PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
The Matrix Reloaded Revisited (2004)

The Matrix Reloaded Revisited (2004)

If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVD

Released 6-Dec-2004

Cover Art

This review is sponsored by
BUY IT

Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Documentary Main Menu Audio & Animation
Featurette-Enter The Matrix
Featurette-The Great Hall, Building Merovingian's Lair
Featurette-Tiger Style: A Day In The Life Of Chen Hu
Featurette-Heavy Metal: Weapons Of The Great Hall
Featurette-Oakland Streets And Freeway: Unseen Footage
Featurette-Tour Of The Merovingian's Garage, Queen Of The Road
Featurette-Arteries Of The Mega-City:Visual Effects OfThe Freeway Chase
Featurette-Foresight: Preplanning The Mayhem
Featurette-Freeway Truck Crash: Anatomy Of A Shot
Featurette-Fate Of The Freeway, Freeway Action Match
Featurette-Two Equals Clash, Guardian of The Oracle: Collin Chou
Featurette-Creating The Burly Brawl
Featurette-A Conversation With Master Wo Ping
Featurette-Chad Stahelski: The Other Neo, Burly Brawl Action Match
Featurette-Spiraling Virtual Shot: Anatomy Of A Shot
Featurette-The Exiles
Featurette-Big Brother Is Watching: The Architect's Office
DVD-ROM Extras
Rating ?
Year Of Production 2004
Running Time 178:51
RSDL / Flipper Dual Layered Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Josh Orech
Studio
Distributor

Roadshow Home Entertainment
Starring Keanu Reeves
Laurence Fishburne
Carrie-Anne Moss
Hugo Weaving
Yuen Wo Ping
Joel Silver
John Gaeta
Chad Stahelski
Collin Chou
Mary Alice
Monica Bellucci
Chen Hu
Debbie Evans
Case ?
RPI Box Music Various


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Full Frame English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio Varies Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement Yes
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    With this 4th disc in this Ultimate Collection, we really start to get into the meat of the extras. This disc is the first disc in the set that represents totally fresh content, not a reissue or remaster. You've not seen most of the stuff here. There is the occasional duplicated snippet of footage here that you might have seen on the extras disc with the original release of The Matrix Reloaded, but more than just the snippets, the extras are in depth and detailed. If you want to see what went into the production of the film, one that would become one of the most successful sequels in film history, then this is the place to go.

    Again, I cannot stress enough the foresight of Warner Bros. and the Wachowski Bros. in making this package a supplementary one, meaning that you should keep the original discs from the initial release as this new package is a supplement, not a replacement. Almost nothing in this collection is duplicated from the original releases, save the three film themselves, much of The Matrix Revisited and The Animatrix. As this disc is basically an extras disc, I'll skip the lengthy synopsis and get right into it.

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

 
    The video here is okay, but it does suffer from some predictable flaws due to the nature of its capture.

    The video is presented 1.33:1 (full frame) for the most part. There is some 2.35:1 content, but this is all in the 4x3 domain and without 16x9 enhancement. In an age of 16x9, I would have liked to see this content exclusively in the widescreen format, but this was obviously not thought about by the producers. Still, this is interesting and watchable material.

    If you've see The Matrix Revisited, then you'll know what to expect in terms of video quality. It's pretty much all over the shop, from crystal clear to handy-cam fuzzy, depending on what equipment was used to capture the video. With that in mind, it's understandable that sharpness would vary in quality from extra to extra. For the most part, what we have on offer is watchable and except for the lack of 16x9 enhancement and an overabundance of full frame material what we get is okay. Shadow detail depends on what we have presented and from what source. It's fine for this documentary material, but not of cinema or reference quality. There is the occasional evidence of low level noise.

    Colour is presented in a natural fashion, with the colour palate being a bit washed out in comparison to the feature films. Still, it is serviceable and acceptable due to this disc's supplementary role.

    The image quality here is good, and I didn't have any real problems with MPEG artefacts during the material. The disc is transferred with an average bitrate of around 4.50 Mb/s, which is enough to present the material in a watchable fashion. There are various video artefacts visible throughout the programme, such as aliasing, chroma noise and cross colorization, but as much of the content is from standard video cameras this is expected.

    There is only one subtitle option here, that being an English one. It is reasonably accurate but at times abbreviated. Still, it's fine if you are hard of hearing and it will get you in the ballpark.

    This disc is formatted dual layer, but the layer change takes place between segments so a layer change is not noticeable during the programme.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The audio here is basic, with just an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track running at 192 Kb/s. Still, it serves the material well.

    Dialogue is understandable throughout the various features and I had no problems with its clarity. Sync is reasonable as well with no major issues of note.

    Music for this disc comes from several sources, such as Brainclaw, Fingertwister, John Gladwell, Mica, Monstrum Sepsis and Paul Cooper among others. As with The Matrix Revisited, it suits the various featurettes well.

    The audio here is only in Dolby Digital 2.0, and at a fairly low bitrate at that (192 Kb/s). You will have to rely on your surround sound processor to derive any surround activity from this soundtrack, which will probably be a minimal atmospheric presence at most. There isn't a whole lot of LFE here.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    This disc is 100% extras. You can't complain about that.

Menu

    After the normal distributor's logo and copyright warnings, we are taken to the disc's Main Menu (with the same audio and video from the original release's extras disc's menu) which offers us the following:     The menus are all 16x9 enhanced (the only 16x9 enhanced content on the disc) and feature audio in Dolby Digital 2.0.

Enter the Matrix   -   41:02 (Total Running Time)

    These 23 short scenes are taken from the video game Enter the Matrix, which was released at the time that The Matrix Reloaded was released theatrically. Some of the scenes here flesh out some of the movie's storyline, whilst others are simply replications of scenes and scenarios that were in the film. There was some initial talk that the Wachowski Bros. would edit some or all of the material here into The Matrix Reloaded for this Ultimate Collection. This isn't the case, and seeing these short scenes shows why. Too many of the scenes are just repeats of original scenes from the film redone to make the gamer feel more like they're part of the film's action. A couple of scenes are original and could have been inserted into the film, but they for the most part would have just added length to the film without imparting enough information to justify their inclusion. Thankfully, this is why the Extras disc was invented; to give us a look at things that we might never have seen before. These scenes (and those throughout this extras disc) can be watched individually or one after another by using the Play All icon. All these scenes are presented in 2.35:1 without 16x9 enhancement.

1. Niobe & Ghost Jack In   -   2:28

    Niobe and Ghost jack into the Matrix.

2. Last Transmission of the Osiris   -   2:07

    The last broadcast from the Osiris shows that things are worse than expected.

3. 72 Hours   -   3:35

    The various ships' captains meet to discuss the new threat.

4. Hallway & The Keymaker   -   2:00

    The One's key is stolen.

5. A Kiss from Niobe   -   3:32

    There will be quite a few guys who'll like this one. This is a replication of the scene in The Matrix Reloaded where Persephone (Monica Bellucci) kisses Neo to feel what it is to be loved. In a twist, Persephone asks the same question of Niobe, with the same reaction that she had to Neo's first kiss in the movie. The second one hits the mark, and there are some revelations. Very racy!

6. A Kiss from Ghost   -   3:15

    This is the same scene as above, but with Ghost instead. We also learn some revelations about him during this scene, not near as racy, though.

7. Clean Exit   -   :15

    Niobe asks if the exit is clean.

8. The Logos Returns to Zion   -   :44

    Niobe and Ghost talk as they enter Zion's gates. A similar scene to that seen in the film when the Nebuchadnezzar enters Zion.

9. Lock & Niobe   -   2:42

    Lock confronts Niobe in her unit. They talk about Morpheus and the coming war.

10. Ghost & Trinity Pt. 1   -   :22

    Trinity enters Ghost's unit while he is sleeping.

11. Ghost & Trinity Pt. 2   -   :49

    Ghost and Trinity talk.

12. Lessons of the Oracle   -   3:29

    The Oracle (played in these and subsequent scenes by Mary Alice) and Seraph talk while Niobe and Lock discuss a way to stop the machines.

13. Off to the Freeway   -   :54

    Link and Ghost jack in to find Morpheus, who's on the freeway.

14. Sparks Directs Traffic   -   :18

    Sparks watches matrix action on his screens.

15. Saving Morpheus   -   2:17

    After Ghost and Niobe save Morpheus, they return to the Logos and talk with Sparks.

16. Three Hours to Attack   -   1:17

    Lock talks to his commanders about the impending machine attack.

17. EMP Aftermath   -   1:35

    Lock loses contact with the ships while Niobe, Ghost and Sparks talk about what to do.

18. Niobe Visits the Oracle   -   3:24

    Niobe and Oracle talk about the path of The One.

19. Ghost Visits the Oracle   -   2:45

    Ghost and the Oracle talk about how she changed and what is to come.

20. Niobe Leaves the Oracle   -   :56

    A gang of Smiths confronts Niobe in the hallway. A replication of the scene in the film.

21. Ghost Leaves the Oracle   -   :55

    Same scene as above, but featuring Ghost.

22. Picnicking Sentinels   -   :50

    Niobe, Ghost and Sparks ready for a sentinel attack.

23. One Hell of a Ride   -   :33

    Niobe and Ghost wait for the end to come.
 
 

I'll Handle Them   -   17:10 (Total Running Time)

    This is a look at the building and filming in the Great Hall of Merovingian. The following segments can be played individually or all in a row by using the Play All icon.
 

    A look at how the Merovingian's Great Hall fight scene was done, including choreography and wire work.
      How the Great Hall of Merovingian was constructed, from concept to the final finished product.
      A look at martial arts choreographer, stunt man and trainer Chen 'Tiger' Hu.
      A look at the weapons of the Great Hall and how they were used in the fight sequence.
 
 

Car Chase   -   55:19 (Total Running Time)

    This is a detailed look at how the freeway chase scene was conceived and put together.
 

    A detailed look at the freeway chase and how it was all done.
      A look at all the classic Cadillacs in the Merovingian's underground garage.
      A short about stunt player Debbie Evans, who doubled for Carrie-Anne Moss in some of the more dangerous bike riding scenes.
      An in-depth look at all the elements that went into the freeway scene.
      A look at the various action sequences during the film.
      A look at one of the most complex scenes in the entire film, the semi-trailer truck crash.
      What happened to the 15 tonnes of material used on the freeway set? Good news; it all went to charity to build low income housing.
      Storyboards, animatics and behind-the-scenes look at the entire freeway scene. Shown with the making-of elements at the top window of the screen and the finished product at the bottom of the screen.
 
 

Teahouse Fight   -   7:04 (Total Running Time)

    Here is a behind-the-scenes look at the teahouse fight between Seraph and Neo.
 

    How Wo Ping had to modify the scene to make Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Seraph (Collin Chou) seem equal despite Keanu being less accomplished at martial arts than Collin.
      All about Hong Kong action star Collin Chou.
 
 

Unplugged   -   40:22 (Total Running Time)

    This is a breakdown of the Burley Brawl scene, from conception to the final version.
 

    The whole Burley Brawl described in detail. Quite in-depth.
      Master Wo Ping takes us through the important scenes of the film from his prospective.
      A short on Chad, martial arts expert and Keanu's stunt double.
      A look at the storyboards, animatics and behind-the-scenes footage in direct realtime comparison to the final version, with the conceptual and behind-the-scenes elements at top and finished version at the bottom of the screen.
      Special effects man John Gaeta takes us through the spiral shot, from concept to final version.
 
 

The Exiles   -   17:54 (Total Running Time)

    This is a look at some of the characters that we meet in this film as well as those whom we'll meet in The Matrix Revolutions. Also featured here is a look at the Architect and his room.
 

    Here we meet the people behind the characters of the Twins, the Keymaker, Sati (from Revolutions) and Trainman.
      How the scene was executed, including some footage of Keanu Reeves filming some of the scenes of himself that are shown on the monitors in the Architect's office. The credits for the whole programme material on this disc is presented here in this extra.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    Other than some language and subtitle differences, what we have on offer here in Region 4 is on par with that afforded our Region 1 cousins.

Summary

    This disc presents the extras in a more piece by piece fashion compared to The Matrix Revisited. Still, large sections of the disc can be played as a whole. Quite interesting if you are a fan of this film and the series in general.

    The video is limited because of the capture method, but acceptable because of the documentary nature of the disc.

    The audio is acceptable, but not extraordinary.

    This disc is 100% extras.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Sean Bradford (There is no bio.)
Friday, February 11, 2005
Review Equipment
DVDPanasonic DVD-RP82, using S-Video output
DisplayBeko TRW 325 / 32 SFT 10 76cm (32") 16x9. Calibrated with Digital Video Essentials (PAL). This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderYamaha RX-V2300 Dolby Digital and dts. Calibrated with Digital Video Essentials (PAL).
AmplificationYamaha RX-V2300 110w X 6 connected via optical cable and shielded RCA (gold plated) connects for DVD-Audio
SpeakersVAF DC-X Fronts, VAF DC-6 Center, VAF DC-2 Rears, Jamo Surround 160 Rear Center, VAF LFE-07 (Dual Amp. 80w x 2)

Other Reviews NONE