Kid's Story (2003)

Director:

Shinichirô Watanabe

Writers:

Larry Wachowski (story) and
Andy Wachowski (story) ...

Genre:

Animation | Sci-Fi | Short

Plot:

A teenager's dreams which conclude with him falling off a building, lead him to believe that the reality he lives in, may not be so real after all.

Plot Keywords:

Cellular Phone | Dream | Fall From Height | Skateboard | Chase

Cast

Clayton Watson	...	Michael Karl Popper (The Kid) (voice)
Keanu Reeves	...	Neo (voice)
Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Trinity (voice)
John DeMita	...	Teacher (voice)
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Cop (voice) (as Kevin M. Richardson)
James Arnold Taylor	...	Miscellaneous Voices (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hiroaki Hirata	...	(voice)
Hikaru Midorikawa	...	(voice)
Fumihiko Tachiki	...	(voice)
Hiromi Tsuru	...	(voice)
Yûsaku Yara	...	(voice)

Also Known As:

The Animatrix: Kid's Story (USA) (series title)

Runtime:

UK:15 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Finland:K-15

Company:

Studio 4°C

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: During the first part of the short, where Mr. Popper is typing, his keystrokes are inconsistent with what appears of the screen.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Hard Problem: The Science Behind the Fiction (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

The best Animatrix short by far - absolutely stunning!

The Animatrix is a very entertaining, very interesting experience. But of all the short movies, this is simply the best.

What makes it so obviously superior? Is it the swishy-swooshy animation that is incredibly alive and dynamic? Is it the constant mood of bewilderment that seeps through the entire movie? Is it the subtle, yet suitable score? Or is it the story about the most exceptional character in the matrix universe so far?

Yup, thats what the story is about - in my eyes. It's not about Neo or Morpheus or Trinity or any of the other cool people we already know (though Neo and Trinity cameo) - it's about the least likely character, the annoying side kick from Reloaded who made some of the Zion scenes so awkward. Watch "Reloaded" without seeing this first, and you may not like his character, or his very presence in the movie, one little bit (I did not). Yet this touching short movie shows a totally different side to him, and hints quite strongly at a powerful relevance for the matrix universe - even if that is not capitalized upon in Reloaded or Revolutions, this character and his unique story have the potential of an own spin-off. Why? Well I won't spoil it, but the ending of the short is quite powerful, creating the ideal finale for a perfect short animated movie.

Stunning, absolutely stunning, and easily the best matrix-related merchandise you are likely to see this year!

10/10