The Wachowski Brothers' The Matrix took the well-worn science fiction idea of virtual reality, added supercharged Hollywood gloss and a striking visual style and stole The Phantom Menace's thunder as the must-see movie of the summer of 1999. Laced with Star Wars-like Eastern mysticism, and featuring thrilling martial arts action choreographed by Hong Kong action director Yuen Woo Ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), The Matrix restored Keanu Reeves to genre stardom following virtual reality dud Johnny Mnemonic (1995), and made a star of Carrie-Anne Moss, who followed this with the challenging perception twister Memento (2000). Helping the film stand out from rivals Dark City (1998) and The Thirteenth Floor (1999) was the introduction of the celebrated "bullet time" visual effects, though otherwise the war-against-the-machines story, hard-hitting style and kinetic set-pieces such as the corporate lobby shoot-out lean heavily on Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Elsewhere the influence of John Woo, from the ultra-cool near real-world SF of Face/Off (1997) to the raincoats and sunglasses look of bullet-ballet A Better Tomorrow, is clearly in evidence. The set-up isn't without its absurdities, though--quite why super-intelligent machines bother to use humans as batteries instead of something more docile like cows, for example, is never explained, nor is how they expect these living batteries to produce more energy than it takes to maintain them. The Matrix is nevertheless exhilarating high-octane entertainment, although as the first part of a trilogy it perhaps inevitably doesn't have a proper ending. On the DVD: the anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 image is virtually flawless, exhibiting only the grain present in the theatrical print, while the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is demonstration quality, showing off the high-impact sound effects and Don Davis' fine score to great effect. Special features are "data files" on the main stars, producer and director and "Follow the White Rabbit", which if selected while viewing the movie offers behind the scenes footage. This is interesting, but gimmicky, requires switching back from widescreen to 4:3 each time, and would be better if it could be accessed directly from one menu. There is also a standard 25-minute TV promo film which is as superficial as these things usually are. --Gary S Dalkin
The opening reels of Matrix Revolutions do nothing to dispel the feeling of exhausted disappointment that set in during the second half of The Matrix Reloaded. There's plenty more talky guff combined with the picking-up of hard-to-remember plot threads as Neo (Keanu Reeves) lies in a coma in the "real" world and is stranded on a tube station in a limbo "beyond the Matrix" while his allies do a reprise of the shooting-their-way-past-the-bodyguards bit from the last film (this time, the baddies can walk on the ceiling). A new Oracle (Mary Alice) makes some pronouncements about the end being near and more things happen--including the evil Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) manifesting in reality by possessing a minor character and perfidiously blinding our hero, who wears a becoming ribbon over his wounded eyes and perceives the world in an impressive "flaming truth vision". What about the action? The equivalent of the last film's freeway chase scene is a huge face-off as the Sentinels (robot squids) finally breach the caverns of Zion, "the last human city", and swarm against a battalion of pilot-manipulated giant robots: here, the effects are seamless and the images astonishing, though the fact that none of the major characters are involved and the whole thing goes on so long as if designed to top any previous robot-on-robot screen carnage means that it becomes monotonously amazing, like watching someone else play a great computer game. After a too-easily-managed major realignment of the enmities, the film--and the series--finally delivers a sign-off sequence that's everything you could want as Neo and Smith get into a kung fu one-on-one in a rain-drenched virtual city, flying as high as Superman and Brainiac in smart suits. It comes too late to save the day and the wrap-up is both banal and incoherent, but at least this single combat is a reward for hardy veterans who've sat through seven hours of build-up. --Kim NewmanOn the DVD: when the first Matrix DVD was released, with never-before-seen features such as the "Follow the White Rabbit" option, it set a benchmark against which subsequent discs were judged. But neither sequel has lived up to the original's high standards. The Matrix Revolutions two-disc set is an unexceptional package, with a routine "making of" featurette being the main bonus item. Amid all the usual backslapping guff about how great everyone is and what a great time they've all had, it's possible to glean some nuggets of useful information about the baffling plot--though cast and crew can't repress a note of weariness creeping in when discussing the horribly protracted shooting schedule. The feature on the CG Revolution is the most informative for people who like to know how everything was done, and, in the same vein, there's also a multi-angle breakdown of the Super Burly Brawl. A 3-D timeline gives a handy summary of the story so far, and there's a plug for The Matrix Online game. The anamorphic 2.40:1 picture is, of course, a real treat to look at, even if the movie is mostly shades of dark grey and dark green; soundwise the dynamic range of the Dolby Digital surround is extreme: all conversations are conducted in throaty whispers, while the action sequences will push your speakers to the limit. No DTS option, though. And as with Reloaded, there's no audio commentary either: the Wachowski's policy of not talking about their creation begins to seem like a ploy to avoid answering awkward questions. --Mark Walker
Neo and the leaders of the human resistance discover that Sentinels are burrowing their way towards Zion. Estimating they have perhaps just 72 hours until an all-out assault Neo must return back into the Matrix and find the keymaker to gain access to the mainframe to ensure human survival...
Zavvi Exclusive Steelbook - Limited to 2000 copies. Neo is trapped in limbo between reality and the Matrix while Zion the last human city is attacked by hordes of machines. Meanwhile Morpheus Trinity and Seraph confront the ruthless Merovingian to secure Neo's release. As the fight for Zion grows more dire Neo and Trinity embark on a perilous journey into the heart of the machine city while Morpheus and Niobe rush to Zion's aid. Eventually Neo must face the increasingly powerful Agent Smith in a last battle for the fate of humanity. Extras: Written Introduction by the Wachowskis 2 Commentaries: Philosophers: Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilber; Critics: Todd McCarthy John Powers and David Thomson BEHIND THE MATRIX Documentary Gallery: 9 Featurettes including REVOLUTIONS RECALIBRATED and the 3D EVOLUTION Stills Gallery CREW Documentary Gallery: 4 Featurettes HEL Documentary Gallery: 6 Featurettes NEW BLUE WORLD Documentary Gallery: 5 Featurettes SIEGE Documentary Gallery: 5 Featurettes AFTERMATH Documentary Gallery: 4 Featurettes Theatrical Trailers TV Spots
Zavvi Exclusive Steelbook - Limited to 2000 copies. In the second chapter of The Matrix trilogy freedom fighters Neo (Keanu Reeves) Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army unleashing their arsenal of extraordinary skills and weaponry against the systematic forces of repression and exploitation. In their quest to save the human race from extinction they gain greater insight into the construction of The Matrix and Neo's pivotal role in the fate of mankind. Extras: Written Introduction by the Wachowskis 2 Commentaries: Philosophers: Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilber; Critics: Todd McCarthy John Powers and David Thomson BEHIND THE MATRIX Documentary Gallery: 4 Featurettes including THE MTV MOVIE AWARDS RELOADED ENTER THE MATRIX : THE GAME Documentary ENTER THE MATRIX: View 23 Live-Action Scenes Shot for the Video Game that Plug into the action of THE MATRIX RELOADED CAR CHASE Documentary Gallery: 9 Featurettes TEAHOUSE FIGHT Documentary Gallery: 2 Featurettes UNPLUGGED Documentary Gallery: 5 Featurettes I'LL HANDLE THEM Documentary Gallery: 4 Featurettes THE EXCLIES Documentary Gallery: 2 Featurettes P.O.D. SLEEPING AWAKE Music Video Theatrical Trailers TV Spots
During the reign of the first emperor of China, an ingenious torturer concocted an elixir that paralyzed its victim's limbs, while increasing the sensitivity of their nerve endings tenfold. Kept in a jade skull, the elixir could provoke sensations in infinite variations-everything from erotic caresses to appalling lacerations.Haunted by the desire to experience the extreme sensations caused by the elixir, the executioner kills himself with his own poison, intensifying his death experience. His pursuers never found the skull, which had been concealed within a large imperial seal. But the curse of the jade skull, responsible for its creator's death, will endure within the seal, bringing misfortune to all of those who possess it. Until today...
Failing cartoon writer Millard Mudd has sunk deep into a rut. Living like a vagrant and surviving on a strict diet of alcohol Mudd's world has collapsed. But one day everything changes when a dog named Lucky enters his life. You see what makes Lucky no ordinary dog is his ability to talk. And what makes Lucky invaluable is his ability to teach Mudd how to write again. But what makes Lucky dangerous is his ability to get inside Mudd's head and turn him into a serial killer.
A 10 DVD box set that houses the complete Matrix story stuffed full of everything you could ever want to know & see! Disc 1 - The Matrix: The film in a new digital transfer supervised by the Wachowski brothers and director of photography Bill Pope. Two all-new audio commentaries with written introduction by the Wachowski Brothers - The Critics: Todd McCarthy John Powers & David Thomson / The Scholars: Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilber Disc 2 - The Matrix Revisited: Peel back a new layer of reality with a mind-expanding look at The Matrix from conception to phenomenon. Go behind The Matrix take the Red Pill and follow the White Rabbit with 17 making-of featurettes including 'What Is Bullet Time?' 'What Is Concept' and 'The Music Revisited'. Disc 3 - The Matrix Reloaded: The powerful second chapter of the groundbreaking film trilogy. Two all-new audio commentaries with written introduction by the Wachowski Brothers - The Critics: Todd McCarthy John Powers & David Thomson / The Scholars: Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilber Disc 4 - The Matrix Reloaded Revisited: Go to the middle movie's furthest reaches via five documentary paths revealing 21 featurettes. Plus 23 extra scenes shot for the 'Enter The Matrix' game. Disc 5 - The Matrix Revolutions: The epic war between man and machines reaches an explosive conclusion with the action-packed final chapter in The Matrix Trilogy. Two all-new audio commentaries with written introduction by the Wachowski Brothers - The Critics: Todd McCarthy John Powers & David Thomson / The Scholars: Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilber Disc 6 - The Matrix Revolutions Revisited: The cataclysmic final confrontation chronicled through six documentary pods revealing 28 featurettes. Disc 7 - The Animatrix: A visionary fusion of CG-animation and Japanese anime with nine short films exploring the world of the Matrix. Audio commentaries on four of the episodes; 'Making Of' documentaries on each film profiling the evolution of each one's unique style; biographical profiles of the directors and animation producers and 'Scrolls To Screen: The History and Culture of Anime' exploring the phenomenon of this art form. Disc 8 - The Roots Of The Matrix: Probe the philosophical and technological inspirations of The Matrix Trilogy through two insightful documentaries - 'Return To Source: Philosophy & The Matrix' and 'The Hard Problem: The Science Behind The Fiction'. Disc 9 - The Burly Man Chronicles: A profiles the 'society' of craftspeople actors and filmmakers who shaped the movie trilogy. Disc 10 - The Zion Archive: Showcases production assets developed for the universe of The Matrix including concept artwork storyboards drawings music videos TV spots and trailers plus a special preview of 'Matrix Online'.
Evil Instinct: Steamy sex thriller 'Evil Instinct' is one of Hong Kong's most successful Category III movies ever. The most watched hotel pay-per-view film in Asia as well as a substantial box office smash it combines beautiful women and hot action with a powerful and intriguing story. Cop Sam Hui gets picked up by two gorgeous women in a bar and ends up having an intense sexual encounter with one. They are interrupted by a phone call from the scene of a grisly murder. The crime is just one of a series and the investigation leads Sam to an Insurance Company where the two girls work. Penny (Carrie Ng) fascinates him even when he discovers that the girls are selling sex in return for favours. Meanwhile Wendy (Pang Dan one of Cat III's hottest new stars) has set out to steal Penny's clients by offering them kinky sex. Penny starts to go off the rails as her clients defect to Wendy and Sam finds out she is addicted to a weird snake serum drug. When he discovers that all the murder victims have a snake DNA in their blood his suspicions turn to the object of his sexual obsession - but it seems she has the perfect alibi... Both stunning girls wear a succession of skin tight S/M outfits as they turn up the heat in this scorching thriller which pays homage to Basic Instinct - but with hotter women and far more style. Naked Killer 2: A suave and seductive serial rapist (Mark Cheng) is on the prowl terrorising an apartment block. Fearing her life to be in danger Chu (Jacqueline Ng) enlists the help of her old friend Yau (Chingamy Yau) as an avenging angel who will seduce the rapist and wreak revenge on behalf of the victims of his terrible crimes. Soon the two are embroiled in an erotic and deadly game of cat and mouse... Her Name Is Cat: It's been a while since 'Category III' movies (Hong Kong's own classification for films which mix sex and violence) have been in the news here but following Hong Kong Legends' release of the originial Cat III mega-hit 'Naked Killer' comes another all-action femme fatale thriller from Hong Kong Classics. 'The Huntress - Her Name Is Cat' is from 'Naked Killer' director Clarence Ford produced by the legendary Wong Jing ('Sex & Zen' and many more) and stars statuesque Chinese beauty Almen Wong - who stands out from any crowd of her countrymen by virtue of being almost six feet tall in her boots or stilletos! Clarence Ford expertly recaptures the thrills and atmosphere of the 'babes 'n' bullets' genre in this stylish action movie which features former Elle model Almen Wong as Cat - a highly trained assassin from mainland China forging a new career as a paid killer on the edge of the Hong Kong underworld. When her path crosses that of tough cop Michael Wong and another female assassin is sent kill her Cat turns huntress to survive.....
Based on the Legend Of Crying Freeman Dragon From Russia is a spectacular visually flamboyant 'Manga in motion' concept adventure from the director of Naked Killer. An invincible killer the Crying Freeman is the most skilled assassin of the Secret Chinese Society 'The 108 Dragons'. Once an ordinary artist with a passion for life and love he was kidnapped by the society's leader the Dragon Master and trained in the deadly arts of the sect. His memory erased he has no recollection of his former life and has been programmed to kill at the command of his new masters. However he cannot escape the echo of his own humanity and cries tears of sadness each time he takes the life of a victim. When he is tasked with the assassination of his former girlfriend she breaks the spell and the two are forced to go on the run from the deadly Dragon sect who will stop at nothing to avenge their betrayal...
By following up their debut thriller Bound with the 1999 box-office smash The Matrix, the co-directing Wachowski brothers--Andy and Larry--annihilated any suggestion of a sophomore jinx, crafting one of the most exhilarating sci-fi/action movies of the 1990s. With mind-boggling, technically innovative special effects and a thought-provoking script that owes a debt of inspiration to the legacy of cyberpunk fiction, this is much more than an out-and-out action yarn; it's a thinking man's journey into the realm of futuristic fantasy, a dreamscape full of eye candy that will satisfy sci-fi, kung fu, action and adventure fans alike. Although the film is headlined by Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne--who both turn in fine performances--much of the fun and excitement should be attributed to Carrie-Anne Moss, whose Trinity flawlessly mixes vulnerability with immense strength, making other contemporary female heroines look timid by comparison. And if we were going to cast a vote for most dastardly movie villain of 1999, it would have to go to Hugo Weaving, who plays the feckless, semi-psychotic Agent Smith with panache and edginess. As the film's box-office profits soared, the Wachowski brothers announced that The Matrix is merely the first chapter in a cinematically dazzling franchise. --Jeremy StoreyIn the Box Set: That this Collector's Edition should appear less than a year after The Matrix's first DVD release indicates the degree to which the film has become an instant classic and set the initial benchmark for DVD quality and extra features. The chunky black box (about the size of the yellow pages) houses a slide-out tray containing the DVD, eight original lobby cards, an original one-sheet movie poster, six black and white photographs and a movie image card with the corresponding 35mm film frame attached. As with all such sets the whole is rapidly diminished by removing its parts, presenting the dilemma of whether to mount the poster and pictures, or leave them pristine but unseen in their original state.The DVD included is the same version available individually, including extensive behind-the-scenes features on the film's special effects. Contrary to the advertised contents, however, the disc does not contain the audio commentaries by Carrie-Anne Moss, editor Zach Staenberg and visual effects supervisor John Gaeta, or the music-only audio track with commentary by composer Don Davis (all of which are currently only available on the American version). --Steve Napleton
From the producer of the classic Don Juan De Marco comes a comedy that asks: if love is the answer could you rephrase the question?! Ben Bingham (Richard E. Grant) has slipped into the complacency of a daily routine unlike his vibrant wife Amanda (Carrie-Anne Moss). When she finally leaves him Ben is at a loss. He refuses to get out of his pyjamas until his popular 17 year-old son Justin (Johnny Pacar) takes over. He updates Ben's 'look' and pushes him out into the social scene. Before Ben knows what is happening he is the most popular single man in town pursued by his nurse his trainer and karaoke singing twins. Things change when Justin falls in love for the first time and Ben is forced to refocus recapture his humanity his heart and most importantly his wife ... who is now with another man. Starring Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I Jack & Sarah Bright Young Things) Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg) and Janeane Garofalo (24 The Truth About Cats & Dogs Reality Bites) Love Hurts is a painfully romantic comedy
In this final explosive third installment of the Matrix trilogy the city of Zion last bastion of the human race defends itself against the massive invasion of the machines as Neo attempts to fulfill his prophecy as 'The One'. As the Machine Army wages devastation on Zion its citizens mount an aggressive defense but can they stave off the relentless swarm of Sentinels long enough for Neo adrift in a no man's land between the Matrix and the Machine world to harness the full extent of his powers and end the war?
Small time gang...big time problems. Danny White (Nick Moran: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and his crew of wannabe gangsters find themselves pitted against the local mafia headed by Leigh and Hellman (Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano: The Matrix) when they accidentally kill a local business man they were hired to kidnap. With nowhere else to turn and bleeding from a fatal gunshot wound Danny visits his estranged father Alan (John Hurt: Contact) looking for help. When Alan sees Danny's condition he only has one thought: Danny may be the organ donor he's been desperately searching for to save Danny's mortally sick sister. But Danny is not prepared to die for nothing. There is a price to be paid and a deal is struck between father and son. And so begins the most terrifying and bizarre night of their lives.
Butterfly Lovers is a music and dance film by director Marikki Hakola. A synthesis of the ever-popular Chinese violin concerto 'Butterfly Lovers' and choreography inspired by Chinese martial arts and modern dance the film is an imaginative interpretation of the ancient Chinese fairy tale - 'A Love Story of Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai'. The film features violinist Takako Nishizaki conductor James Judd choreographer and dancer Dou Dou dancer Ding Yue Hong and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.Butterfly Lovers Documentary ('Butterfly Tones') directed by Marikki Hakola. Interviews with Chen Gang Takako Nishizaki James Judd Zeng Kang Mei and Dou Dou.
Constantine (2 Discs) Hell wants him. Heaven won't take him. Earth needs him! Supernatural detective John Constantine (Reeves) has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson (Weisz) to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles... The Matrix Reloaded (2 Discs) Neo and the leaders o
Although Maia's trip to Siberia City to find clues about her past was fruitless she's still hung up on the faint memories she has about her brother... Could the mysterious man who always seems to save her in the nick of time be him? Then her inability to concentrate during a routine mission gets Shizuka severely injured which in turn gets Maia fired from Nereids! Meanwhile Maia's partial recovery of her lost memory is making some people high up in the Ocean Agency very nervous...
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