Andy Wachowski

The Matrix masterminds Andy and Larry Wachowski usher anime icon Tatsuo Yoshida's classic 1960s-era hit into the new millennium with this family-friendly story of a young racecar driver who takes on the mysterious Racer X in a custom-made, gadget-loaded speed machine named the Mach 5. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is the kind of driver that every wheelman wishes he could be: a born winner whose unbeatable combination of aggression, instinct, and fearlessness always finds him crossing the checkered flag with a comfortable lead. In Speed Racer's mind, the only driver who could present him with any real challenge is his late brother -- the legendary Rex Racer. Rex died in a heated cross-country rally known as The Crucible many years ago, and now his younger sibling is driven to fulfill the legacy that Rex left behind. To this day, Speed Racer is fiercely loyal to family. It was Speed Racer's father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), who designed the unbeatable Mach 5, and even a lucrative offer from racing giants Royalton Industries isn't enough to get the young ace to break his family ties.

Upon turning down Royalton's (Roger Allam) astronomical offer, Speed Racer makes the shocking discovery that the outcomes of the biggest races are being predetermined by a handful of powerful moguls who pad their profits by manipulating the drivers. Realizing that his career would be ruined if word of the fix gets out, Royalton vows that the Mach 5 will never make it to another finish line. Now, the only way for Speed Racer to save the family business and beat Royalton at his own game will be to win the very same race that claimed his brother's life so many years ago. In order to accomplish that formidable feat, however, Speed Racer will not only have to rely on his family and the aid of his longtime girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), but form a tenuous alliance with his longtime rival -- the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) -- as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The World Record segment from the collection of animated shorts known as the Animatrix focuses on a track runner named Dan Davis, who is preparing for the 100 meter dash. Early on, it's clear that Dan has the kind of intuitive sensitivity that has been known to wake people from the Matrix, and he describes the ecstasy of extreme athleticism in terms that seem to mimic the detachment from his surrounding world often mentioned by those who've broken free from the Matrix. In the midst of the race, he begins to see visions that indicate he's "waking," and Agents begin to close in, while simultaneously, his muscles fail as his speed tops out. Innately aware that the pain isn't real, however, Dan is able to continue. As he rushes towards the finish line, the imposed reality of the Matrix seems to fail, leaving the singular question of whether he will win the greater race by awakening completely. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

Part 2 of the Second Renaissance segment of the Animatrix opens with the human UN launching a nuclear carpet-bombing on Zero One. The machines are relatively unaffected by the blast, retaliating by sending invading armies into human territories, triggering a full-on World War. Human forces are no match for the machines relentlessness, and in an act of desperation, military leaders call for Operation Dark Storm, releasing a sky darkening cloud of nanomachines into the air, blackening the sky and cutting the machines off from their primary power source. Dark Storm also disables most of the humans' long-range weapons however, and soon the machines phase out the humanoid forms that they had been using, and opt for the squid like Sentinels that appear in the Matrix films - polarizing the machine collective even further from the distant humanness that models based on the original designs of man once retained. The human forces soon become completely defenseless, forcing leaders to meet in New York to sign an armistice with the machines. The machine representative utters the words "Your flesh is a relic, a mere vessel. Hand over your flesh and a new world awaits you. We demand it," before detonating a nuclear bomb at the proceedings, killing all the world's remaining leaders and destroying the last remaining human city. Having achieved victory over the decimated Earth, the machines then begin utilizing the remaining humans as a power source, placing them in an unconscious dream state that becomes the first version of the Matrix. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

Raising the anticipation level for the two Matrix sequels, the Wachowski brothers opened up the franchise to a handful of animators. The project resulted in nine animated shorts that present stories related tangentially to the feature films. World Record features a track star who gets a brief glimpse of life outside the Matrix; A Detective Story chronicles an old-fashioned private eye's attempts to track down the mysterious Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss); Beyond finds a young woman exploring a strange abandoned building; Final Flight of the Osiris includes events that occur just before those in The Matrix Reloaded; Kid's Story follows a teenage boy as he attempts to break out of the Matrix; Matriculated shows a group of humans trying to reprogram a sentient robot; Program features a battle within a simulated samurai fight-training program; and The Second Renaissance Part 1 and The Second Renaissance Part 2 are pseudo-documentaries that reveal how the machines came to take control of the Earth. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Part of the Animatrix series of animated shorts set in the universe of the Wachowski brothers' The Matrix, Final Flight of the Osiris comes from Andy Jones, the animation director on Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Beginning with a playful sparring session with erotic undertones, the film tells the story of the last moments of the crew of the hovercraft The Osiris. When the crew spots a group of Sentinals approaching, it's a race against time to contact their brethren in the last city of Zion (via the Matrix) before the machines attack their ship. Kevin Michael Richardson and Pamela Segall are among those who provide voices. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Josh Oreck directed this look at the making of The Matrix. In addition to an explanation of the technical achievements, the documentary contains behind-the-scenes footage of stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne. One of the most informative sections of the film details the work that went into creating the thrilling fight sequences that appear in the film. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly nearly set the screen on fire in this clever, female-powered twist on the standard Mob caper film. Gershon is Corky, an ex-con renovating the apartment next door to where Tilly's Violet lives. Violet is the moll of psychotic gangster Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), who uses the apartment as an occasional location for meetings and beatings, and also uses Violet as an occasional plaything for his Mob cronies. Violet is attracted to the super-sexy Corky, and the two begin an intense affair. Corky hatches a plot to escape with $2 million that Caesar is planning to give to a Mob boss, and the mayhem escalates from there. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide