Riddick my friend, you are lonely no more at the top of the HD-DVD Visual heap as The Matrix Trilogy/Ultimate HD-DVD is the killer app that we all hoped it would be. WB has outdone themselves with the release of all 3 Matrix movies: The Matrix, Matrix: Reloaded and Matrix: Revolutions. All 3 movies are presented in 1080p, encoded in VC-1 with TrueHD soundtracks and features the In-Movie Experience. WB has released The Matrix Trilogy in 2 separate retail packages. The Complete Trilogy includes all 3 movies and a free download of The Animatrix via XBOX LIVE Marketplace and The Ultimate Edition includes all 3 movies, The Animatrix and 35 hours of extra material. This review will cover the Complete Trilogy edition of the Matrix (meaning no extras) and will be viewed using the Toshiba HD-A1 (1080i) and my Panasonic 52” Projection LCD. The receiver used is the Onkyo SR-604B with HDMI Switching. The visuals and the audio are both delivered via HDMI. TrueHD is enabled for playback on all 3 movies.


The Matrix, The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions

The Matrix was first released in 1999 and filmed in 1998. For a movie filmed in the late 90’s, the movie is visually stunning in HD. From the opening scene your jaw will hit the floor. The opening scene with Trinity is a mind blower. Her black outfit is ridiculously lustrous and is a deep color of black. When the scene goes to Bullet-Time every detail of her lustrous black outfit is visible and does not disappoint. Every object in the room is sharp from the bullet holes left in the wall to the texture of the tiles on the floor. Even the lighting is amazing as the lighting is Luminous and rich (very evident when the flash light is shined in Trinity’s face). When Neo is freed from The Matrix by Morpheus the scene is powerful. The liquid that Neo is suspended in looks gross and slimy leaving you with a hair standing. The Machine City in HD is a sight to behold. The lights and electric currents glow when an intensity rarely seen in any movie. In HD you can clearly make out every human pod as the camera pans around to show the massive size of the city. The famous Lobby scene is spectacular. As Neo and Trinity shoot up the place even the smallest piece of tile can be seen flying around the lobby. In fact, the scene is so sharp in HD you can tell that Keanu has a stunt double when you see Neo performing flips (look closely at this face) as he shoots the guards who oppose him and Trinity. The Helicopter scene is another standout. Neo’s encounter with the Agent as he dodges bullets is a stunner. During the Bullet-Time effect one can make out the detail of each individual bullet as they whiz by Neo. One thing I mention quite often in HD reviews is facial detail. Lawrence (Morpheus) has tons of pot-holes on this face. Each and every pot-hole is visible in extreme detail and makes you go “whoa” every single time there is a close up on this face.

The Matrix: Reloaded actually looks a little better than the Matrix which blew me into the middle of next week. The blacks are solid and hues are on cue (same with the Matrix). When Neo is flying around in the clouds early in the movie you can’t help but to get excited over the effects. The milky white clouds swirl and move around him as he maneuvers in the air with his black outfit moving in the wind. The only downside of these standout scenes is that you can tell they are CG when the scenes are viewed in HD. One scene that blew me away was when the Nebuchadnezzar was landing in the dock at Zion. The ship is highly detailed (as you can make out damage and wear/tear) and the hover pads are glowing with electric current illuminating the underside of the ship. The famous highway scene visually peaks when Neo saves Morpheus and the Keymaker before they are killed when the two trucks collide. The collision creates black think smoke that looks suffocating and is just simply dazzling to watch. And yes, Monica Bellucci (the wife of the Merovingian) is even HOTTER in HD. Every scene is a looker and ONLY validates your investment in HD-DVD.

The Matrix: Revolutions is another great HD movie. The attack by the machines on Zion is gorgeous. The shiny metallic metal of the machines and the APU’s shimmer in the dark dimly lit dock of Zion. Unfortunately HD exposes some of the CG which comprises the final battle between Neo and Agent Smith but this is ok as the scene is still a stunning piece of work.
The movies have some of the best black levels of any HD-DVD’s I have seen to date. The hues are excellent with vivid colors visible throughout all 3 movies. The movies also are VERY low in noise with the backgrounds and their objects visible at all times. Generally backgrounds and their objects are noisy and difficult to see, but not in these 3 movies. Every HD movie should always have low noise, always!


TrueHD Soundtracks

The TrueHD Soundtracks are spectacular and eclipse “V for Vendetta and Batman Begins”. The center channel audio in all 3 movies is best I have heard thus far. All dialog is “crystal clear”, “full” and is not abused for other sounds. The immersion factor is very high thanks to the audio. Early in the movie Trinity is running from an Agent on the roof and leaps from one building to the next. During the leap you can distinctly hear the sound of the siren below as the sound moves from left to right to rear with absolute clarity. When Neo awakens in the Machine City the sound of electricity is somewhat frightening. Throughout many scenes the audio will cause you to jump as if you were watching a horror movie. Bullet shells hitting the ground during fire-fights are wicked with the sound of every bullet resonating throughout the room (you are watching the movie in). Once scene that stands out during Reloaded is when the Merovingian’s wife takes them through the kitchen to see the Keymaker. You can distinctly and loudly hear the sound of the fire on the stove as the Chef lights the burner. 3D positional audio is at its best in the Matrix HD-DVD movies as the front left and right speakers are tremendously “busy”. As I mentioned earlier, some sounds (in other movies) are pushed through the center channel when they should come from the front left and right. During the Matrix movies, distinct sounds constantly come from the left and right front speakers. Stuff like this is the reason why TrueHD is so important in this HD generation of movies. If you have not purchased a Toshiba HD-DVD, I suggest you get busy as the Toshiba player is the only way to get TrueHD with HD-DVD (no support on 360 or 360 Elite).

The In-Movie Experience is more of the same. Once you have watched the movie, watch it again with the In-Movie Experience enabled and watch the usual actor and director commentary stuff including how some scenes were done.

I have nothing more to say except purchase “The Matrix Complete Trilogy/Ultimate HD-DVD” today (not tomorrow but today) as it is best HD-DVD Experience you can purchase (right along with Riddick).

__________________
Editor - www.hidef.com

"True adaptability involves changing ones self to meet ones environment, not changing ones environment to meet ones needs" - Species8472

Now I'm not so sure I want to see an HD close-up of Morpheus...