Reloaded or Revolutions, this character and his unique story have the potential of an own spin-off. Why? Well I won't spoil it, but the ending of the short is quite powerful, creating the ideal finale for a perfect short animated movie.

Stunning, absolutely stunning, and easily the best matrix-related merchandise you are likely to see this year!

10/10

There's not much plot to this Animatrix short, but the movies overcompensated for that so it's good to have a Matrix story sold on imagery and feeling.

Remember the overeager kid from The Matrix Revolutions? This is the story of how he freed himself from un-real world and woke up. He feels alone and alienated, wondering why his dreams feel more real than his waking world.

Cowboy Beebop director Shinichirô Watanabe uses abstract, experimental animation deliver the story. It's rough and features many pencil strokes, but it's good. Not the best Animatrix short, but worth watching.

This animated short is genius, plain and simple. Personally, I find this to be one of the few anime cartoons that actually shows a high degree of talent, style, and originality. Honestly now, anime has become a copy of a copy, of a copy. But this, ladies and gentleman, pushes the limits of reality, looking quite real until they move at high speeds, where their bodies flow like wind and sway to whatever direction they moved. I really must say, I cannot find much wrong with this animation, even the voice acting was quite amazing (and I just loved it when the teacher said, "Mr. Popper").Just, I wish that a full animated English feature would be made in this art style, please, someone, anyone?

This is the ninth and last part of 'The Animatrix', a collection of animated short movies that tell us a little more about the world of 'The Matrix'. In this part a kid knows there is something out there like Neo knew in 'The Matrix'. During a class he is contacted by Neo (Keanu Reeves) and tries to run from the agents who arrive at the school building. This short is a nice ending for 'The Animatrix' with the first and therefor only appearance by Neo.