The Matrix Trilogy (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has gone and done it!  They officially hit the ball out of the proverbial ballpark by releasing one of the Holy Grail of sci-fi trilogies of theirs on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format the day before All Hallows Eve.  Of course I’m talking about The Matrix Trilogy, which features the Wachowski Brothers’ (Andy and Larry Wachowski) 1999 acclaimed sci-fi action classic The Matrix along with their two sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (both from 2003).  Now they could have taken the easy route like Fox did with the Predator releases for example and stopped right there by not giving us a complete upgrade in the audio department.  But oh no!  They went above and beyond with both new video transfers and Dolby Atmos surround tracks to boot!   All three 4K Ultra HD presentations of the films featured here within this review are from a new scan of the original camera negative and is officially the first remaster of the films in nearly 15 years.  The 4K UHD remasters were supervised by director of photography Bill Pope (The Matrix Trilogy, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, Baby Driver).  How’s that for upping the ante in this hotly anticipated release?  Let’s take a closer look down below at all three of the aforementioned titles housed in this 4K collection.

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THE MATRIX

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The Matrix is almost synonymous with the term science fiction in the late 90’s.  If you look the term up in the dictionary, you’ll find a reference to the film The Matrix.  I’m just kidding, but universal law should work that way.  When The Matrix came out it was pretty much instantly adopted and heralded as a sci-fi classic.  It was even pioneering in the way special effects were done in movie making.  Do you remember how pretty much every film that came out within a few years of The Matrix’s release adopted the slow motion action sequences seen within?  I do and they still use this gimmick.  Look at last year’s Justice League.  Some of the film’s action sequences took pages out of The Matrix’s playbook.  Not that it was ever dead, but it certainly lit a fire under the career of Keanu Reeves not to mention pave the careers of The Wachowski Brothers.  So let’s talk all about this down below.  What say you?  The red pill or blue?

Film 

The sci-if film The Matrix officially came out in 1999.  So that’s when the visual effects phenomenon affectionately known as “bullet time,” which I made mention of up above, officially started.  It was both written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers.  In addition to Reeves the film stars Laurence Fishburne (he also saw a resurgence in his career from this one), Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano and Hugo Weaving, who was handsomely rewarded and recognized in so many roles afterwards because of this movie.  The Matrix shows us a future not so different than our own on the surface, but very dystopian behind the curtains in which our reality as perceived is actually a simulated reality.

Let’s talk about this simulated reality thing for a bit.  I don’t think I’m spoiling anything because if you haven’t seen The Matrix by now, what’s wrong with you?   This simulated reality is referred to as “the Matrix,” and is created by sentient machines to fool the human population into a dreamlike state while they use their actual bodies as an energy source.  Lost yet?  Stay with me.  So remember me asking you about the red and blue pills up above?  Well one of them will show you what the average human can’t see.  This is how our hero, Neo (Reeves) an ordinary computer programmer, is introduced to the truth.  He obviously took the right pill, eh?  He finds himself amidst the rebellion against the machines.  He has help though from others who show him the powers he didn’t know he has now that is mind is set free to the dystopian truth of it all.  I don’t think he saw that coming when he woke up that fateful morning.  Ha ha.

The Matrix was undoubtedly well loved by critics and it even went on to win four Academy Awards (all for effects, editing and sound).  Reviewers loved the film for its effects, cinematography and sci-fi bliss.  Over the years it has been regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films ever and was added to the National Film Registry for preservation in 2012.  The film went on to spawn two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both written and directed by the Wachowski Brothers once again.  However, the funniest thing about The Matrix is in addition to games and animated short films it also went on to influence books and theories on religion and philosophies the film provoked in the minds of others.

From a certain point of view I see The Matrix as film that teaches one in a sci-fi kind of way that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.  It’s really all mind over matter here and if you seen The Matrix, you know its ending.  Once you can perceive you’re in control, you can pretty much do and accomplish anything.  This is a pretty powerful belief.  This practice in the wrong hands of the evil and corrupt can be treacherous.  I guess I can see now why there are thoughts about the religion and philosophies of “The Matrix.”  It’s a deep trip behind the curtain, but what would this movie be if Neo took the other pill?  We have to believe nothing.  The Matrix isn’t for everyone and I can definitely understand how some can be confused by it, but if you give into it, take the same pill as Neo (the red one) and master the mind over matter thing The Matrix shows, you can have a blast with this one.  I know it took me multiple viewings in 1999 to appreciate the genius of it all, but not for one moment did I ever not like all my trips down the rabbit hole.  I’ll gladly follow the white rabbit anytime.

Video 

The below video score and related critique of things here are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Warner’s The Matrix.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Size: BD-100
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Clarity/Detail: Once again ladies and gentlemen this is the real deal folks!  Sharpness is typically paramount throughout this 4K presentation with the exception of a few soft shots here and there.  And as you can probably have guessed the acne pits on Lawrence Fishborune’s face are more prevalent then ever here.  Beyond those acne scars and pits though crispness in the close-ups is amazing down to every little imperfection, pore, stubble and mole.  In addition to skin the textures are crazy good looking from the many sweaters and post apocalyptic outfits to the concrete and steels employed throughout.  Most striking was the worn look of the red leather chair Morpheus sits down in and schools Neo about the pill choices.  The chair looked so real like you could reach out and touch it, and then want to wash your hands.  The visual effects also do not look any worse or better than before so I’ll give them a pass here.
• Depth: There is also a crazy amount of depth in the presentation here too from jumping off distant rooftops to close quarters like within Morpheus’ ship.  The most impressive scene was the long hallway within the Oracle’s apartment building.  Love it!  Everything just had that gorgeous looking three-dimensional pop to it all!
• Black Levels: The black levels were deep and inky throughout here.  Most importantly though I love how you can now see so many details in the shadows here in this presentation.
• Color Reproduction: If you asked me in one word to describe the color palette of The Matrix on 4K disc I would describe it as “natural.”  Sure there is still that green tint in certain scenes, but outside of that it has a very natural look to it all in the color space…unless your talking about the reality of the sentinel affected world.  Their red lights are both piercingly bold and menacing to behold in the post-apocalyptic truth we learn about.
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones throughout also carry a very naturalistic balance to them all.  I was pleasantly happy about how everything looked in this department.
• Noise/Artifacts: There was zero signs of banding, compression, etc, but there is a very nice, healthy and thin veneer layer of grain throughout that never once gets in the way of anything.  I’m sure there are things people can nitpick about this print, but to the above average trained eyes you really can’t dispute how awesome things look here. Can  you?

Audio 

Like I mentioned up above in the video section, the below audio score and critical comments of such are based solely upon my viewing of Warner’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of The Matrix.

• Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos (be careful as disc defaults to Dolby Digital 5.1 track first), English 5.1 Spanish 2.0 and French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Brazilian Portuguese
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Dutch
• Dynamics: The first thing you’re going to notice upon hitting Play on your 4K player’s remote is the overall sense of immersion this Dolby Atmos surround track packs.  It’s aggressive, balls-to-the-wall and directional all at the same time.  Whatever zany visuals the movie throws at this audio track it simply delivers never missing a beat.  It’s like zipping down the drag racing track with no stuttering whatsoever.  I think the biggest difference here with the Atmos track is the fidelity it bestows upon things here such as prioritization of effects and of course as previously mentioned the directionality of it all too.  Basically you can take any sequence here and be assured that things have never sounded as exceptional as they do here.  Best of all nothing, absolutely nothing, gets lost in the shuffle here not even spoken dialogue.  Take that to the bank and cash it!
• Height: There’s no doubt about it that the height channels here create an even greater sense of immersion that your traditional 5.1 setup, but it’s the effective way they do that make it a winner-winner chicken dinner here.  Events like rain pouring down, thunder in the sky, helicopters swirling or even Matrix-like moves evading bullets overhead instill three-dimensional life into things thanks to the Atmos channels within this presentation.
• Low Frequency Extension: I think you can pretty much also cash this check.  The LFE channel is punishing at times.  In moments of scoring and rocking singles like Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” it delivers the rhythm, but it’s the many gun battles, kicks and blows, knocking down of doors, explosions and more that will rock your socks off (in a good way of course).  So needless to say the LFE is quite impressive.
• Surround Sound Presentation: The sense of immersion here thanks in part to the Atmos height channels and the rear speakers here makes you wonder what world you’re really in when taking all this in on 4K disc.  I mean there’s the many fight scenes yes, including the bombastic Third Act.  There’s also the whirling helicopters, gun splatter and so much more.  But it’s also the little things that kill here too like the many footsteps in the rears, voices over the police radios, cars passing by and so much more that truly make this one a complete 360 degree soundscape.  Therefore, I heart it all.  Enough said!
• Dialogue Reproduction: The dialogue levels are always loud, clear and prioritized through the film’s runtime here.

Extras 

The 4K, Blu-ray and Digital versions of The Matrix here includes more than 3 hours of previously released extras.  The 4K UHD disc and the digitally remastered Blu-ray includes the previously released written intro from the Wachowskis and four commentaries as shown below.  The Blu-ray bonus disc will include the other previously released special features including that 2-hour documentary.  Also, you’re getting a Digital HD copy of the film here, which redeems in 4K.  So there’s that too!  Since there’s nothing new here let’s quickly recap everything down below.

The Matrix 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Written Introduction by the Wachowskis
• “Philosopher” Commentary by Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilbur
• “Critics” Commentary by Todd McCarthy, John Powers and David Thomson
• “Cast & Crew” Commentary by Carrie-Anne Moss, Zach Staenberg and John Gaeta
• “Composer” Commentary by Don Davis with Music Only Track

The Matrix Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• The Matrix Revisited (SD, 2:-2:50)
• Behind the Matrix (43:06)
  • Making The Matrix
  • The Dance of the Master: Yuen Wo Ping’s Blocking Tapes
  • The Bathroom Fight and Wet Wall
  • The Code of the Red Dress
  • The Old Exit: Wabash and Lake
  • Agent Down
  • But Wait—There’s More
• Follow the White Rabbit (SD, 22:51)
  • Trinity Escapes
  • Pod
  • Kung Fu
  • The Wall
  • Bathroom Fight
  • Government Lobby
  • Government Roof
  • Helicopter
  • Subway
• Take the Red Pill (SD, 17:42)
  • What Is Bullet Time?
  • What Is the Concept?
• Marilyn Manson “Rock is Dead” Music Video (SD, 3:20)
• The Music Revisited (3:14:51): Believe it or not there’s a  41-song playlist found here.
• Teaser Trailer (SD, 1:01)
• Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:33)
• TV Spots (SD, 3:54)
  • Manson
  • Reality
  • Forget Everything
  • Mystery
  • Buckle Up
  • The Answer
  • Kung Fu
  • Whoa

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THE MATRIX RELOADED

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When you think of The Matrix Reloaded I believe the term “upgraded” goes hand-in-hand with the title here as that’s literally the movie in a nutshell.  Take everything you loved about 1999’s original entry and make it bigger, BOLDER and I’ll throw an e-word in here…more extreme.  Pretty much everything from both the action to the special effects supersedes the previous film this sci-fi world was conceived in.  Neo has new and exciting abilities.  He has super speed and also depicts code in the Matrix now.  Heck he can even fly like Superman too!  Agent Smith has also “ungraded” his abilities exponentially.  The BOLD story here, albeit the middle child that ends a wee bit abruptly for my personal tastes, setups the peril and resolution of the third film by taking us further into this Matrix world.  However, for me The Matrix Reloaded always makes me think of two things…those thrilling action sequences…in particular that Michael Bay-like highway chase and that walking piece of art…Monica Bellucci.  Just wow!

Film 

The Matrix Reloaded is set some six months after the events of the first film.  Neo and Trinity are now a thing and more importantly Neo seems to be fulfilling the prophecy of The Chosen One…at least on the surface.  He has freed some humans from the Matrix and brought them to the city of Zion, the last stronghold of the Resistance.  He’s pretty much a Messiah to the people there.  Things seem to be on the up and up until Morpheus receives a message from Captain Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) calling an emergency meeting of all of Zion’s ships.  It has been confirmed an army of approximately 250,000 Sentinels is tunneling towards Zion and will reach it within 72 hours.  Zion must prepare itself for the biggest battle ever.  The Oracle (Gloria Foster) advises the “trinity”of Neo, Morpheus and Trinity to find the Keymaker who is being held by a very dangerous program called Merovingian (Lambert Wilson).  The agenda is to find The Source, which is believed to be the central computing core for the entire Machine mainframe.  Along the way Neo learns about more about the Matrix and what he must do to end the war.  However, he suffers from what I call the Anakin Skywalker syndrome.

At its core The Matrix films are very much a love story.  In this outing we see Neo and Trinity taking their relationship to the next level.  There’s no doubt about that thanks in part to a very explicit, sexual encounter within.  Thank you Warner Bros.  However, what I’m getting at though with this whole Anakin analogy is Neo begins suffering from disturbing visions of Trinity’s demise.  How can he be in two places at once?  What I mean by that is he is faced with the ultimate question – save the universe and end the war or keep Trinity safe and sound.  Neo’s obvious course of action or predetermined path is to end the war with the machines.  So will love (suddenly I hear Huey Lewis’ “Power of Love” song in my ears) or the newly super powered Agent Smith deter him?  Stay tuned!

Video 

The below video score and related critique of things here are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Warner’s The Matrix Reloaded.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Size: BD-100
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Clarity/Detail: Like The Matrix 4K that we went into detail up above sharpness is typically paramount throughout this 4K presentation with the exception of a few soft shots here and there.  And as you can probably have guessed the acne pits on Lawrence Fishborune’s face are more prevalent then ever here.  Also beyond those acne scars and pits though crispness in the close-ups is amazing down to every little imperfection, pore, stubble and mole.  Even foreheads look super greasy.  In addition to skin the textures are crazy good looking from the many sweaters and post apocalyptic outfits to the concrete and steels employed throughout.  I loved the look of rust on metal here throughout and you can’t go wrong with the many leathers either.  Visual effects such as explosions do tend to look more fake here though.
• Depth: Everything just has that gorgeous looking three-dimensional pop to it all here.  Zion City looks great (albeit very digital), but other environments such as where we meet the Oracle in the park or the fight scene in the rotunda all look exceptionally deep despite close quarters.
• Black Levels: The black levels are all deep, dark and natural looking throughout here.  Most importantly though I love how you can now see so many details in the shadows here in this presentation where nothing gets lost nor crushed.
• Color Reproduction: Surprisingly things look very realistic, natural and even organic here.  Sure there is still that green tint in certain scenes, but outside of that it has a very natural look to it all in the color space…unless you’re talking about the reality of the sentinel affected world or various other environments.  It’s not as green washed as it used to be, but still distinguishable.
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones throughout also carry a very naturalistic balance to them all.
• Noise/Artifacts: There was zero signs of banding, compression, etc, but there is a very nice, healthy and thin veneer layer of grain throughout that never once gets in the way of anything except…I am sure I can probably see people nitpicking about the heftiness of noise in the skies within the highway chase scene.  But to me it is what it is clicking on all cylinders!

Audio 

Like I mentioned up above in the video section, the below audio score and critical comments of such are based solely upon my viewing of Warner’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of The Matrix Reloaded.

• Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos (be careful as disc defaults to Dolby Digital 5.1 track first), English 5.1 Spanish 2.0 and French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Brazilian Portuguese
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
• Dynamics: The first thing you’re going to notice upon hitting Play on your 4K player’s remote is the overall sense of immersion this Dolby Atmos surround track packs right from the opening scene with Trinity on her kill spree.  It’s aggressive, balls-to-the-wall and directional all at the same time and it’s only the first five minutes of the presentation.  I know…it’s crazy!  Whatever zany visuals the movie throws at this audio track it simply delivers on all cylinders never missing a beat.  The Atmos surround track delivers on fidelity as it bestows upon things here such as prioritization of effects and of course as previously mentioned the directionality of it all too.  Basically you can take any sequence within and be assured that things have never sounded as exceptional as they do here.  Best of all nothing, absolutely nothing, gets lost in the shuffle here not even spoken dialogue.  Take that to the bank and cash it pronto!  It’s full sounding like never before with no expense spared.
• Height: There’s no doubt about it that the height channels here create an even greater sense of immersion that your traditional 5.1 setup, but it’s the effective way they do that make them a winner here much like the first film.  Remarkable and noteworthy Atmos events include Trinity on her motorcycle flying through the sky, explosions, bullets, glass shattering, Neo flying like Superman, birds flapping, debris falling and so much more.
• Low Frequency Extension: The LFE channel is quite relentless at times.  It’s full sounding and heavy hitting just like a good boxer.  From the thumping party scene at Zion to the unlimited guns, weapons, etc. firing, not to mention explosions, the LFE channel keeps you engaged throughout.
• Surround Sound Presentation: The sense of immersion here thanks in part to the rear speakers continues here in moments such as the Matrix’s digitized sound, action sequences, explosions, doors opening, glass breaking, bullets bending, natural ambiances and so much more.  I mean there’s the many fight scenes yes, but what about that zany Agent Smith reproduction, fight scene within the park?  Holy hell! It’s also the little things that kill too like cars passing by during the highway chase and so much more that truly make this one a complete 360 degree soundscape.  Enough said!
• Dialogue Reproduction: The dialogue levels are always intelligible, clear and prioritized through the film’s runtime here.

Extras 

The 4K, Blu-ray and Digital versions of The Matrix Reloaded here includes more than 4 hours of previously released extras.  The 4K UHD disc and the digitally remastered Blu-ray includes the previously released written intro from the Wachowskis and the two commentaries as shown below.  The Blu-ray bonus disc will include the other previously released special features including lengthy documentaries.  Also, you’re getting a Digital HD copy of the film here, which redeems in 4K.  So there’s that too!  Since there’s nothing new here let’s quickly recap everything down below.

The Matrix Reloaded 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Written Introduction by the Wachowskis
• “Philosopher” Commentary by Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilbur
• “Critics” Commentary by Todd McCarthy, John Powers and David Thomson

The Matrix Reloaded Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Behind the Story
  • Behind the Matrix (SD, 46:57)
    • The Matrix Unfolds
    • Pre-load
    • Get Me an Exit
    • The MTV Movie Awards Reloaded
  • Car Chase (SD, 1:26:07)
    • The Freeway Chase
    • Oakland Streets and Freeway: Unseen Material
    • Tour of the Merovingian’s Car Garage
    • Queen of the Road
    • Arteries of the Mega-City: The Visual Effects of the Freeway Chase
    • Foresight: Preplanning the Mayhem
    • Freeway Truck Crash: Anatomy of a Shot
    • Fate of the Freeway
    • Freeway Action Match
  • Teahouse Fight (SD,  7:04)
    • Two Equals Clash
    • Guardian of the Oracle: Collin Chou
  • Unplugged (SD, 40:26)
    • Creating the Burly Brawl
    • A Conversation with Master Wo Ping
    • Chad Strahelski: The Other Neo
    • Burly Brawl Action Match
    • Spiral Virtual Shot: Anatomy of a Shot
  • I’ll Handle Them (SD, 17:10)
    • The Great Hall
    • Building the Merovingian’s Lair
    • Tiger Style: A Day in the Life of Chen Hu
    • Heavy Metal: Weapons of the Great Hall
  • The Exiles (SD, 17:53)
    • The Exiles
    • Big Brother Is Watching: The Architect’s Office
• Enter the Matrix: The Game
• Enter the Matrix (SD, 42:31)
  • Scene 01: Niobe & Ghost Jack In
  • Scene 02: Last Transmission of the Osiris
  • Scene 03: 72 Hours
  • Scene 04: Hallway of the Keymaker
  • Scene 05: A Kiss from Niobe
  • Scene 06: A Kiss from Ghost
  • Scene 07: Clean Exit
  • Scene 08: The Logos Returns to Zion
  • Scene 09: Lock and Niobe
  • Scene 10: Ghost & Trinity, Part 1
  • Scene 11: Ghost & Trinity, Part 2
  • Scene 12: Lessons of the Oracle
  • Scene 13: Off the Freeway
  • Scene 14: Sparks Directs Traffic
  • Scene 15: Saving Morpheus
  • Scene 16: Three Hours to Attack
  • Scene 17: EMP Aftermath
  • Scene 18: Niobe Visits the Oracle
  • Scene 19: Ghost Visits the Oracle
  • Scene 20: Niobe Leaves the Oracle
  • Scene 21: Ghost Leaves the Oracle
  • Scene 22: Picnicking Sentinels
  • Scene 23: One Hell of a Ride
• “Sleeping Awake” (SD, 3:43) – This is a music video by P.O.D.
• In-Movie Experience – In this combo of feature and in picture video window the cast and creative team guide you through the filmmaking experience here.
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots

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THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS

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The Matrix Revolutions is the third and final chapter in The Matrix trilogy of feature films.  It was originally released some six months later after Reloaded in 2003.  Despite it being some 15 years ago I fondly remember these theatrical releases like it was only yesterday.  I can’t also tell you how old that makes me feel, but I digress.  The Matrix Revolutions wraps up the trilogy of films here with humanity’s final standoff to protect Zion from the machines as promised to come throughout the second feature.  For Neo, however, that means going where no human has ever dared to go.  In this outing he goes into the heart of Machine City and we are treated to one last cataclysmic showdown against the more powerful program Agent Smith who has basically infected the world of the Matrix.

Film 

The Matrix Revolutions picks up directly after the events of Reloaded.  In the cliffhanger we came from Neo discovered that his powers transcended past the Matrix and into the real world, but there was a repercussion in using them that way (think cause and effect as the Merovingian would say).  We find Neo basically trapped in limbo comatose, stuck between the Matrix and the real world.  His associates set out to free him from the Merovingian while the inhabitants of Zion prepare their defenses against the incoming Sentinels.

So not only do we finally see the exhausting war between humans and the machines at Zion, but there’s a third enemy (albeit a familiar one) secretly seeking to take out both worlds, the real one and the Matrix.  It’s all about replication here, baby!  Hence, that’s why Neo ventures out on his suicide mission to Machine City.  He must not only strike a deal with the machines, but also defeat this evil in order to save both worlds.  I guess you can say as we have been witnessing ever since the first film all hope is place in Neo.  He can be that bridge that saves both kingdoms and restores peace to the world…for now at least.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another Matrix film one day.  Heck!  We saw Rocky Balboa box well into his 50’s so anything is possible, right?  You also get treated to the best Zod versus Superman fight too (courtesy of Brandon Peters on that masterful insight).

Since she’s such a major character throughout this series I would find it unjustified if I didn’t at least make a brief mention of the Oracle here.  Mary Alice played the Oracle in this one because Gloria Foster died of complications from diabetes before her role in Matrix Revolutions was shot.  R.I.P. Gloria.  Her change in appearance is explained in this one as is her character’s purpose.  Make no mistake folks.  The Matrix movies are deep so pay attention and don’t talk or text while watching these for maximum mileage and understanding.

Video 

The below video score and related critique of things here are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Warner’s The Matrix Revolutions.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• HDR: Yes
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Size: BD-100
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Clarity/Detail: Everything we’ve discussed up above in the previous entries still applies here.  This one’s pretty heavy CG due to the war with the Sentinels, but it also gives the little details time to shine like sets within the ships or even controls.  They’re all chiseled and detailed looking.  Furthermore, explosions still look fake, but haters going to hate.
• Depth: There is still a crazy amount of depth in the presentation here from the many levels within Zion to the tunnels our heroes hide in and fight from.  Everything has that three-dimensional look to it so rest assured it all looks good.
• Black Levels: The black levels are dark and natural looking throughout here.  Nothing gets lost in the shadows despite the darkness of the environments.  The ammunition fire during the battle with the Sentinels lights the way for all to see.
• Color Reproduction: The colors are very earthy and organic, but also bold at the same time like Monica Bellucci’s red latex dress, the Merovingian’s red dress shirt, neon greens and more.
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones throughout are very natural looking with zero to complain about.
• Noise/Artifacts: There is a very nice, healthy and thin veneer layer of grain/source noise throughout that never once gets in the way of anything.

Audio 

Like I mentioned up above in the video section, the below audio score and critical comments of such are based solely upon my viewing of Warner’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of The Matrix Revolutions.

• Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos (be careful as disc defaults to Dolby Digital 5.1 track first), English 5.1 Spanish 2.0 and French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Brazilian Portuguese
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
• Dynamics: I think we pretty much said everything we can about the dynamics of this set up above already.  However, this one feels even louder and fuller thanks in part to all the moments of warfare and peril throughout not to mention the presence of an even more rousing score here.
• Height: Effective Dolby Atmos moments include flying through the air acrobatics, club music, laser beams, diggers from above, overhead Sentinel action and swarming, debris falling down, ceilings faltering, rain, thunder and more.
• Low Frequency Extension: The bass booms and punches hard here with all the Matrix digital effects, Zion action/battle sequences, explosions, thunder and so much more.  After all, this one ‘s primarily a war film here so you better feel the thunder.
• Surround Sound Presentation: Like the other films we already discussed up above you’re completely immersed in the surround mix with rear channel moments such as bullets spraying in every which direction, Sentinels zipping around everywhere, ambiance and effects and so much more to write home about.
• Dialogue Reproduction: The dialogue levels are always intelligible, clear and prioritized through the film’s runtime here.

Extras 

The 4K, Blu-ray and Digital versions of The Matrix Revolutions here includes more than 2 hours of previously released extras.  The 4K UHD disc and the digitally remastered Blu-ray includes the previously released written intro from the Wachowskis and the two commentaries as shown below.  The Blu-ray bonus disc will include the other previously released special features including lengthy documentaries.  Also, you’re getting a Digital HD copy of the film here, which redeems in 4K.  So there’s that too!  Since there’s nothing new here let’s quickly recap everything down below.

The Matrix Revolutions 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Written Introduction by the Wachowskis
• “Philosopher” Commentary by Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilbur
• “Critics” Commentary by Todd McCarthy, John Powers and David Thomson

The Matrix Revolutions Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• In-Movie Experience – The cast and creators navigate you through the Trilogy’s thunderous conclusion – all as you watch the movie
• Behind The Matrix –
  • “Revolutions Recalibrated” (6 min.)
  • “Neo Realism: The Evolution of Bullet Time” (4 min.)
  • “CG Revolution” (2 min.)
  • “Super Big Mini Models” (1 min.)
  • “Super Burly Brawl” (2 min.)
  • “Double Agent Smith” (3 min.)
  • “Mind over Matter: The Physicality of The Matrix” (3 min.)
  • “Future Gamer: The Matrix Online” (2 min.)
  • “Before the Revolution” (4 min.)
• Crew –
  • “Owen’s Army: The Australian Art Department” (4 min.)
  • “2nd Unit: A World of Their Own” (6 min.)
  • “Bill Pope: Cinematographer of The Matrix” (8 min.)
  • “Masters of Light and Shadow” (7 min.)
• Hel – Believe it or not this one is all about the night club.
  • “Coat Check” (5 min.)
  • “Upsidedown Under” (5 min.)
  • “Fast Break” (6 min.)
  • “Exploding Man” (5 min.)
  • “Gun Club” (2 min.)
  • “The Extras of Club Hel” (5 min.)
• New Blue World –
  • “Geography of Zion” (9 min.)
  • “The Ships” (6 min.)
  • “Tour of the Neb” (3 min.)
  • “Logos Fight Expansion” (3 min.)
  • “Matrix TV” (5 min.)
• Siege –
  • “Dig This” (10 min.)
  • “Siege Action Match” (10 min.)
  • “Mifune’s Last Stand: Anatomy of a Shot” (5 min.)
  • “Building an APU” (5 min.)
  • “Product of Zion” (10 min.)
• Aftermath –
  • “Revolutionary Composition” (9 min.)
  • “The Glue” (7 min.)
  • “Dane Tracks” (7 min.)
  • “Cause and Effects” (16 min.)
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots

Summary 

I have to admit before this 4K release it has been some time since I last revisited The Matrix Trilogy.  Truth be told it all still holds up very well over the years as one of the greatest sci-fi trilogies ever in my opinion.  I enjoyed every minute of revisiting this trilogy on 4K and there’s no doubt about it.  This is absolutely the best The Matrix Trilogy has ever looked (w/ Dolby Vision and HDR) and sounded (Dolby Atmos) before.  You know that and I know that so what are you waiting for?  You know what to do.  Yes!  BUY NOW indeed!  And most importantly, enjoy!  You’ve been waiting a long time for these and now’s your chance to reap the rewards.  And so I think it goes without saying that this 4K set is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MUST-BUY!

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DISCLAIMER: This 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review was judged and graded using the following 4K certified Ultra HD Premium television set found here and player here.  Make sure to check out all our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived here.

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The Matrix Trilogy

Questions Your Beliefs Again

on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

October 30th…

ORDER HERE NOW!

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