I picked up a copy of the Animatrix at the weekend, and enjoyed watching the nine pieces of animation on it which contribute to the back story and cosmology of the Matrix movies. Each piece has a different style and, generally, director - the exception being The Second Renaissance parts I and II, and Kid's Story and A Detective Story.

I've always enjoyed Japanese anime, and while I don't consider myself an expert, I have watched work by all of the directors represented on the DVD. It's certainly a sign of the interest the original Matrix movie generated among anime directors that so many gifted directors agreed to work on this project.

Did the DVD succeed? Yes and No. The animation is top notch, but the stories sometimes fail to deliver. The first piece, Final Flight of the Osiris was written by Andy and Larry Wachowski, and directed by Andy Jones - best known for the Final Fantasy movie. This short is pure CG, and it looks pretty damn amazing in places - and it should, considering they spent $5 million just on this one short. However, considering the cost you'd think they'd have done more with the storyline. This story is intended to explain how, in Matrix: Reloaded, the human rebels know that the machines are drilling down to Zion. It starts with an exercise in a training programme, and no surprise, for anime, by the end of it the female lead is wearing a minimum of clothing - to show off CG butt cheeks of course! But, the "wow" factor will make you forget some of the more pandering moments.

The Second Renaissance parts I and II are also written by the Wachowski bros, and directed by Mahiro Maeda who is famous for a popular Japanese series Blue Submarine No. 6. Both pieces are narrated by the Zion library and describe the history of how the war between man and the machines began, and how the Matrix was established. In this piece humanity is shown as being culpable for the struggle, and is brought low by its own fear and ambition. These pieces bring us back to normal Anime style, and it's gorgeously executed. The next short is Kid's Story, written by the Wachowski bros, and directed by Watanabe, who is famous for the TV series Cowboy Bebop. I'm a fan of Cowboy Bebop, and I was looking forward to seeing the work of Watanabe on this DVD. The animation is unusual in this short. It's very fluid and as it progresses it gets more disturbed and messy. It follows the story of a kid called Popper, and how he is awakened to the Matrix - Neo and Trinity briefly appear in this piece. It also introduces a minor character from Matrix: Reloaded.

Program is written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri best known for the excellent Ninja Scroll, and Vampire Hunter D. Here the action takes place in one of the training programmes of the humans, and it's very much typical of Kawajiri's style: fabulous fighting scenes with fluttering cloaks and swishing weapons. At first when I watched World Record, written by Kawajiri and directed by Takeshi Koike, I thought it was animated by the creators of Aeon Flux. The comparison should give you some idea of the animation style. Koike has worked as a lead animator for several directors, including work on Wicked City. This story is one of the more interesting on the DVD, and shows how a world class athlete can inadvertently become aware of the Matrix because of his focus and determination.