The Animatrix
Available on iTunes
Based on the popular sci-fi thriller The Matrix, The Animatrix  is a collection of nine short animated films. "The Second Renaissance" is a history lesson told in anime. The short develops an inspired and complex back-story, including the how's and why's of the war between humans and machines, as well as the genesis of the Matrix itself. It makes for a cyberpunk mini-epic that helps The Matrix transcend blockbuster fad status. The other seven shorts revolve around the world of the Matrix in a similar manner. One of the better films is "Kid's Story" -- from the creator of the hit anime Cowboy Bebop -- which re-tells the opening of the first movie through the eyes of an alienated adolescent.
Starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie Ann Moss, James Arnold Taylor
Director Andy Jones, Yoshiaki Kawajiri