The Ultimate Matrix Collection (Blu-ray) (1999)

"[Animatrix] ...offers enough delights to spark interest in even the most anti-anime viewer.  Anthony Nield, DVD Times
"[Revisited] ...[an] amazingly dense documentary...a great introduction into the world of how The Matrix movies were made.  Bill Gibron, DVD Verdict
"[Revisited] ...an eye-opening piece of work that takes you further behind the scenes than most films of this ilk have ever done.  Christopher Null, FilmCritic.com
"[Matrix] This wildly imaginative thriller is a futuristic head trip you most definitely want to take.  Cody Clark, Mr. Showbiz
"[Matrix] ...combines traditional science-fiction premises with spanking new visual technology in a way that almost defies description.  Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
"[Revolutions] A satisfying action-packed conclusion to one of the most incredible sci-fi mythologies put on film.  Michael Szymanski, Zap2It.com
"[Animatrix] The animation is consistently excellent and those who care will appreciate the way this collection informs the mainstream trilogy.  Robert Strohmeyer, FilmCritic.com
"[Revolutions] A terrific action achievement. Andy and Larry Wachowski have concluded their trilogy with all barrels blazing.  Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"[Reloaded] ...dazzling action, jaw-dropping effects, cool clothes, steamy romance and more of the nifty "Matrix" mythology introduced in the 1999 original.  Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian
"[Reloaded] Delivers enough thrills, kicks and cool moments to satiate geeks, fans and mere general viewers worldwide...  Todd McCarthy, Variety

Editor's Note THE ULTIMATE MATRIX COLLECTION presents the complete adventures of machine-battling truth-seekers Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) in all three of the Wachowski brothers' groundbreaking sci-fi feature films--THE MATRIX (1999) with remastered picture and sound, THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003), and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (2003)--as well as the making-of documentary THE MATRIX REVISITED (2001), the animated short films of THE ANIMATRIX (2003), and a slew of special bonus materials. See individual titles for plot details.

	Carrie-Anne Moss
	Hugo Weaving
	Keanu Reeves
	Laurence Fishburne
	Larry Wachowski - Director
	Andy Wachowski - Director

ReelViews 9 of 10
[Matrix] There's no sophomore jinx for the Wachowski Brothers. Andy and Larry, a pair of obviously talented film makers, have returned to theaters with The Matrix, a science fiction thriller that is every bit the match of their debut effort, Bound, for tension, excitement, and intelligence. In an era when movie scripts (especially those pigeonholed into the science fiction genre) are becoming increasingly more stupid and special effects reliant, the Wachowskis prove that style and substance do not have to be mutually exclusive...The Matrix offers a little something for everyone. The die-hard science fiction fan will discover a plot that mixes and matches both new and old conventions of the genre in a compelling fashion. Action aficionados will find that there's no shortage of electric excitement, whether it's in the form of hand-to-hand kung fu-type fights or shoot-outs with seemingly limitless ammunition. There's also betrayal, a little romance, some humor, and a moral dilemma or two, all wrapped into a well-produced package. As I stated earlier, the way in which the Wachowskis choose to resolve everything seems slightly contrived, but, in the overall scheme of things, that's a small price to pay for one of the most enjoyable science fiction thrillers to reach the screen in months. - James Berardinelli

Apollo Movie Guide 7 of 10
[Revisited] Perhaps the most amusing or telling trait of The Matrix phenomenon (depending on your point of view) is the cult of followers it's created. Naturally, the franchise needs a following to generate income, and a good one exists. Still, it's instructive to watch Matrix fanatics subscribing to the fictional reality of the film while also absorbing its message that the movie's fictional reality is evil and to be abhorred. It's an anti-delusional ethos delivered via delusion. Is all the hype merited? Is The Matrix Revisited good for fans and curious onlookers, or a desperate stab at minting more coin while plugging the up-coming sequels? Containing more stuff than anyone could absorb at one sitting, The Matrix Revisited is seldom boring, yet covers much ground familiar to most viewers. Like the complex issues at the centre of the movie, only you can decide whether you truly want to revisit The Matrix...Keanu Reeves amazes with his ability to answer interview questions by speaking at a brisk pace, appearing more intelligent than suspected. Further, Carrie Anne Moss' humble enthusiasm and Laurence Fishburne's ultra cool attitude make engaging viewing...Regular folks should certainly watch The Matrix, and if you're curious about the behind the scenes scoop, The Matrix Revisited is a great supplemental piece. - Kurt Dahlke

Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
[Reloaded] Commander Lock: "Not everyone believes what you believe." Morpheus: "My beliefs do not require that they do." Characters are always talking like this in "The Matrix Reloaded," which plays like a collaboration involving a geek, a comic book and the smartest kid in Philosophy 101...The speeches provide not meaning, but the effect of meaning: It sure sounds like those guys are saying some profound things...That will not prevent fanboys from analyzing the philosophy of "The Matrix Reloaded" in endless Web postings. Part of the fun is becoming an expert in the deep meaning of shallow pop mythology; there is something refreshingly ironic about becoming an authority on the transient extrusions of mass culture, and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) now joins Obi-Wan Kenobi as the Plato of our age...I say this not in disapproval, but in amusement. "The Matrix" (1999), written and directed by the brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski, inspired so much inflamed pseudo-philosophy that it's all "The Matrix Reloaded" can do to stay ahead of its followers. It is an immensely skillful sci-fi adventure, combining the usual elements: heroes and villains, special effects and stunts, chases and explosions, romance and oratory...Toward the end, there are scenes involving characters who seem pregnant with possibilities for Part 3. - Roger Ebert

The Onion A.V. Club 8 of 10
[Animatrix] Originally conceived as something between a tie-in product and a full-length advertisement for the Matrix movie trilogy, the animated-shorts anthology The Animatrix quickly took on a life of its own, thanks to the increasingly high profile of Japanese animation in America and the top talents Matrix writer-directors Andy and Larry Wachowski enlisted for the project. The Wachowskis scripted half of The Animatrix's nine installments, which flesh out the backstory and milieu of their Matrix world...While the actual Matrix movies have embraced a dark-but-shiny comic-book good-over-evil aesthetic, The Animatrix is virtually all grimmer and grittier. Its characters are peripheral to the Matrix trilogy, and there's no guarantee that they'll survive, let alone triumph. But by establishing the lethality and bleakness of the Wachowskis' world outside the radius of their central heroes' reach, The Animatrix raises the stakes on The Matrix, and gives it a bit of the depth it lacks. To some degree, The Animatrix is a logical extension of the Wachowskis' vision: Like their main project, this sideline is more style than substance, but also more style than its competitors can bring to the table. The Animatrix lacks some of the Matrix movies' punch, but none of their panache. - Tasha Robinson

Reel.com 8 of 10
[Revolutions] Matrix cultists can breathe easy: The epic cyber trilogy ends with more of a bang than a whimper in Matrix Revolutions. Whereas Matrix Reloaded struck many viewers as willfully obscure in its tiresome emphasis on questions of choice and destiny, Matrix Revolutions thankfully holds the pretentious philosophizing in check. With this film, the Wachowski brothers recapture the sense of wonder that made The Matrix so startling and fresh in 1999...The thrilling centerpiece of Matrix Revolutions is the machines' relentless assault on Zion. Swarms of tentacled Sentinels descend upon the subterranean civilization in tautly edited and technically dazzling sequence reminiscent of the attack on the Death Star in Star Wars (1977)...Although Matrix Revolutions ends on a rather hopeful note, it ultimately envisions a grim future for humankind. The Wachowski brothers' dystopian vision cleverly synthesizes such disparate sources as Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, mythology, the Bible, and the fiction of Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner), among others, to depict the perils of technology run amuck. Intriguing, frequently confusing, but mostly entertaining, Matrix Revolutions wraps up the trilogy's narrative loose ends in a reasonably satisfying fashion. - Tim Knight