Movies - The Matrix series

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	Movies - The Matrix series

The Matrix series consists primarily of three films, The Matrix
, The Matrix Reloaded
and The Matrix Revolutions
, all written and directed by the Wachowski brothers and set in the same universe. The characters and settings of the series are further explored in other media, including animation, comics and video games.

The series depicts a complex science fiction story incorporating many philosophical elements. Other influences include cyberpunk, mythology, Hong Kong action films (particularly "heroic bloodshed" and martial arts movies), computer science and philosophy of mind. Concepts of several religions are also explored, including Hinduism, Christianity, Atheism, Gnosticism and Buddhism.

The Matrix franchise

The series began with 1999's The Matrix
. The film was highly successful, earning $456 million worldwide and beating Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace for special-effects Oscars. The movie's mainstream success led to the greenlighting of the next two films of what the Wachowskis maintain was conceived as a trilogy, The Matrix Reloaded
and The Matrix Revolutions
. It was a number of years and several iterations of scripts before the final movies were approved. The two sequels were filmed simultaneously and released six months apart.

In acknowledgement of the Japanese anime that was a strong influence on the Matrix series, The Animatrix
was produced; a collection of nine animated short films intended to further flesh out the concepts, history, characters and setting of the series. The Animatrix project was conceived and overseen by the Wachowski brothers but they only wrote four of the segments themselves and did not direct any of them; much of the project was created by notable figures from the world of Japanese animation. Four of the films were originally released on the series' official website; one was shown in cinemas with Dreamcatcher
; the others first appeared with the DVD release of all nine shorts shortly after the release of The Matrix Reloaded.

In May 2003, at the same time as The Matrix Reloaded appeared in cinemas in the United States, Enter the Matrix
was released. The first of three video games related to the films, it told a story running parallel to Reloaded and featured scenes shot during the filming of the movie, but especially for the game.

November 5 2003 saw both the conclusion to the film trilogy and an unprecedented event: the simultaneous worldwide release of a major motion picture, when The Matrix Revolutions
hit cinema screens worldwide at exactly the same time.

Two more Matrix video games were released in 2005. The MMORPG The Matrix Online
continues the story beyond Revolutions, while The Matrix: Path of Neo
allows players to control the series' protagonist Neo in scenes from the film trilogy.

In addition, several comics and short stories based on the series some written by the Wachowskis, others by guest creators have been released on the official website. Many of these have since been collected in two printed volumes.

Criticism of sequels

While the first movie was extremely successful, viewers continue to debate the quality of the sequels. Some fans and professional critics believe they exceed the quality and conceptual heights of the first film, while others found the later films disappointing.

Upon release, The Matrix Reloaded received mixed reviews. Some claimed that it had been "hyped beyond the point where it possibly deliver". Fans responded that it was not possible to fully appreciate it without experiencing the entire series, including Revolutions, the Animatrix and the video game Enter the Matrix.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for The Matrix series ]

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