ULTIMATE MATRIX COLLECTION
BOXED SET

click image for official website

Released: Dec 7th 2004
Amazon Price: $55.94
MSRP Price: $79.92 
Costco Price: $54.99 
Sam Club - $55.99

Format: Anamorphic Widescreen boxed set.
Studio: Warner Bros.
Number of Discs -  10 
Bonus Material - 35 hours 

WARNER BROS OFFICIAL WEBSITE  
Official Matrix Website 
The Matrix Online 

Ultimate Matrix  Rating: A

STARS: Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Marcus Chong, Julian Arahanga, Anthony Ray Parker, Matt Doran, Balinda McCory

Matrix was the most amazing film in 2001. The storyline was deep and the special effects totally state of the art. The Wachowski's had created and incredible film. 

I have been engrossed in the Matrix at least fifty-times and just had the film playing in the background while on the computer an unremembered amount of time. I still enjoy watching jamming the dvd into a player and relaxing for a good adventure. Oh yeah, the Matrix is one of my all time hands down. I truly hated the end to Revolutions and watch this film the least. You never kill the stars of the film, it ruins the film and nearly ruined the trilogy for me. Trinity's death was useless serving no purpose to the story just as NEO could have survived he destiny with Mr. Smith. An alternate ending I would have preferred. 

Matrix could be the best trilogy ever told on film. The sequels never match the original but they come as close as possible. The action, the acting, and the music incorporated in though invoking storyline make the Ultimate Collection a must for any fan. The only thing missing from this boxed set are director cuts of all three films. The Wachowski's believe their versions to be perfect, so the special cuts were not done. Fans do get a butt-load of new bonus material. 

My generation grew up with Star Wars asthe greatest trilogy ever told. Indiana Jones was close but nothing could touch the greatest Sci-Fi Adventure of that time. The Matrix is likely to be the trilogy of today's generation. It has surpassed Star Wars for even the likes of myself.

PACKAGING: 
The packaging looks pretty decent. The slide case is black with the green running letters that appear in the Matrix opening scene and it's done in 3D material. I have seen some images that could have used to create a very unique collectors case. The individuall film sleeves for the discs is card board, with beautiful artwork. jThe discs are one on top of the other.  Unfortunately the cardboard damages easily and the set don't sit smooth in the slide case. The cardboard spines tend to bend in or out rather than lay flat. So, it's nice.

VIDEO: 
The new anamorphic widescreen digital transfers of the films are crystal clear clarity. The transfer between the original dvd and this one are like night and day. The picture looks deeper and sharper. The new transfer gives the feel of its two sequels. I am ecstatic with the changes to the film. Man, it looks nice.  Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions haven't changed from their original dvd releases but they look good too. 

AUDIO: 
Oh Man! The Matrix audio track sounds incredible on the surround system compared to the original dvd version. The new mix on the film has the voices much stronger and sharper than the original. I heard effects that I had never noticed before. Again, it now equals the quality of the Matrix sequels. The music resonates beautifully through the system and the effects knock your socks off. It's awesome. 

BONUS FEATURES: 
This is where the box-set kicks some serious ass. The Wachowski's have packed the collectors set with 35 hours of extra material. 
1. With the Matrix you get 2 new interviews
2. Matrix Revisited: A feature-length look at the Matrix from conception to phenomenon and 17 featurettes, yeah 17 of them. 
3. Matrix ReLoaded with 2 new commentaries
4. Matrix Reloaded Revisited includes 21 featurettes, and 23 extra scenes shot for the "Enter The Matrix" console game
5. Matrix Revolutions with 2 new commentaries
6. Matrix Revolutions Revisited has 29 featurettes. 
7. The Animatrix: 9 short films exploring the world of the Matrix.
8. The Roots of the Matrix: A Historical, philosophical and technological inspirations are explored in insightful documentaries.
9. The Burly Man Chronicles: probes the society of actors, craftspeople and filmmakers who shaped the movie trilogy and the "Enter the Matrix" console game with 21 featurettes. 
10. The Zion Archive: Production assets developed fo rthe Matrix universe, including concept artwork, storyboards, drawings, music videos, TV spots and trailers. Includes a preview of the Matrix Online multiplayer game.

SUMMARY: 
There is nothing bad about the Ultimate Matrix Collection. Hell, it's all good. I wish there had been director cuts of the films simply because I love that shit. It's worth the sixty-bucks for the three films alone. The 35 hours of bonus material is absolutely that... a bonus. If you like the matrix, you love the this boxed set. If you consider the Matrix the best trilogy ever then this boxed is your Holy Grail. Give away your other dvd's and make this your Matrix set. it's awesome.

Ultimate Matrix Collection: A - for the lack of a 5.1 mix it could have used and no extras from the shows stars that would have been important to many fans. These guys aren't getting any younger. 

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