Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "Program", a sequence from the Animatrix, was directed and written by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. He may be known to anime lovers, but to general audiences not really. I never heard the name either. It is an animated short film, obviously, and runs for roughly seven minutes. There was nothing truly outstanding here, but it wasn't bad either. Not at all. The beginning reminded me of "Apocalypse Now" and I especially liked the way they depicted the defeated horsemen early on as numbers when the female protagonist killed them. After that, it is all about the battle between the aforementioned Cis and her frenemy Duo. He tries to convince her to get back to the Matrix and just live there like everybody else instead of constantly fighting against it.Pay attention to how Cis is depicted in white and Duo in black. Also goes for the horses. He is the antagonist. First he tries to convince her with words, then with swords. Of course, she refuses to and in the end, good defeats evil. Or did it really? In order to really get "Program", you should have seen at least the first Matrix movie from the Wachowskis starring Keanu Reeves. Otherwise, you will probably wonder what all this is about. Solid short film recommended. I just wonder why Cis does not wear a heavy uniform like her opponent early on and wears even less near the end of the short film.

TheOtherFool One idea story about Cis and Duo, duelling in a program. Duo wants back into the matrix unknowing what is going on (let's say Cypher in the Matrix), and he wants Cis to come with him (it appears they have some sort of relationship).Cis refuses which leads to what is supposed to be an ultimate fight, but I found it hardly interesting (huge understatement here) and not really adding anything to the matrix experience.At the time I saw this I was sure it was going to be the least of the animatrix shorts, now I'm in doubt between this and the equally boring Matriculated.3/10.

PlanecrazyIkarus This is a very good effort, one of the most enjoyable shorts that make up the Animatrix.The story begins with a fight, indeed the entire story is a fight, between a girl and her friend or mentor, within a training programme, or perhaps it is a recreation programme, who knows? Either way, her opponent begins to display a more sinister side: He feels just like Cypher in the original Matrix, and asks her to join him in an effort to be reinserted, or die...The animation is great, the story is thrilling and overall this is definitely a good short movie, fitting in very well in the Matrix-universe8/10

P Carr **Warning! Slight Spoilers Ahead!**The visuals in "The Program" were excellent, as superb as any I have seen in my limited anime exposure. The color contrast stood out, as it underlined the murky battle of good and evil. Also exceptional was the visual scope of the short. Numerous shots, such as the early one that tracked the fiery arrows, spanned great distances. My personal favorite was the dolly back across the tiled roof, revealing both the protagonist and the antagonist.The story, as in most shorts, was simple enough. But it was solid, nicely complementing one story arc from "The Matrix." Even without the twist at the end, the tale of love and betrayal, told through battle, worked quite well. The twist worked, and I was very pleased with the fitting final act by the heroine.Bottom Line: Excluding the computer-generated "Osiris", "The Program" was my favorite anime short on the "Animatrix" DVD. 9 of 10.