This short was visually stunning and full of action. It created a different world within the mind's of matrix fans. It made me care about other characters outside of the one's featured in the movie. Jue made me wish Lucy Liu had been cast in an upcoming sequel.
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CuriosityKilledShawn20 February 2012Set just before the beginning of The Matrix Reloaded, the crew of the ship Osiris escape a flurry of Sentinels by escaping to the surface where they see the massive drillers begin their descent into Zion. The crew must warn the city before it's too late.
This could have been a spectacular short, but they just don't know what to do. A chunk of the running time is made up of a superfluous fight scene right at the start, and there really isn't much story. The visuals however are amazing (director Andrew R. Jones designed the SFX for Titanic and Superman Returns), even for 2003 standards the motion capture is very photo-realistic.
It's just a shame that it doesn't amount to much. -
Presents a new wave in the marketing of trilogies. In 2004, "The Year of the Matrix", the filmmakers have promised us not only parts 2 and 3 but nine parallel mini-features - some of which are downloadable from the web. This, longer, mini-feature has a mini Matrix story using the high-tech animation (fully life-like characters) that we saw in Final Fantasy. The two leads manage to exude sexiness in an initial sword-play fight scene, the main objective of which seems to be to remove / slice off the opponent's clothing. the second scene involves a battle with seekers.
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Spoilers Ahead.
Of the nine films in this collection, this is clearly the most faithful to the feeling of the original movie script. This jumps in almost directly after the events of the original Matrix movie.
After Neo becomes 'The One' and shoots off, superman-style, we are led to believe that shortly afterwards the adventure on the Osiris takes place.
If you are already familiar with the story then you will no doubt be aware that the Osiris is the sister vessel to the Nebuchadnezzar, the ship manned by Morpheus, Trinity and Neo.
The machines have put a new plan into action to halt the rebellion of Zion. The machines have located Zion underground and are drilling towards it. This is a fact unknown to our brave band thus far, but the crew of the Osiris are about to discover the truth.
The actions taking place in this short film are directly related to the start of the 'Matrix Reloaded' and the events that unfold there.
Like all of the short films in this collection, this is produced by the Wachowski Brothers themselves. Created by Square USA, this Final Fantasy-esque adventure is pure eye-candy. In truth it does little more than set the scene for the beginning of the second film in the trilogy and does not (story or plot-wise) stand up to close scrutiny.
Though beautiful to look at, it is touted as much more than this but fails to deliver in almost every other department. Following the jaw-dropping swordfight at the beginning of the film we are then led down a pedestrian path, plotwise, of the Osiris' attempts to escape from the Matrix's Sentinels. In an attempt to lose the Sentinels they head down an uncharted tunnel, flying at whirlwind speed in the Osiris.
Accidentally they find themselves at the surface of the planet and they are greeted by a site that chills them to their very marrow. Hundreds of thousands of Sentinels working furiously in co-operation with a huge drilling machine.
They quickly deduce that the machines have located the underground city of Zion and are drilling straight down into it. The last bastion of man would surely fall if the machines were to reach it after years of searching.
Knowing they must get this information to Zion, but knowing they will never get there, Jue (our female lead)is despatched into the Matrix to post a package that will ensure the rest of the human race will know what the machines plans are.
Again we are treated to some stunning special effects with the action jumping smoothly from Jue's acrobatics in the Matrix to the plight of Thadeus, captain of the Osiris and his attempts to give Jue some time to get the message posted safely.
Ultimately the Osiris is overcome by the legion of Sentinels they are running from, a referral to which is made in the second motion picture in the trilogy.
In summary, this is a very enjoyable, if simple, prequel to the events taking place in the Matrix Reloaded. As I said, it is quite stunning to look at, but for all of the appearance, it's content is lacking. If the intention was merely to enlighten us to the upcoming plot, then it really needn't have bothered as we quickly ascertain the goings on when the second picture starts. It is difficult, I understand, to feel anything for the characters as they are all new and we don't get to learn very much about them in the short time we have with them, but more could have been made of this, which is little more than a beautifully rendered extended trailer for the new (at the time) movie. -
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews11 April 2009This is the first of the Animatrix shorts, found on the DVD of them. It is arguably the most entertaining. This maintains a rather fast pace throughout the entirety, without ever becoming overwhelming. It takes place a little before, and sets up, Reloaded(and also the Enter the Matrix). That doesn't mean it is a requirement to view this, however. The plot is well-written, and the story-telling is good. The CGI is stunning, incredibly naturalistic and quite close to being seamless. This was animated by the people who also made Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and you can tell that their talent was applied to this. The visuals are amazing all the way. The music is fitting. The sound in general is great, and the voice acting is nice. The characters are well-written, but there is little time devoted to developing them, particularly beyond the two leads. This is 9 minutes long, and the focus here was on making it feel like one of the awesome action scenes from the films(this is definitely the one most true to that aspect of the trilogy). They succeed. This has strong sensuality, but not particularly anything objectionable beyond that. The disc also holds a making of, six and a half minutes, very worth watching, with the crew talking about it, clips of it, and we even get a glimpse at some of the short they created to prove they could pull this off. I recommend this to any fan of the concept and the movies. 8/10
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The Final Flight of the Osiris is our first chance to see one of the Animatrix shorts we first heard about on the "Matrix Revisited" dvd - and boy did it deliver! Directed by the Animation Director for "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within", Final Flight delves further into the Matrix universe and manages in its 9 short minutes to not only create a greater anticipation for the upcoming Matrix Sequels, but convey a well written and action-packed story that the film it opened in front of, Dreamcatcher (2003), couldn't do in its 136 minutes. I greatly look forward to the other seven Animatrix shorts and thank the Wachowski brothers once again for bringing us the most important piece of science fiction since Star Wars.
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The most well known and iconographic of the Animatrix shorts is "The Final Flight of the Osiris", which is one-part back story to the Reloaded narrative and two-parts showcase to the CGI animation skills of its creators. Let's just face it and realize that the story itself takes significant second tier to the animated characters, which in some cases look so real it's almost disturbing (see the term: Uncanny Valley).
Whereas the beginning is somewhat gratuitous, it does help provide a relationship and thus caring for the characters in a relatively short amount of time, all while being titular to male viewers. I think "The Final Flight of the Osiris", ultimately, stands as a good example of the ways in which CGI can replace real actors and, if it ever becomes readily available and cheap, new forms of pornography (see the movie: Demonlover). In the meantime, it's a feast of color and movement that can at least be appreciated on an artistic level by all fans of animation, as well as Matrix acolytes.
--PolarisDiB -
TIALI24 March 2003flawless short from The Animatrix marred only by the irony: computers create better drama than people can (the point of The Matrix). The animation is truly exciting: you have to remind yourself that it's not real people up there (but then the actors in a movie aren't real people either...just light reflected off a screen...hmm). Yep, hmm.
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willsgb21 November 2008this is one of two of the nine Animatrix shorts directly connected to the events of the Matrix Reloaded and tells an important story animated in gorgeous CGI reminiscent of the movies themselves. it begins in a dojo much like the one Morpheus and Neo spar in during Neo's training in the first film where we meet Thadeus and Jue who spar with swords and acrobatics and a tribal little tune to accentuate their sexual tension. they are interrupted by the warning of sentinel activity.
the ship is named the Osiris, after the Egyptian god who presides over death, resurrection and immortality - as far as I'm aware - and this is about letting the story of its crew and their sacrifice for Zion be told and remembered, otherwise only mentioned in passing at the beginning of Reloaded. in escaping from the sentinels they choose to go down an uncharted passage and end up above the surface of Earth, where they spot the massing army of sentinels and the big diggers. they realise that Zion is directly below them, just as the sentinels realise they're being watched. the Osiris escapes while Jue enters the matrix one last time to deliver a warning of the impending invasion of Zion.
she succeeds using lush acrobatics to get from a building high up to the ground through a set of bars down an alley, to a mailbox on the high street before having a short conversation with a granny about important packages getting to where they're meant to be. meanwhile in the real world, despite the best efforts of the Osiris engines and gunners and pilots, they stand no chance against the thousands of sentinels that descend upon them, and they are killed by sentinels before the ship explodes finishing them off. message delivered, goodbyes said and conversation with granny done, we see Jue's matrix self die.
Final flight of the Osiris captures the essence and character of the films and visually satisfies with beautiful graphics, apparently produced by Square, of Final Fantasy fame, and the plot is an interesting and significant precursor to the events of Reloaded and any matrix fan should give it a watch, along with the other Animatrix. Fly, baby, fly! -
This is the first part of 'The Animatrix', a collection of animated short movies that tell us a little more about the world of 'The Matrix'. This one is very exciting with some beautiful animations and the action as spectacular as we saw it in 'The Matrix'. Very good.
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To warm things up for the disappointing last two Matrixes (or is it Matrices?), the Wachowsky brothers produced the Animatrix, a series of 9 short animated movies, the first of them being Final Flight of the Osiris.
It starts of with a great sexually charged fight sequence between Thadeus and Jue, before the story takes place in the real world, with the Osiris finding out about the diggers towards Zion. They try to warn the city while hundreds of machines are chasing them.
The story takes place before the Matrix Reloaded and stays close to the story we've seen so far (unlike other animatrixes). It's probably the best, if only for those first two minutes... 7/10. -
Pavel-827 March 2003**Warning! Mild Spoilers Ahead!**
If you're like me, you've been eagerly awaiting "Matrix Reloaded" for four years. You devoured the DVD release of "Matrix Revisited," and already asked for May 15th off so you can see "Reloaded" on opening day. To hold people like me over until then, Warner Brothers put this short 'animatrix' film in front of "Dreamcatcher." If you're a fan, then "Osiris" alone is worth the price of admission.
"Osiris" occurs approximately the same time as "The Matrix" did, telling a parallel story of a different ship and its crew. The animation here is eye-popping, better than "Final Fantasy." The humans are as real as anything, and many shots look as good as those in "The Matrix." As expected from a ten-minute short, the story itself is not anything special, but that's not the point either. The point is to whet people's appetites for the upcoming releases of both movies plus the "Animatrix" DVD, and to provide a glimpse further into the world of "The Matrix."
On both fronts, "Osiris" succeeds wildly. When the green-tinted company logos came onto the screen accompanied by the distinct "Matrix" music, I got chills. Then the emerald code pours down the screen. Pure movie bliss. The opening fight sequence reminded me how spectacular that world can be when characters harness its power. The hovercraft and its crew, along with the sentinels, immediately yank us back into that exhilarating dimension. In just a few minutes, we manage to care about the characters and their fates. And on top of that, we gain a greater understanding of the Matrix world, an understanding that continues to set the stage for "Reloaded" and "Revolutions."
Bottom Line: If you liked "The Matrix," plunk down the money to see this short. "Dreamcatcher" is optional, but "Osiris" is a must see. -
whatdoes1know16 June 2003Awing the world with the graphics of SPIRITS WITHIN, OSIRIS by
comparison is a step back, or rather, it really is a job done on the
side as all energy was being poured into FF. The clunky
movements of the characters, especially noticeable in the opening
simulation scene, are subpar those of the 2001 box-office flop.
SPOILER: The actual sequences inside the Matrix involve an
extended jump, flat jogging, and a casual conversation with an old
lady who decided for once that she should not turn into an Agent
and stop Jue from informing Zionites about the attack of the
Sentinels. Maybe Jue wasn't such a hot face among the Agent's
most wanted list. Maybe it's a big PLOT HOLE. But, there is
mouthfuls of butt, and that alone must make OSIRIS the top
favorite of pseudo fans of the Matrix. -
In my opinion, this was an okay short. It was nothing compared to my favorite (Detective Story), and the sole purpose of this episode was to simply be eye candy.
Yes, eye candy. From the fight/striptease at the beginning to the closing credits, the short is VERY visually attractive, but the acting is sub-par and the story is simply a typical Matrix action scene minus the plot. Yes, I understand it is the story of the Osiris discovering the Machine invasion heading for Zion, but the short itself is simply...kind of dull, honestly.
If you like computer generated asian girls getting naked with katanas and some shady mention of a backstory setting up the movies, this is for you. If you like a neat short story with neat little inner tidbits that stands alone without the movies, watch Detective Story. -
MovieAddict201628 May 2003Some Spoilers
I stayed up 'till about 1 a.m., after "The Matrix," to see this. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't think the animation, voices or action was all that great. It's essentially an eight-minute-long advertising campaign for the upcoming movies, and the beginning "fight" sequence is about five minutes of sensual fighting that doesn't fit into something like "The Matrix" at all. Fighting, yes. But the entire scene keeps leading to them shredding their clothes off in the sword fight. Please.
I don't know why, but I expected something clever from this. I thought it was going to be a half hour long at least, and be a bit of a prequel to "The Matrix." But it's just a long commercial, kinda like BMW's with Clive Owen. Only one difference: BMW knows how to both advertise and entertain at the same time. "The Animatrix," apparently, does not.
When the credits rolled, I felt cheated. Let's re-cap, shall we?
One five-minute-long sensual fight, leading to an attack on the ship, "The Osiris." This beginning sequence is basically one long advertising scheme, and the whole Countdown to Nudity was something teenage boys would come up with.
After that a woman from The Osiris goes into The Matrix to deliver a package. This takes up about two minutes, and while it is the most visually enchanting scene in the commercial - err, film - it feels rushed. After she delivers the package, the ship is destroyed (in another rushed sequence) and she is killed inside The Matrix, plopping dead on the street. Booooring.
At least the Wachowski Brothers realized this doesn't fit into an entire movie, but I really wanted a prequel to "The Matrix." How about a look at the man who freed Morpheus from The Matrix; the man who was the first to realize The Matrix was a computer-generated illusion?
Or what about showing some of Morpheus' adventures with Trinity before Neo came into the picture? I suppose because the actors wouldn't lend their voices - but then again, I'm kind of surprised they wouldn't, seeing how it would be a continuation of their characters.
I hate to be a damper on everyone's fun, but an eight-minute-rip-off of "The Matrix" with so-so animation just isn't my piece of cake.
Worth seeing if there's nothing else on.
2/5 stars -
John Ulmer -
saeedonweb21 March 2003It was great! In fact I went to see the Dream Catcher because of this and I loved it. The graphics, the style was awesome. he characters were oozing with personality. It is certainly a unique way to present the upcoming Matrix film's background. Marvellous job.
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Deeana5 April 2003The only reason I went to see Dreamcatcher was to see Final flight of the Osiris! I was certainly not disappointed. At first I thought they were real people, the animation was brilliant. I thought it was just a nice little story. The crew just managing to post the information off in the Matrix just as the ship was destroyed in the real world. This really does get you even more excited about the Matrix sequels coming up.
Dreamcatcher was a wierd movie, not really worth the money, but see it just to see this short, you wont be disappointed:)
I give it a 10 -
jack_o_hasanov_imdb19 December 2021It was interesting that it was short and animated at the same time. The Matrix is a series of movies with a very interesting subject and I love it. I already knew about this subject, but I had never watched this animation. It was good. In this episode, the fight scenes were very good.
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Squaresoft took what they did for the amazing movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and added onto that mastery of CGI to Final Flight of Osiris.
Whatever small mistakes were in Spirits (motion fluidity, outlines, leather texture), Squaresoft corrected those and magnify their conquerings in this 5 minute short. Each film by this incredible group of people moves it closer to the limits of realism.
Storyline held well giving a brief subplot into the world of the matrix yet not spoiling events that will occur in the new matrix movies.
As for the attaching to the front of Dreamcatcher: This was the only way Warner Brothers was going to make any cash off of this filth of a movie by scheduling something worth seeing in front of it. I would see this short a thousand times if it weren't leading the atrocity that is Dreamcatcher. Curses to all who actually went to Dreamcatcher to see...Dreamcatcher. -
Clive-Silas22 May 2003A rather splendid little stand-alone CG-animated film set in the universe of "The Matrix" series of movies. The engine used to generate the characters and animation is clearly the same as that used in "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within".
People who have criticised this movie's animation need their eyes examining.
I found the movement of the characters utterly realistic, and their facial expressions were masterfully done.
The best part, it has to be said, is the opening fight sequence between Thadeus and Jue. The only niggle I'd have is that sword fighting blindfolded is a concept more suited for showing off live action effects; clearly there's nothing clever about getting "blindfolded" CG characters to be able to fight as if they can see! But the fight, with its clever little device of gradually showing more flesh, is a splendid piece of animation work, with some nice touches of humour.
Once that is over, the film moves over to more generic action sequence which really doesn't show us anything we haven't already seen in "The Matrix". As the title implies, it does have a somewhat downbeat ending, so be warned! -
depastino2 April 2003Final Fantasy was merely a vehicle for Square's animation breakthrough and it showed. The novelty eventually wore off leaving you with a feeble, pointless story that should never have made it to the big screen. FFO has everything FF lacked: dynamic action sequences that would be difficult (if not impossible) to execute in live action, characters you actually CARE about and, most importantly, BREVITY. Don't get me wrong, being a HUGE Matrix fan I thought it was way too short. But crammed into those exquisite nine minutes was some of the best action sequences I've ever seen. The same level of excellence would be difficult to sustain throughout a feature-length movie. FFO is the perfect teaser for Reloaded.
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briancham199415 June 2020There's not much to this short. It has essentially the same cool action that we've already seen - sentinel chase and acrobatics - but with new characters we've only just met. The story is just an addition to The Matrix: Reloaded to explain a bit more of its backstory but it doesn't work on its own. The swordfight was a bit new, I guess.
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bob the moo24 May 2003While practising kung fu and flirting in the dojo training programme, the captain of the Osiris, Thadeus, is alerted to an attack by a group of sentinels. Fleeing into an uncharted tunnel system the craft reaches the surface of earth where they see an army of sentinels and a machine for burrowing. Realising that Zion is directly beneath that site the crew realise that the machines are preparing an attack on Zion. As the sentinels close in on the craft one of the crew enters the matrix to deliver the information to one of the drop off points and warn Zion but is there enough time?
I was wanting to see this short so much that I almost went to see Dreamcatcher to get it! Happily it came onto TV a few days before the second Matrix film opened. The plot is quite simple and feeds into the sequels quite well. Being cynical you could say that this is yet another marketing tool for the Matrix and in a way it is. However I prefer to think that it performs a dual role as a trailer but also a short film in it's own right. Realistically do you think the Matrix marketing machine NEEDS any help from this?
The film moves quickly and is quite dramatic despite the short running time. Conversely to the films the `real' world is actually more exciting than the brief entry into the matrix itself (although they do try to spice this up with fancy moves etc), the real drama is the frantic attempt by the Orsis to escape or at least deliver it's warning. It may be more style than real substance or back story but it works well for what it is.
The animation is very good. Looking at the characters faces reveal that it isn't quite as good as the real thing, but when it comes to machinery etc it does look very good indeed. I must admit to being a little sad and male by appreciating the striptease type sword fight one example where animation can make things as good as real!! Maybe the animation is why the stuff in the matrix isn't as exciting because we know `how they did that' they drew it!
Overall I don't know if I'd pay to see this but it is worth a look as part of the Matrix films. It has pace and is exciting and, although the short itself has a simple plot it does fit in nicely to the wider world. Even if you view this as a cynical marketing ploy it is still quite an entertaining marketing ploy. -
Agent1016 April 2003The Final Flight of the Orsiris owes it allegiance to Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and this film doesn't disappoint. Displaying the next generation of digital animation, this little film brought new meaning to "animation." While the abruptness of it was somewhat annoying, at least one gets to enjoy the sharpness and downright coolness of this nine-minute feature. Just goes to show, the release date for this film and its eight counterparts will not come quickly enough.
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doguhan_uluca27 March 2003I was expecting a more action packed and explosive short movie, but the Brothers did it again. I think the whole point of the story is the old lady. The others are paint over eyes or curtains pulled to blind you. But that old lady was very powerful. I'd have been disappointed if there were agents chasing down the character, but the story is very good. She fulfills her destiny and just passes away. It is deeper than you think and by god it was good. This only raises my expectations for the upcoming movie (story wise of course.)