I haven’t had a chance to see Reloaded in the theatre and probably won’t have the opportunity for a while. The next best thing to satiate that fix is the Animatrix, a series of animated short films set in the reality of the Matrix.
There is such potential here for great storytelling and fortunately there are real standouts on the DVD. The series thankfully avoids the potential pitfalls of a storyline becoming too much of a one-trick pony(discovery of the Matrix by the main characters), especially the films that rendered in the style of Aeon Flux.
Apparently, the animated shorts fit in nicely with Reloaded, especially the Last Flight of the Osiris, which is mentioned briefly in the beginning of the movie. The Second Renaissance parts one and two are the best of the bunch and recounts the history of the machines and how humanity ultimately became the creators of their own destruction through arrogance and hubris. As a leitmotif, it’s an oldie but goodie.
