Red Line

In the far future, racing has evolved.  Drivers update and max out their rides with the latest hover tech to make them go faster and right over the edge.  Those who think they’re hot and brave enough, yearn to take a shot at Red Line, the greatest underground race in the galaxy.  This year, Red Line is going big, setting up shop on one of the most hostile worlds in the galaxy: RoboWorld, whose rulers will stop at nothing to keep the race from happening in the first place.  Joshua “Sweet JP” Punkhead and Crab Sonochee McLaren have both dreamed of racing in this infamous death gauntlet and now fate has given them their chance.  But to be in Red Line, you’ve gotta put it all on the line and leave nothing but dust in your wake.  This is the race where Legends are born and those who cant cut it might not survive.

Red Line is a title ive heard mostly in whispers throughout the Anime community, that or I just don’t listen to the ground hard enough.  Well, it was loaned to me recently and I decided to check out what ive heard to be a visual feast for the eyes.  I had no idea what I was in for other than knowing this was an Anime about racing.  I didn’t expect to see the insane Anime fusion of Ralph Bashki, Heavy Metal and Mad House’s fever dream animation.

And really, that’s what makes Red Line truly stand out immediately.  From the quiet opening seconds to the thunderous roars and rush of engines being pushed to the limit, when the race is on, the Animation is tearing apart the screen along with it.  While I didn’t expect Red Line to take place in the far future and in another galaxy, the concept of a high profile underground race consisting of some of the most souped up racing mecha ever is pretty nifty.  Each racing team brings its own flair to their ride from spider like capabilities to a sexy robot mode or just a straight up old fashioned four wheeled racer with a shiny exterior.  I’d say that each racing machine reflects its respective racer.  But while everyone is unique for sure, their personalities are all the same: bat crap crazy with a need for speed and the urge to push it to the limit and win the race, no matter the cost to themselves or their rides.  Mad House should be commended for their work on this.  All of the exaggerated facial expressions, the stretching of bodies and faces when the nitro is ignited, to just all the chaos of the actual Red Line race itself, the overall presentation definitley puts this Anime in the Top 5 best looking features Mad House has ever done alongside One Punch Man and Ninja Scroll.

The wide world of Red Line is begging to be explored in more than just a two hour feature.  I actually continuously felt that was this films Achilles Heel.  There is so much going on from the politics to the journeys of each individual racer to how the universe thrives on racing that two hours just doesn’t feel like enough, no matter the rush of the race.  Lead characters JP, Sonochee and Frisbee all get their own due with their stories but the other racers deserved a little more time to develop besides their zany or sexy quirks.  I’m not saying what we got in terms of story or character development was bad, it just felt like it could have been stretched into a 13-26 episode season (actually why hasn’t their been a Red Line TV Anime?).  Plus, the look of this universe of Red Line, as I mentioned above, looks heavily influenced by adult animation practices of the 70’s and 80’s from Ralph Bashiki’s violent sex fueled animation fests like American Pop and Fritz the Cat to Heavy Metal and all of its full on edgy, nudity filled sci fi action.  Needless to say, this Anime aint for kids and yet it feels juvenile enough with all the adrenaline pumping through its engines.

If you come to Red Line for a in depth look at characters and what makes them tick, you’ve come to the wrong place.  If you’ve come to see an Anime who’s insane races make The Fast and the Furious and Need For Speed look like a Kindergarten class, then this is the Anime for you.  Shakespeare this is not.  Red Line is a full on assault on all senses that gets the heart pumping on NOS and leaves you breathless right up til the finish line…and wishing there was a more extended look at this in a TV series or an OVA.  Don’t be surprised if you’re having trouble breathing for a little bit once the movie is done, it is, if nothing else, one helluva rush. 

8/10

The Animatrix

From The Wachowski’s, the Creators of The Matrix Trilogy, and seven of the greatest storytellers in all of Anime, comes a journey far deeper into the rabbit hole than ever before.  Behold nine stories from across the Matrix Mythology: tales of origins and expansions, of love and betrayal, belief against reality.  From the scorched wastelands of the Real World to digitized, gravity defying landscapes never before seen, this is one journey into the Matrix that will change everything you know about one of the greatest scifi epics of all time, all in Anime form. 

2003 is often thought of as The Year of The Matrix for a reason.  In addition to two sequels (The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions) and a tie in video game (Enter The Matrix), a special Anime Anthology series was put into production.  This endevour, one of the first of its kind, would see The Wachowskis collaborate with some of the best minds and studios and Animes to expand the world of The Matrix.  The end result of this is a pretty amazing feat of storytelling that actually dwarfs anything Reloaded and Revolutions ever could. 

First off, let’s do a quick rundown of the offerings: First up is Final Flight of the Osiris, a direct prequel to The Matrix Reloaded and one of the final projects of the short lived Square Pictures; The Second Renaissance is a two part tale from Mahiro Maeda, the director of Blue Submarine No.6, focusing on the downfall of mankind, the rise of the Machines and the birth of The Matrix itself; Kid’s Story, one of two entries directed by Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, details the origins of one key player in The Matrix sequels; Program, from Ninja Scroll director Yoshiyaki Kawajiri is basically Ninja Scroll in The Matrix…nuff said; World Record sees a track runner force his way out of The Matrix through sheer will and is directed by Takeshi Koike of Redline fame; Beyond finds a group of kids exploiting a dangerous glitch in The Matrix for fun, a wild mind trip from Koji Morimoto, the director of Magnetic Rose from Katsuhiro Otomo’s Memories; A Detective’s Story, the second offering from Shinichiro Watanabe, finds an old school private eye on the hunt for Trinity; and finally Matriculated, from Aeon Flux creator Peter Chung, finds surface based rebels trying to convert machines to their rebellion.  Of these nine stories, four of them (Osiris, Renaissance and Kid’s Story) are written by Matrix creators The Wachowski’s themselves.

The most immediate thing that stands out about each entry of The Animatrix is that everything is different.  No two stories share the same art style and they’re mostly all done by different Anime studios.  So, in a way, not only is this a good demo for exploring The Matrix universe, it’s also a good way to sample the creative talents of the world of Anime at large as well.  It’s a good partnership if you ask me and I wonder why this kind of experiment wasn’t done more with other film properties (the closest anthology project I can think of to this degree was 2008’s Batman: Gotham Knight, which tied into the then upcoming release of The Dark Knight).  And can you believe some of those directors they recruited to the project?  Watanabe, Kawajiri, Chung, Morimoto are pioneers of the Anime genre, everyone involved in this is.  Best yet, while some stories stand out more than others (more on that in a sec), this doesn’t feel like a simple Matrix cash grab.  Unlike the clearly rushed and unpolished Enter The Matrix video game, each tale from The Animatrix has so much time, effort and heart poured into each frame of its existence.  One can only imagine how good and generally better the sequels would have been if this much care had been given to them as well.

Ok, the shorts themselves.  Of the 9 offerings…I really liked five of them, three were good and one was not my fav due to an opinion of artsytle and time.  That not fav is Matriculated.  I’m not a big fan of the way Peter Chung draws his characters and as the final short it is a bit longer than it needed.  The story has a good premise and the visuals on the digital plane are just as good as everything else in this series.  Like I said, it’s just me on this one.  I know a lot of other people who like Peter Chung and Aeon Flux so this one will please them just fine.  The Second Renaissanse doesn’t hold back detailing how brutal humanitys war with the machines ended up becoming.  Some of the imagery in Part 2 especially is not for the feint of heart and I know I was cringined.  It’s horrific but effective and there’s still plenty of scifi action and cool mecha designs to balance the scales.  Beyond was trippier than I expected but makes sense given the guy who directed also directed an equally trippy and visually amazing Anime short for Katsuhiro Otomo.

My favs are my favs for a number of reasons.  Kid’s Story’s handdrawn artstyle reminds me of “Breaking the Habit” by Linkin Park and the centerpiece skateboard chase is so freaking cool to watch (with a cool tune to match to it…actually the entire Animatrix soundtrack is incredible).  Program is Ninja Scroll meets The Matrix…seriously do you need any more reason to know why it kicks so much ass?  World Record and A Detective’s Story are two of the most unique tales of the bunch for their setups and executions.  To see a human push his body well past the breaking point and enable himself to break into another reality is one of the cooler concepts World Record brings to The Matrix mythology.  Plus the build up to poor Dan Davis’ brief escape is expertly done, as is the ambiguous and kind of hopeful epilogue.  A Detective’s Story adds a huge and welcome dose of Film Noir to The Matrix, complete with Blade Runner esque narrarations, a cool as hell lead character and even a glimpse of some old school repurposed tech from the 20’s and 30’s used to hack like a modern day hacker, it just oozes cool.  And last there’s the one short The Animatrix is most known for.  Final Flight of the Osiris is the swan song of Square Pictures, aka that division of Square responsible for that expensive box office bomb that was Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.  For a short prequel to a larger tale, Osiris is pretty good, showcasing what Square Pictures could have done if it had been given more of a chance to try other features in the wake of Spirit Withins failure.  Also blind ninja sword fighting in a Matrix simulator with the super sexy Jue is worth the price of admission.

The Animatrix is a rare kind of experience.  Not only is it far superior to either of the Matrix sequels, it’s a perfect sampler plate of what the world of Anime has to offer as a whole: stylish action, pristine and mind bending visuals, exploration of dark and unknown territories and exactly what Neo promised at the end of the first film: worlds where anything is possible.  I know I had my favorites from the bunch and others will have their favs and dislikes as well.  As a whole, The Animatrix is a one of a kind experience that im thankful is just that but am also sad this kind of team up hasn’t been attempted more since it came out.  Sure we’ve had some shody Anime-esque direct to video tie ins to blockbuster films like Van Helsing and The Chronicles of Riddick but neither those or others have come even close to matching The Animatrix experience.  Truly, these are the sequels that The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions should have been.

9/10

Summer 2019 Check In

Greetings Dear Readers.  Well the clear signs of summer are upon us…in other words it is getting pretty damn hot outside.  And it looks like things have been steadily heating up right here at the Anime Corner too.  K-ON! Kicked off the month of June in spectacular fashion and we’ll be wrapping up Matrix Week with The Animatrix over the next couple of days.  Now normally I do a special review for the 4th of July holiday.  Well since the holiday falls during my next big series and I don’t want to interrupt it, not only are you getting Matrix Week but a special bonus review this Sunday, June 30th.  I think you’ll like what I have in mind.

Which takes us into July.  It’s that time of year again, the time of rapid fire reviews and the countdown to another Otakon.  And what is this years Extended Series Review?  Well since I just so happen to do a Gundam series every other year, how about TURN A GUNDAM!!!  That’s right.  Mobile Suit Gundam’s 20th Anniversary series also turns (no pun intended) 20 itself this year and I’m ready to take it all on.  That means 50 episodes and two compilation movies (Earth Light and Moonlight Butterfly)  coming to your screens during normal reviews days aka Monday as well as Wednesday and Friday.  Also expect a split in the Top 5’s during the month of July: Two Gundam and Two Anime Convention themed entries.  It’s going to be fun.

As is normal tradition, I usually take a break from reviews the Monday I return from a weekend long convention.  But while there may be a review I sneak in later that week, the week after Otakon 2019 returns us to business as usual and we’re closing out Summer 2019 with a special world tour with Ryu an Ken.  That’s right, those guys from that game you might know.  As recommended to me by a good friend, I’m doing Street Fighter II V, kicking off Mid August and taking us to Mid September (I wonder if ill like it more than Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie).  We’ll also see the return of First Impression Fridays and they’ll be powering through almost uninterrupted until the end of the year…or until we reach the landmark 100th FIF in and around November…and I still don’t know what title will fill that incredible spot but hey ive got time and a ton of fun first impressions waiting in the meantime.

And that’s about it for this little update.  Next time I do one of these the weather will be cooler and fall with be right around the corner and ive got some major plans to close out 2019 on, including the epic conclusion to The Year of The Slayers with Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution R.  Hope everyone is having a fun summer in the meantime.  Keep checking in and ill see you guys around Dear Readers. V.

The Matrix Revolutions

It is Humanity’s darkest hour.  The Machine Empire’s invasion army nears the walls of Zion and there is little Humanity can do to stand against it.  Trapped inside The Matrix, Neo must unlock his true potential to defeat the real threat: a chaotically insane Agent Smith.  War begins on two fronts with the fate of two races hanging in the balance.  Neo, Morpheus, Trinity and their remaining allies will be sorely tested.  Will they find Humanity’s salvation or ultimate downfall at the end of road?  Everything that has a beginning, has an end.

The Matrix Reloaded might’ve had some saving graces with its bigger action set pieces, but overall, the long awaited sequel to one of the biggest movies of all time disappointed big time.  There was still hope that the conclusion of the trilogy, The Matrix Revolutions, would make up for Reloaded’s shortcomings and end the saga on a high note.  Oh no…no it did not do that at all.

The biggest sin against The Matrix Reloaded was its long and overbloated scenes of philosophical debating and existentialism.  Well apparently, the Wachowskis were so in love with these scenes that they fill up the bulk of the films opening act and more.  Seriously, when the action finally got going, before it abruptly ended, I was already bored.  There should have been far more urgency with the fate of Zion and the impending arrival of the machine army.  Nope, we can waste more time talking about choice and cause and effect some more cause YOU LOVED THAT SO FREAKING MUCH!!!  There isn’t a chance or any kind of effort to make these scenes entertaining or interesting.  It’s just more Professor talk and YES it will all be on the final exam.

But there’s no chance of anyone passing that exam because anyone talking, moving, even breathing in Revolutions just feels so damn tired.  It’s like they put their all in the (believe it or not) much better opening act that was Reloaded and then realized they were in trouble and just wanted this entire film shoot over and done with.  It’s not quite watching the walking dead but everyone feels lifeless in their performances, their action scenes, and, of course, their delivery philoexistenz passages of sheer boredom.  The redeeming factors are incredibly minimal when your movie feels like its on total autopilot.  Even worse, the film tries to explain the replacement of the Oracle and fails (even with the additional supplement of the Enter The Matrix video game).  Gloria Foster passed away shortly after filming her scenes for The Matrix Reloaded.  Actress Mary Alice plays a new version of the character (think Doctor Who regeneration I guess) but feels just as unexcited to be here as anyone else, which makes me sad.

And what of the action that defined The Matrix in the first place?  Gone are elaborately conceived hand to hand fight sequences and in for the final act are a slew of CG heavy action fests that feel more in line with Michael Bay’s Transformers than The Matrix.  To be fair, the much anticipated Siege of Zion is visually impressive and it makes sense why this film was delayed from being released a month after Reloaded to six (or so).  However, Neo, Morpheus and Trinity are nowhere near the action and thus its hard to care about any of the new characters, who got no time to shine in Reloaded, to hold down the dwindling Zion fort.  It also goes on for a bit, definitely the action centerpiece of the film.  And what about the big promise of Neo vs over a million Agent Smiths?  Well trade the One Million for just One and throw them into a hugely ripped off poor mans Dragon Ball Z match off and…well it’ll make you long for the simpler days of fighting in an abandoned subway station.  Lesson learned: bigger scale isn’t always the best thing to close out a franchise on…unless youre gonna do it right like Star Wars.

Sigh, let’s just wrap this up.  If The Matrix Reloaded was one of the most disappointing sequels of all time, then The Matrix Revolutions is one of the worst sequels/conclusions of all time.  All of the magic of the original has been sucked dry, replaced by the worst Psych 101 Summer Course imaginable with the occasional gun shot, kung fu kick or CG squid being fried.  It’s sad.  This franchise was supposed to be an all around game changer this side of Star Wars or any James Cameron scifi epic.  Instead, the original Matrix will live on as the best of the best and many, myself encouraged, will try to forget it had a Part 2 or 3.  The Matrix Revolutions had a chance to go out with a bang.  But it went out with less than a whimper and more of a…whatever.

3/10

And now that those are all out of the way, let’s see how The Matrix gave back to the world of Anime that inspired it.  We close out our trip down Matrix road with The Animatrix tomorrow.

T5W#202-Top 5 Rebuild of Evangelion Moments

This weekend was a bit of a doozy.  I doubt anyone missed the news that, at long last, Neon Genesis Evangelion is now back in our lives thanks to Netflix.  Conviently (?) Netflix forgot to mention that they decided to go with a brand new dub of the entire series, as well as Death (True)2 and The End of Evangelion.  Reception to that has been…more one sided negative than mixed from the fanbase, particularly in regards to the fact that Netflix didn’t try to use any of the original ADV voice actors like Spike Spencer, Alison Keith and Tiffany Grant as Shinji, Misato and Asuka just as Funimation has done for their dubs of the Rebuild of Evangelion movies.  I feel I could do a Top 5 rant on Netflix’s Evangelion Dub but I only watched the first two episodes and Death (True)2 (btw that one is just the “Death” half of Death and Rebirth, so only the character recap of Episodes 1-24).  In other words, despite my own fury at it, judging it without watching it in full would be unfair.  SO, I’m going to do something else.  Rather than count down my Top 5 moments of Eva in general, I’m gonna focus on the Rebuild era of movies, which have had just as many ups and downs as anything Evangelion related (Evangelion 3.33 holding most of those downs). Also, I just heard that at Anime Expo this year we’ll FINALLY get to see the first 10 minutes of Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 aka the final chapter of the Rebuild Quadrilogy…so that’s cause for excitement.  So, without further ado, I present this weeks Top 5 Wednesday: my Top 5 Rebuild of Evangelion Moments

#5-Kwaoru’s First Appearance (Evangelion 1.11-You Are (Not) Alone)

Evangelion 1.11 isnt the bold new retelling that most fans were promised with the premise of Rebuild.  Matter of fact, the bulk of the film feels like an HD compilation film of the first six episodes of the series.  It’s not bad at all, it’s actually better than you think.  However, the movie does introduce some clever tidbits towards the close of the film, showing us that this isn’t going to be the Evangelion weve seen before.  And who better to herald that promise than a brief appearance by our favorite Angel, Kwaoru, who is chilling out on the moon with the Lance of Longilus and a buried Evangelion unit while surrounded by the SEELE moniliths.  It is a very brief moment to close out 1.11 but it was effective as hell and easily stole the show despite the credits coming immedietly after it.

#4-Eva Unit 01 vs. The Third Angel HD Edition (Evangelion 1.11-You Are (Not) Alone)

As I said above, Eva 1.11 is more of a compilation movie than an out of the gate new telling of the classic Eva story.  Still, the movie looks gorgeous and the first twenty minutes are a near beat for beat retread of the first two episodes, right down to the music cues.  That means when Evangelion Unit 01 reactivates and goes berserk against the Third Angel, the music kicks in and the rush of excitement at watching that classic scene reborn can be felt in full.  As I said in my review of 1.11 last year, this movies purpose isn’t to reinvent the Evangelion wheel but rather to assure old school fans that this project can work with some familiar ground being covered as well.  By the time Angel 3 explodes and Unit 01 walks through its inferno, you know that the legend has returned and it looks better than ever.  Its an assurance that this 4 part tetralogy could work after all.

#3-Mari’s 1st Battle (Evangelion 2.22-You Can (Not) Advance)

Mari, Mari, Mari.  Glasses, snarky and go getter attitude, looks good in a pink plug suit, she was the first newly major piece of Evangelion lore introduced into the Rebuild series and she did so in the most epic fashion.  The opening of Evangelion 2.22 sees the bespectacled cutie riding in an unfinished Eva ready to kick some serious ass.  Mari sings, hardly flinches and is way more cheerful than even Asuka was during her debut as an Evangelion pilot.  Mari was quickly established as a mysterious Evangelion fan girl who got the biggest thrill piloting her giant robot and hardly loses her smile.  Her introduction was the perfect way to kick off Evangelion 2.22 aka the strongest of the Rebuild movies to date.  It sucks they haven’t done any character exploration with her yet and relegated her to just action sequences…but hey there’s still one more movie to correct that.

#2-Battle in the Sky (Evangelion 3.33-You Can (Not) Redo)

Evangelion 3.33 is easily the weakest of the current three Rebuild films.  I felt like it took all the good will and strong strides of 2.22 and took a huge step backwards, confusing the hell out of the audience and making us all feel just like Shinji: lost, confused and just begging to scream, “WHAT THE F*** IS GOING ON!!!???”  However, you wouldn’t expect the movie to head in that kind of direction considering it opens with Asuka and Mari in a low orbit freedive battle with an Angel to retrieve a dormant Shinji and Eva Unit 01.  Not only do we get to see two of Evagelions greatest kickers of ass in battle again, but it also is a massive feat of animation that feels like a true progression on the awesomeness of Evangelion 2.22.  It also shows off Asuka cool eyepatch sporting redesign.  3.33 opened with the best potential possible…too bad the rest of the movie never matched it, no matter how hard it tried.

#1-Shinji risks all to save Rei (Evangelion 2.22-You Can (Not) Advance)

In all the years ive watched Evangelion, it hasn’t been often ive heard many cheering for Shinji Ikari to save the day.  Considering how much grief the poor kid goes through in the TV Series and End of Evangelion, it’s easy to see why he is so broken and no one wants to help him.  Evangelion 2.22 sought to try and do something different with the Eva pilot everyone loves to hate.  In what ends up being a damning choice, Shinji decides to risk even the end of the world to rescue Rei Ayanami from the Angel that has absorbed her.  It’s a powerful and beautiful sequence that shows that Shinji has actually grown over the course of these two Rebuild films.  Even Misato and Mari cheer the kid on to do what his heart tells him to, and that’s to save Rei.  It may have meant the start of Third Impact but the finale of Evangelion 2.22 is easily Shinji Ikari’s shining moment in the entire franchise.

The Matrix Reloaded

A slew of victories against the Machines forces the hand of Humanity’s mortal enemy.  Now an army of 250,000 sentinels is burrowing straight down through the planet to Zion: Humanity’s last refuge.  There is only one hope to stop them: Neo.  However, in order to stop this oncoming invasion, Neo must travel deeper into The Matrix than ever before.  Together with his mentor, Morpheus, and his love, Trinity, Neo will meet new allies and more powerful enemies, some different and some familiar.  All roads lead to a startling revelation…that for all the fighting it may already be too late to save the human race.

When The Matrix arrived in 1999, it brought a hurricane of change and innovation that everyone wanted to jump and expand on.  This went doubly so for Warner Bros. who put not one but two sequels into production, to be shot back to back and released in the same year.  Come 2003, The Matrix Reloaded (at least) was one of the most hyped sequels ever.  No one could wait to see where Neo, Morpheus and Trinity would take us next, especially since Neo could now fly.  And then we got the actual movie and…boy what a major step backwards.

There are certain rules some feel all sequels must follow.  Generally, what made the original film work should continue except it should be done bigger, louder, have more epic stakes, more memorable action and maybe even be a bit sexier than ever.  The Matrix Reloaded tries to do all of this and only succeeds at doing right by a handful of these rules.  The action definitely takes things up a notch with Neo fighting more than one person in multiple fights.  There’s also that fifteen minute car chase sequence that no one will argue sucks in the slightest.  Cars get trashed, programs phase like ghosts, Morpheus slices up a van with a samurai sword then uses said sword to fight an Agent on a moving truck, its hands down one of the best car chase sequences ever put to film.  Oh and Neo fighting more than one person, try neo fighting over 100 Agent Smiths due to his old nemesis gaining the ability to copy himself.  When things get too over the top, it can look cartoony (some of these effects haven’t aged well sadly).  But when the action is on the flesh and blood actors, it blows you away, maybe not as much as the original film but its still worth tipping your hat in respect.

The same cant really be said for the rest of the movie.  The Wachowski’s skill for balancing deep philosophy with mind bending action seems to wain here as they try to do too much on both ends.  As you saw above, the action is fine.  But quieter scenes are bogged down by dialogue that threatens to put viewers into a long slumber until its time for the next fight.  Cause and Effect, the meaning of life, the dilemma of choice, all of these would make good topics for a Matrix sequel.  However, they lack the interest, urgency and wonder of anything spoken in the original.  New characters the Merovingian and the Architect are two of the main reasons these scenes fall flat.  After a couple of minutes, it just feels like youre listening to two philosophy professors who know way more than you do, don’t break down the bigger details and promise that everything they say will be on the final exam.  While the Merovingian has a smarmy charm to him, the Architect’s big scene with Neo towards the end feels like it takes up half the movie and halfway through that, I felt like I was begging for the movie to either get exciting or end, I didn’t care which one came first.  If Reloaded was just “ok” until this point, the Architect scene is what really robs the film of having any chance of standing on the same pedestal as the original film.

There’s also wayyyy to much going on in the film itself, though the Philosophy lectures are battling them for your attention.  There’s a handful of new characters with potential like Morpheus’ rival Locke and his ex girlfriend Niobe.  They don’t really get to do much, as does anyone else who isn’t Neo, Morpheus or Trinity in this film.  And poor Niobe and her cool as hell partner, Ghost, only get mere seconds of action time in (for more of their adventures you can go play Enter The Matrix).  There’s also the reveal of Zion that serves to really dent any initial momentum and serve as the staging ground for a rave orgy that really didn’t need to happen and serves no purpose.  In fact, that could sum up The Matrix Reloaded perfectly, there’s a lot going on that doesn’t need to happen and serves no purpose.  Probably the only non action scene that does serve a purpose is Neo’s reunion with the Oracle, which considering this was Gloria Fosters last film makes the scene itself very poignant and special.

Jeez, Neo promised us he’d show us a world the machines didn’t want us to see at the end of The Matrix.  But it looks like the joke was on him.  The Matrix Reloaded might look bigger and prettier and boast some impressive action.  The sparkle only lasts so long and the light and spirit of the original is dim the further you get into Reloaded.  Dialogue is coma inducing, new characters don’t have much time to do anything, the mystery isn’t as grabby as “What is The Matrix?” and worse yet, Reloaded ends on an intended cliffhanger…that left me say “ok…so what?”  The action and Gloria Fosters wonderful last round as The Oracle are the only redeeming factors of this otherwise highly disappointing sequel.  It was less “whoa” and more “zzzzz”.

6.5/10

And if they shot this back to back with a third film, is there any hope of redemption for the legacy of The Matrix? Ohhhh boy.  We’ve seen the good, we’ve seen the bad.  Check bad tomorrow for the conclusion of the Matrix Trilogy, The Matrix Revolutions, and we’ll get to see the ugly.

The Matrix

To Thomas “Neo” Anderson, the world is fine.  He has a steady 9-5 day job and cracks the most unhackable codes by night.  The world, however, is not fine.  In fact, the world Neo lives in isn’t even real.  Freed from a false reality by a freedom fighter named Morpheus, Neo learns the truth: That Machines have long enslaved humanity in a virtual prison and will do whatever it takes to keep them there.  But Neo is special, a long awaited messiah who will be able to turn the tide against the Machines.  The door to a new kind of possibility has opened but only Neo can choose to cross it and become the champion humanity sorely needs.

In 1999, while many of us were anxiously waiting for the return of Star Wars, one simple question took the world by storm, “What is The Matrix?”  And when that question was answered, man did we not expect what we saw.  Like Star Wars before it, The Matrix changed the way we looked at science fiction and movie making forever.  Much like the characters in the film, we were seeing a brand new world of possibility unfold and it was one of the final definitive game changers in cinema in the 20^th century.  All that being said…does it still hold up today?

It’s impossible to start talking about The Matrix without highlighting both its stellar plot and the mind blowing visual effects that made us all echo Keanu Reeves’ infamous “whoa”.  The Wachowkskis found new ways to practically bend gravity to their will to make their character perform above average, nigh Anime level feats of epic awesome.  Often parodied and cloned but never perfectly copied, the visual effects of The Matrix still dazzle.  From the opening rooftop chase sequence to Neo and Morpheus’ training session to the lobby shootout, there’s a plethora of classic action scenes to enjoy.  Best of all, the action goes hand in hand with a classic but stylishly enhanced tale of fantasy vs. reality.  When faced with two worlds: one near pristine and perfect (with a massive amount of green tint) and the other a nightmarish dystopia, who’s to say which is the proper reality to accept.  Other themes of choice and free will and the meaning of life are added to great effect and none of the dialogue is ever boring.  This is a smartly written movie, showing that while the action may be front and center, story has not been sacrificed as a result, unlike other modern day blockbusters.

The Matrix sports some career defining performances from a stellar cast.  Keanu Reeves has some of the most quotable lines and delivers them in a zen but bewildered way (“I know Kung Fu.).  Laurence Fishburne brings mystery and coolness to Morpheus, the teacher who can preach and kick your ass at the same time.  Hugo Weaving is delightfully menacing as main antagonist Agent Smith.  He knows he’s in charge and has more wit about his character than an emotionless program would ever let on.  Joe Pantoliano is probably the most entertaining and over the top of the cast as the shifty Cipher.  Not the be left out, Carrie Anne Moss definitely brings the Anime Girl Power to Trinity.  She can kick ass in leather but also remind you that she has a key role on the ship and takes no sass.  Gloria Foster also turns a sweet performance as they mysterious, cookie loving, chain smoking Oracle, giving the film both a nice dose of humor and added fantastical wisdom.  Special shoutou to Marcus Chong who plays Tank, Morpheus’ operator who has the coolest online handle ever.

Im really trying to rack my brain to think of anything that might be a negative thought about The Matrix.  It isn’t perfect.  Some of the acting can be a little stiff from some of the supporting staff and there is a lull in the action in favor of an interrogation scene that goes on a bit longer than needed.  Otherwise, this film is a classic and is a close to near perfect live action Anime as we’ve gotten in the last couple of decades.  The Matrix has inspired so much in the genre of scifi and action cinema and the same has translated back to the Anime which it was likewise inspired by (and we’ll get to that in greater detail when we review The Animatrix).  The action kicks ass, the story still has an aura of mystery and wonder even after the key question “What is The Matrix” has ben answered, and it still reminds us that when you get behind the lens of a camera to film a movie…you can make a world where anything is possible.

9.5/10

Thus the legacy that is The Matrix Franchise was launched.  So how do you follow up such a game changing epic?  Wellllll…you roll out two sequels back to back in the same year…maybe not a great plan?  What do I mean by that, well just check back tomorrow for my review of The Matrix Reloaded to find out.

K-ON! Part 4 Episodes 12-14

Another year has come to an end and it’s time for After School Tea Time to perform at the school festival.  Only one minor problem: Yui is sick for the first time in her life.  Can the loveable scatterbrain overcome her illness to join her friends on stage for the show of their lives?  And what’s waiting for Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Mugi and Azusa when the festival ends and winter comes again?  The future looks bright for the Light Music Club as the sun rises on a brand new, sure to be adventure filled year.

I never brought this up in prior reviews but time tends to really fly in K-On.  Over the span of 8 episodes we ran through one years time, bringing things back full circle in more ways than one.  It’s kind of jarring but you tend to ignore things like that when youre in good company.  And truly there has been no better company to be around than the Light Music Club.  Despite one minor mishandling, the final episodes of K-ON’s first season ended on a note true to form and makes me long for the days when I can actually watch Season Two.

I don’t think anyone ever doubted Yui would make it to the school festival.  That said, it still left the girls to seriously think about doing a big musical number without her.  Thankfully, Azusa’s character growth last week wasn’t just brushed under the table.  The young freshman maintained unshakeable faith in Yui, even if Mio was rightfully considering a Plan B.  Even Ui stepped up to try and fill in for her sister, her going for disguising herself as Yui was just icing on the cake.  I know Azusa will have a major role to play in the Light Music Clubs’ future after the core quartet graduates.  But now I wonder if Ui, who’s just as much if not more a natural as her sister, will become part of After School Tea Time Generation 2 as well. 

Then came the big show and it turned out to be better than the first.  First off, we got to hear Ball Tip Pen, a song that I think is my absolute favorite of the season.  As Yui rushed to retrieve her guitar (cutely named “Guita”) she reflected on a similar run she made to school in the first episode and wished she could tell her past self just how much fun she was going to have in high school.  I feel similarly, that Ball Tip Pen is far more feel good than Fuwa Fuwa Time and it instills a powerful “everythings going to be ok” feeling in my heart, it’s beautiful.  Plus, Yamanaka got to fill in during Yui’s brief absence so we got to see two generations of Light Music Club members (I guess three if you count Azusa as a separate age group) on stage together.  And then came the next performance of Fuwa Fuwa Time with Yui and Mio at the lead.  Jeez could you get any more pumped up?  Actually yes you could as Mugi began an encore that the group all jumped in on.  Yeah, Episode 12 was billed as the “Final Episode” and if that were the case, it was a damn good finale and every bit as K-ON as K-ON has been all season long.

However, there were two bonus episodes that followed this, focusing on the post festival antics of the girls.  The Winter Days episode moved slower than most in the part and felt pretty reflective.  It’s not a kind of pacing I’d associate with K-ON but things did pick up towards the end and there were some good character moments: Mugi trying a part time job on her own and Ritsu misreading Mio’s lyrics as a “love letter” from someone else.  The absolute last episode of the season involved the girls playing their first official show as a band outside of school.  It was good to see a taste of the world beyond the classroom and that so many bands were ready to welcome After School Tea Time with open arms.  Could they play more small club gigs in the future?  I guess that’s for Season Two to answer.  But seeing Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Mugi and Azusa looking out at a beautiful New Years Day sunrise fills me with hope that things can only get better for this quintet.  Plus they had the always reliable Nadoka, Ui and Yamanaka cheering them on during their concert too (Yamanaka wearing a hot punk rocker look from her old days too).  The gangs in good hands.

Man, guess I should wrap up with final thoughts.  I didn’t want the season to come to a close for a second, even though I know there is a Season Two.  K-ON is the textbook definition of a feel good Anime filled with fun characters, kick ass music, gorgeous animation (Kyoto Animation bringing the gold yet again) and a strong sense of pure enjoyment.  Yui said it best during the bands second show, even though the Light Music Club doesn’t practice music so much, there’s so much joy to be had just spending the day in the same room as Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Mugi and Azusa.  And in the end, isn’t it about enjoying the journey regardless of the destination or lack therof?  Sure there was a small misstep or two here and there but K-ON never became something radically different than how it began: an Anime about finding a great group of friends and having a great time…and every once in a while churn out some of the best tunes in all of Anime this side of FLCL.  I really have to find Season Two now.  I’m really gonna miss hanging with these girls: Gullible Yui, Unstoppable Ritsu, Beautiful Mio, Kind Mugi and Determined Azusa.  Pat yourselves on the back girls, your first show was a resounding success here at the Gundam Anime Corner.

K-ON! gets a 9.5/10.

And with that, we’re back to business as usual tomorrow with a couple of special reviews to commemorate the 4^th of July holiday (coming a bit sooner cause July 4 comes right after Turn A Gundam gets started and I don’t want to interrupt it).  Check back all week for our special coverage of The Matrix Franchise with The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and The Animatrix.  Then, on June 30^th, comes our special 4^th of July holiday review which ill keep secret until I post it.  And then we finally, FINALLY have Turn A Gundam beginning next Monday (side note, the special 4^th of July Holiday review was going to be RWBY Vol.6 but im delaying that indefinitely for the time being for reasons).  Summers only just getting started right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.  Hope youre ready.

T5W#201-Top 5 Favorite Moments from The Matrix Franchise

In 1999, the ultimate question was asked, one we were all dying to hear the answer to, “What is The Matrix?”  When we learned the answer, we weren’t just blown away, we were blown into a whole other world of possibilities.  In a year that should have belonged to Star Wars Episode I-The Phantom Menace, The Matrix snuck in and changed the way we looked at scifi/action films with ground breaking special effects, gravity defying action choreography and a special blend of existentialism and next level thrills.  The original film turns 20 this year (it’s actual birthday was back in April).  Next week (after I wrap up K-ON!) I plan on taking a look at the major entries in the franchise including The Matrix, it’s sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions and the Anime anthology, The Animatrix.  To prepare, im taking a look at my Top 5 Favorite Moments from The Matrix Franchise.  All of the aforementioned entries are included, plus one from the Enter the Matrix video game.  Let’s jack in.

#5-The Freeway Chase (The Matrix Reloaded)

“You always told me to stay off the Freeway.”  “Yes, that’s true.”  “You said it was suicide.”  “Then let us hope…that I was wrong.”  The Matrix Reloaded tried to up the scale and scope from its predecessor and actually rarely succeeded.  One spot it did excel in was The Freeway Chase, arguably the films centerpiece alongside Neo vs 100 Agent Smiths.  From the moment you hear Morpheus and Trinity’s banter about being warned to stay off the freeway, you know you’re in for something big.  And big is what you get.  So many car crashes and slow motions maneuvers, jumps and fist fights.  It’s like watching the most epic of freeway pile ups and youre cheering while it all goes down.  From Trinity racing against traffic to Morpheus using a Samurai sword on a car and an Agent, this was the kind of action and spectacle we all wanted throughout the whole of The Matrix Reloaded but seldom got to see.

#4-The Matrix meets Ninja Scroll (The Animatrix: Program)

It’s no secret that Anime was a pretty huge influence on The Matrix.  From the way certain scenes were shot to the extensive and intricate choreography, The Matrix could have been an Anime feature film itself.  Everyone wanted to see this same style of action back in Anime form…so Yoshiaki Kawajiri did just that with his offering for The Animatrix.  While the short does have an actual story to it, the basics couldn’t be simpler: two rebels train in a program where they get to look like bad ass (and sexy) armoured samurai.  Kawajiri is best known for his work on Ninja Scroll, so he’s perfect for a Matrix project.  After all, it’s two Samurai being reality to their whim in order to pull off cool jumps and slight technique executions.  The Matrix and Anime is a match made in heaven, something ill get more into in a couple of entries.

#3-Something to Look Forward To (Enter the Matrix)

2003 was “The Year of The Matrix”.  Not only did we get two back to back sequels (Reloaded and Revolution) but we also got The Animatrix and a special tie in video game, Enter the Matrix.  The game itself features some “meh” graphics and controls that could have used some fine tuning.  Since it ties directly into the events of The Matrix Reloaded, the game also included special live action cutscenes featuring everyone from the movie, while the main campaign focuses on Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Niobe and Anthony Wong’s Ghost.  These cutscenes helped make Enter the Matrix a more unique experience and there’s even a guilty pleasure quality to all the games faults, it’s kind of fun to play.  However, the ending is my favorite part of the game.  After all the glitches and wonky gameplay, we get rewarded with a special trailer for “The Matrix Revolutions” (Enter the Matrix was released the same day as Reloaded in May 2003, Revolutions arrived November 2003).  Perfectly mixed and explosive in all the right ways, this bonus trailer made promises that Revolutions ultimately wasn’t able to keep (so much so that *spoiler alert* there is no Matrix Revolution moment on this list).  At the time though, as Ghost said just as the trailer ended, “Well, it’s nice to have something to look forward to.”

#2-Running out of The Matrix (The Animatrix: World Record)

The Animatrix is one of the most unique Anime experiences out there and ill go into greater detail about that during next weeks review.  Suffice to say, when you hand a slew of Matrix themed projects to some of the hottest names in the Anime industry, magic should be made and it is.  Of the nine shorts, World Record is one of my absolute favorites.  Much of this stems from the shorts finale, where a track sprinter pushes his body well past normal limits to break a titular world record.  He not only succeeds, he ultimately races his way out of The Matrix itself.  Compared to some of the more dramatic ways to escape The Matrix (some far darker than others), this method of breaking free by pushing past normal limitations of the mind and body is one of the most impressive and imaginative.  Sure the end result isn’t the most optimistic for the main character (or is it?) but he sure made dual history making one of the biggest developments in the whole of the Matrix legacy.

#1-The Subway Duel (The Matrix)

Honestly, this Top 5 could be entirely dedicated to the genre defining moments of the first Matrix film alone.  From Trinity’s awesome introduction to the infamous lobby shootout, every moment is oozing with cool and style.  For me though, it isn’t the still mind blowing bullet time scene that tops any moment in the original, it’s Neo’s epic showdown with Agent Smith in a grimy Subway station.  Mid air gun battles and dozens of fist and kick combos, it’s one of the best choreographed and energized fight scenes of all time.  Done with minimal dialogue (and some of the best lines appear when used), this duel lets the fight styles of Neo and Smith do most of the talking; Neo showing potential and growth while Smith sends a powerful messages with simple punches that could destroy concrete.  I’m sure entire classes have been taught around the making of this fight sequence and its no wonder the follow up duels between these two scifi icons could never match it.

K-ON! Part 3 Episodes 9-11

The Light Music Club’s debut performance was an astounding success. Even better, the girls have gained their first new member in the aftermath, a cute little freshman named Azusa Nanako.  Though she’s excited to join, Azusa isn’t quite getting the hang of the gangs vibe.  She’s not the only one adjusting to some strange changes.  New friendships begin to take their toll on old ones, testing the bonds of a tightly knit crew.  But there’s an even greater challenge ahead, on Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Mugi and Azusa must complete before their next performance together…coming up with an official band name.

The penultimate week of K-ON didn’t feel as busy as previous weeks, not just because I’m reviewing three episodes instead of four.  This week, the club properly welcomed Azusa, enjoyed a return trip to the beach and even had a small quarrel between besties.

 

Azusa could basically be seen as a stand in for anyone coming into K-ON this late in the game.  After spending some time with the Light Music Club it was easy to see why she’d be frustrated that practicing is the very last thing these girls do.  I understand the frustration but it also kind of reminded me of Filia from Slayers Try, a new uptight member of the cast who took forever to get over the fact that Lina Inverse and the Slayers are far from orthodox.  And while the second beach outing did feel like retreading old ground, with Azusa basically filling in Mio’s role from the first time around, Azusa slowly got brought out of her shell by the time she got back home.  I liked her little analysis of the girls: Yui, kind hearted but clingy; Mio, mature but scared to easily; Ritsu easily distracted but a master of the drums; and Mugi humble but possessing a childlike naivete.  Best part was seeing Azusa become a new mentor to Yui and helping her learn guitar and practice in private at the beach.  Unlike Filia from Slayers Try, Azusa became a full fledged member of the Light Music Club faster and is far more cute and likeable (Good call on the cat ears Ms. Yamanaka).

 

The other big mini arc for the week involved a small rift forming between best friends Mio and Ritsu.  I get that this happens in real life often, friends becoming distant especially when new faces come into their lives.  Last week saw Mio parted from the group during the day because she’s in a different classroom.  However, she met Nadoka and was forever grateful.  Now Mio is really keen to hang out with her and Ritsu is trying to go all out to keep her best friend.  For the most part, the mini bit of drama wasn’t bad and I loved how Mio came to aid an ailing Ritsu in the end, reminding her that no matter who else they meet in their lives, Mio and Ritsu will always be the best of friends.  My problem is that I would have liked to have seen more of Mio and Nadoka together outside of the club to show off that growing branch of friendship.  There were times where this plot felt forced but dammit if that conclusion wasn’t full of heart and K-ON magic.

Hmmm. I guess there’s not a lot more to say about this set of episodes.  New team member confirmed (and Azusa’s getting along with Ui too, nice); a band name has been chosen (After School Tea Time…makes sense); and Yui’s got a cold after sleeping next to a sick Ritsu (right before the school festival).  Man life is never boring around this crew.  Kind of sucks in that regard that next week is the last batch of episodes in this season of K-ON.  I might have to find a way to add in the second season to the review cue down the line.  But let’s keep our fingers crossed that After School Tea Time can close out its first season on a strong note (they’ve got this, no doubt).  See ya next week for the conclusion of Season One of K-ON!.