I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Fantastic!

Absolutely Fantastic

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Two Samurai are tackling a training program. When the digital bad guys are vanquished the man (Duo) tells the woman (Cis) that he wishes to go back to the Matrix and that he should go with her. She disagrees, they clash, one of them loses.It's a thin premise but saved by nice twist. Ninja Scroll director Yoshiaki Kawajiri brings his usual visual style to the story but it's nothing you haven't seen a hundred times before. The action isn't too exciting and the color schemes are kinda bland.The Animatrix shorts are mostly good but this one is probably the worst, that's not to say it's terrible, just not that great.

This is the fifth on the disc of Animatrix shorts. It's seven minutes long, and thus shorter than the usual(which is about nine), and every moment is intense. This manages to not slow down for a second without overwhelming the viewer, as well as provide some food for thought, around one of the themes also explored in The Matrix(the first film as well as the franchise). The action is exceptionally well-done, engaging and fun. The animation is impeccable throughout. The visuals are stunning, and the choreography leaves little, if anything, to be desired. The dialog is well-written and also nicely delivered. The plot is well-done and the story-telling is strong, offering so much in this amount of time, and the ending adds a whole additional layer to it. The drama is powerful. The audio is well-done, with great voice-acting and sound effects. There is a six-minute making of, well-done and interesting, on the DVD, as well as a commentary track, not in English but subtitled, and worth it to hear the thoughts of those who made it. I recommend this to any fan of science fiction, Animé and anyone who likes what they watch to give them something to think about. 8/10

Speaking aesthetically, I really enjoyed the crisp, thick-lined and fluid animation and radiant pace, and overall epic feel of this short, which also took "residual self image" to a far more imaginative level than the hit and miss euro-trash style of the live action films. I particularly like how Cis's hair is so much longer in the construct. The whole look of this short was so rich and elegant it just drew you in and you lost all concept of time. Speaking thematically, we know what happens when people like Cipher get sick of the real world. Duo is almost a deeper character in this seven-minute animation. He knows how brutal the machines are, and feels like its only a matter of time before the free humans are wiped out. He also loves Cis and wants her to "escape" with him and escape the pain and certain death he feels is inevitable. I take Cis' side, however. As well-intentioned or logical Duo's argument is, the fact remains he betrayed Cis and everyone else he knows because he allowed his fear to take over. Cis won't run from the truth like he is, and she knows that the only way to survive the situation is to terminate the traitor without hesitation. In this desperate form of human existence, her action was not at all uncalled for. Those whose minds have been freed depend on one another. Fortunately, he was just a simulated character in a test program.

A story set in the Matrix world, it shows a soldier of Zion in a samurai training program (like the construct where Morpheus and Neo have a kungfu duel.) She has to choose between her loyalty to her comrades and the cause, and love for her boyfriend who wants to return to the Matrix... The backgrounds and the Japanese temples are very beautifully portrayed and the fight sequences are excellent. The overall look is like any anime action movie.