The Animatrix
Straight from the creators of the groundbreaking Matrix trilogy, this collection of short animated films from the world's leading anime directors fuses computer graphics and Japanese anime to provide the background of the Matrix universe and the conflict between man and machines. The shorts include Final Flight of the Osiris, The Second Renaissance, Kid's Story, Program, World Record, Beyond, A Detective Story and Matriculated.
Critics Sentiment
Humanity blocks out the sun to starve machines
Humans attempt to convert captured machines through virtual reality
The drop from the acclaimed Second Renaissance segments to the more divisive individual character stories marked the anthology's steepest decline in critical reception
Critics consistently praised The Animatrix as essential Matrix viewing, with The Second Renaissance segments earning near-universal acclaim for their brutal backstory and stunning animation. While the individual character stories received more mixed reception, the anthology maintained strong overall quality through diverse animation styles and compelling worldbuilding. The collection succeeded in expanding the Matrix universe meaningfully, though some reviewers noted repetitive themes and inconsistent segment quality.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 32
Keanu Reeves
Neo ("Kid's Story") (voice)
Carrie-Anne Moss
Trinity ("Kid's Story" and "A Detective Story") (voice)
Clayton Watson
The Kid ("Kid's Story") (voice)
Pamela Adlon
Jue ("Final Flight of the Osiris") / Manabu ("Beyond") (voice)
Melinda Clarke
Alexa ("Matriculated") (voice)
John DiMaggio
Crew Man ("Final Flight of the Osiris") / Kaiser ("Program") (voice)
Kevin Michael Richardson
Thadeus ("Final Flight of Osiris") / Cop ("Kid's Story") / Agent #2 ("World Record")
Tom Kenny
Operator ("Final Flight of Osiris")
Rick Gomez
Pilot ("Final Flight of Osiris")
Tara Strong
Crew Woman ("Final Flight of Osiris") / Nurse ("World Record") / Misha ("Beyond")
Bette Ford
Old Woman ("Final Flight of Osiris")
Julia Fletcher
The Instructor ("The Second Renaissance Part I & II") / Narrator ("World Record")
Dane A. Davis
01 Versatran Spokesman ("The Second Renaissance Part I & II")
Debi Derryberry
Kid ("The Second Renaissance Part I & II")
Jill Talley
Mother ("The Second Renaissance Part I & II")
Dwight Schultz
Additional Voices ("The Second Renaissance Part I & II") / Monaka ("Matriculated")
James Arnold Taylor
Additional Voices ("The Second Renaissance Part I & II") / Ash ("A Detective Story") / Raul ("Matriculated")
John DeMita
Teacher ("Kid's Story")
Hedy Burress
Cis ("Program") / Yoko ("Beyond")
Phil LaMarr
Duo ("Program")
Crew
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