Ultimate Matrix Collection [10 Discs]Ultimate Matrix Collection [10 Discs]

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$59.94

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  • Aspect Ratio:
    Widescreen
  • Language:
      French, Japanese, English, Spanish
  • Studio:
      Warner Home Video
  • UPC:
      085393367121
  • Year of Release:
      2004
  • Item Number:
      WBD033671
  • Release Date:
      11/01/2005
  • Genre:
     

    Media Studies –

    Sci-Fi Action –

    Science Fiction –

    Television

  • Format:
     

    DVD

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

    Warner Bros.' Ultimate Matrix Collection continues the tradition of excellence set by the first record-breaking DVD release of 1999's original Matrix film. While this superior production level caused many to purchase DVD players for the first time and resulted in one of the highest home-video grosses for a single film, the DVD releases for The Matrix's two sequels were rushed, commercial-filled disappointments. All is forgiven here with this mega-packed ten-disc set that is spilling over with insightful looks into the long production journey of the Matrix trilogy. Those willing see how deep the set's rabbit hole goes will find over 35 hours of featurettes, production drawings, interviews, and philosophical discussions of what the Matrix really means. Each of the three films is presented in a gorgeous 2.35:1 widescreen edition. While each film features outstanding picture quality, the original Matrix shines the brightest. Featuring an all-new high-definition transfer created especially for this collection, the picture quality is clearly a major step up from the film's previous DVD release. The crisp colors, dark blacks, and zero film grain make this new eye-popping presentation reason enough to give this set high praise, yet this is only the beginning. Each film features outstanding Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks and two very different audio commentaries. While the creators of the trilogy, brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski are nowhere to be heard, they did allow a pair of Matrix-loving philosophers, Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilber, to analyze every aspect of the films. The also allowed a group of Matrix-bashing critics, Todd McCarthy, John Powers, and David Thomson, to rip the trilogy apart. While all six commentary tracks are lively and interesting to hear, especially any comment by Dr. West, who appears to be the Matrix films' biggest fan, the trio of grumpy critics can often become downright annoying. While all three hesitantly admit to enjoying the first film, most of their time with the sequels is spent either constantly name dropping obscure directors they believe the Wachowskis are ripping off or complaining about the modern state of filmmaking. Although the comments can be become irritating, it still makes for a great listen as stands a document of how many felt about the films at the time of their release. Starting out the treasure trove of supplemental materials is a slightly altered version of the 2001 Matrix Revisited DVD. Those who already own this all-bonus-features disc will find nothing different aside from new menus and the absence of a few items that were on the original release. These missing bits go largely unnoticed here and add to the focused nature of the entire set. What remains is a feature-length look at the film's production, success, and future. Dozens of extra featurettes offer a deeper look at aspects like the film's complex visual effects and kung fu choreography. This is continued in the supplemental discs for the sequels, appropriately titled "The Matrix Reloaded Revisited" and "The Matrix Revolutions Revisited." Through the 50 mini-documentaries presented here, you learn every little detail you ever wanted to know about the two films. Everything, from the live-action footage used in the Enter the Matrix video game to what happened to all the wood used to build the freeway in Reloaded, is covered in great detail. While some of the material featured in the hours and hours of behind-the-scenes footage shown here overlaps from the film's previous DVD releases, especially with Reloaded's car chase and Revolutions' gravity-bending final battle, the majority of it is has never been seen and is likely to be eaten up by fans. Following the Revisited discs, the Ultimate Collection then serves up a series of four stand-alone discs that amazingly have more to say about the Matrix experience. Starting things out is the inclusion of The Animatrix, a series of nine well-made animated short films set in the Matrix universe. This version of The Animatrix remains exactly the same from its previous DVD release in 2003, aside from having new menus and the dated commercials for the Enter the Matrix video game removed. "The Roots of the Matrix" disc offers two feature-length documentaries on the intellectual and philosophical ideas of the trilogy, and the real science that inspired the more science fiction aspects of the films. While both are constantly stimulating and entertaining, one senses that some of the highly intelligent participants are straying away from the films -- sometimes discussing some fairly bizarre ideas. Those seeking even more can find several hidden DVD Easter eggs tucked away on this disc. Next up is a disc titled "The Burly Man Chronicles." Perhaps the most intriguing disc in the set, it features an over two-hour "fly on the wall," week-by-week look at the entire production of Reloaded and Revolutions. From the deaths of cast members to what the cast and crew were doing on September 11, everything is covered here. The viewer walks away having an even greater appreciation for what went into making the two films. Twenty-one extra featurettes are included that add even more detail to the experience. Also to be noted is that the now well-known ultra-reclusive Wachowski Brothers appear all over the place on this disc, and a tiny glimpse is given into their directing style. Closing things out is a disc titled "The Zion Archive," which offers up tons of the trilogy's many trailers, TV spots, music videos, storyboards, and concept drawings. Things wouldn't be complete without some kind of commercial, and one is shamelessly given for the Matrix Online video game. While this Ultimate Collection is an extraordinarily impressive DVD collection, those just mildly curious about the films are better off with the previous DVD releases, as this set appears to be for Matrix-crazed fans only. Those fans out there willing to take the blue pill and jack in to this wondrously massive Matrix set will not be disappointed. ~ Jason Gibner, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:
  • Region: 1
  • Number of Discs: 10
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard), 2.40:1, 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
  • Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
  • Subtitle: English, Spanish, French
  • Features:
      • New digital transfer of The Matrix
      • Two new audio commentaries, by philosophers and critics, for each of the three Matrix films
      • The Matrix Revisited: Includes 17 featurettes
      • The Matrix Reloaded Revisited: Includes 21 featurettes and 23 scenes shot for the Enter the Matrix video game
      • The Matrix Revolutions Revisited: Includes 29 featurettes
      • The Roots of the Matrix: Historical, philosophical, and technological inspirations are explored in several documentaries
      • The Burly Man Chronicles: Probe the society of actors, craftspeople, and filmmakers who shaped the movie trilogy and the Enter the Matrix console game; includes 21 featurettes
      • The Zion Archive: Production assets developed for the Matrix universe, including concept artwork, storyboards, drawings, music videos, TV spots, and trailers; also includes a preview of The Matrix Online multiplayer game
      • DVD-ROM features
      • Music-only tracks
      • Easter eggs
AWARDS
  • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
  •     Won Best Editing - 1999 (Zach Staenberg)
  •     Won Best Sound - 1999 (David E. Campbell, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, David Lee)
  •     Won Best Sound Effects Editing - 1999 (Dane A. Davis)
  •     Won Best Visual Effects - 1999 (Steven Richard Courtley, Jon Thum, Janek Sirrs, John Gaeta)
  • British Academy of Film and Television Arts
  •     Nominated Best Cinematography - 1999 (Bill Pope)
  •     Nominated Best Editing - 1999 (Zach Staenberg)
  •     Nominated Best Production Design - 1999 (Owen Paterson)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
REVIEWS:
  • One of the most genuinely anticipated movies of its time, The Matrix Reloaded saturated theaters with an expectation of excellence that few films would ever be able to meet. But even with unrealistic expectations taken into account, this first sequel to The Matrix still disappoints. Respect must be given to the ambition, complexity, and sheer scale of the endeavor, but this quickly gives way to the significant problems with pacing and structure that didn't exist in the first movie. Case in point: After a brief blaze of action, The Matrix Reloaded settles into nearly 30 minutes of talk, talk, and more talk. Weighed down by these overlong sections of meaningless blather among insignificant characters, there are some truly head-scratching scenes that could've easily been excised -- Neo's (Keanu Reeves) late-night encounter with Councillor Harmann (Anthony Zerbe) being the most glaring example -- and the remainder of the movie strains to regain lost audience enthusiasm after this point. Where The Matrix was tightly structured and fast-paced, The Matrix Reloaded plays out on a larger scale, with its various pieces struggling to cohere together. The lengthy action sequences are motivated less by plot than by the need to have another action sequence, and though the story has a wobbly arc of its own, the finale feels as if it was arbitrarily cut to create a cliffhanger that's more puzzling than "whoa" inducing. Those expecting something as new and surprising as the first Matrix may also be let down by the sequel's lack of a truly dazzling effect on the magnitude of "bullet-time." Instead, the old effects are refined and reused in set pieces like an exhausting 14-minute vehicle chase and a CG fight sequence that comes close to replicating the look of reality. It's telling that one of the most entertaining action scenes -- the precise hand-to-hand combat between Neo and Seraph (Collin Chou) -- is also one of the simplest. But in sequel-land, simple is rarely good enough, and The Matrix Reloaded is ultimately diminished by its affinity for all things exaggerated. For the Wachowskis, no chase is too long, no speech too windy, no Biblical reference too overt. By the end of nearly two-and-a-half hours, the Matrix hasn't been reloaded; it's been deflated. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi
  • Endlessly disputable in its ideals, execution, and most importantly, audiences' expectations, the final act in the Matrix trilogy dares to deliver what classic science fiction has delved into for years -- human understanding. Ironic then that for the most part, the filmmakers' intent has remained universally misunderstood. The second film was so poorly received that by the time this entry was released, most outside of tight knit fan communities had lost interest. And just how does it end? With rousing action sequences sure to have audiences whooping and hollering?... Hardly, though the film's two big set pieces should, by all means, be that way. Instead, laced with layers of emotional connectivity, the powerhouse scenes of bridled geek joy transcend their money shots and shoot for the inevitable spiritual end that the series had been promising. In this way, Revolutions is a hard sell for any audience. The third film is weightier than it's predecessors and ends on a subdued note that is light years away from the series popcorn days of old. Still, if one stands back and looks at the entire trilogy, there are undeniable themes that make the backbone of the series....The Matrix ends with love causing a miracle. Reloaded ends with love causing a miracle. Revolutions ends with love affecting everything and creating a new world. Love it or hate it, if that isn't hardcore science fiction, then what is? ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
  • "What is The Matrix?" In the hands of writer/directors Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski, The Matrix proved to be an exhilarating comic book/Hong Kong/sci-fi treatise on the nature of reality for the Keanu Reeves crowd. With Sydney, Australia, standing in for an ominously green-tinged Any City, the initiation of Reeves' ace hacker Neo into the Real World by Laurence Fishburne's super-cool Morpheus and Carrie-Anne Moss' patent leather-clad cyber babe Trinity sets off the ultimate conflict between man and malevolent machine. Regardless of that conflict's philosophical bent, the real attraction became The Matrix's trailblazing special effects and bravura set pieces, including airborne kung fu, time-bending, bullet-dodging shoot-outs, and an ultra-stylized, slow-motion lobby fusillade. Along with sweeping the four technical Oscars for which it was nominated, including Best Visual Effects and Best Editing, The Matrix's sleekly kinetic action attracted legions of fans, turning it into not only a bona fide blockbuster (and an MTV Movie Award winner), but also a top-selling DVD. While its open ending hinted at further adventures to come, The Matrix's financial success guaranteed that the Wachowskis' plans for two sequels would indeed come to fruition. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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