Easily the break-through film that encouraged a whole generation to invest in DVD, The Matrix has been a go-to demo disc for home cinema and film fans for years. But how has the film changed from DVD, to Blu-Ray, to 4K?
I was so hyped to own The Matrix after watching it when it first came out in the cinema, that I bought a copy… before I even owned a DVD player. Yeah, I know… pretty sad… or is it? No… yeah it’s pretty lame, but I just couldn’t wait! As an impressionable, film loving 15-year-old at the time, The Matrix absolutely BLEW… MY… MIND! Or freed my mind?
It combined cyber-punk, sci-fi and action, with never before seen visual effects, kung-fu wire work and philosophy. There’s been a ton written and talked about when it comes to this film over the years, but it totally changed my perception of what’s possible in film and set me on a journey, not just of film appreciation, but the need to watch films in the best way possible. After seeing it around six months after its initial release in seat-rattling THX surround at my local Picture House, I began scheming on how to build my own home cinema… and that obsession has never stopped.
The 1999 DVD release of The Matrix was probably a lot of people’s, especially my age, first DVD. It was like the poster child for what the format could do, with widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and… special features! Although it’s a tough watch now, the standard definition picture on the disc was absolutely fine for most CRT TVs back then, and chances are you had a screen less than 32 inches. In fact it became something of a reference disc for home cinema and AV retailers, to show off what the new format could really do.
The movie was re-released a couple of times into the early 2000’s to build on the hype of the film and its upcoming sequels. But the first of those releases came in 2001, with the special edition boxset, packaged with a brand new documentary The Matrix Revisited. I… love this feature length documentary, which is for me, one of the most perfect examples of great early DVD special features, that nowadays are sadly lost. This documentary dives into the making of the film, pretty much gave you anything you’d ever want to know about it, and even teased the sequels. It’s one of those early making of’s that really felt like I was getting a ‘film school education’ via DVD, and I still watch it from time to time. In 2005 we got ‘The Ultimate Matrix Collection”, which included the sequels, new making of’s, The Animatrix and even a new transfer of the first film, to bring it closer in tone to the sequels.
Fast forward to 2018 and we finally have the definitive (for now) version of the movie on 4K Blu-ray. Yes, there had been a 2008 1080p Blu-ray release, but it divided fans because of very strong green tint throughout, which put a lot of people off. However, because the DVD was so old at that point, it became a new generation’s reference point for how that film should look.
The many different ‘versions’ of The Matrix.
Come the 4K release, we finally got what we’ve been told is how the film should have always looked on physical media from the start. With original director of photography, Bill Pope, overseeing the 4K transfer and colour grade. Most of us never knew that even the original DVD wasn’t really how the movie looked in the cinema, but as most people probably only saw it once or twice upon release, when the DVD came out we just accepted that was how the film was supposed to look.
However there have been many articles and YouTube videos made on this subject and I’d encourage you to take a deep dive into some of those, because it’s kinda nuts just how many different incarnations one film can go through, and we STILL may not have it right.
This native 4K version, presented in it’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1, does away with the over the top green tint of the previous releases and opts for a colour palette much closer to the original 35mm film release. What we do get is more natural skin tones, better shadow details and highlights, thanks to the inclusion of Dolby Vision. We also get a newly re-mastered Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which is guaranteed to blow the roof off any home cinema. The extra overhead channels lend some subtle atmospheric effects to the mix, but don’t detract from the film and if you’re familiar with previous version of the soundtrack, it’ll be a pleasant upgrade from previous viewings.
All the same scenes that were incredible on DVD and Blu-ray are definitely elevated here, with extra details viewable in the backgrounds that you may have even missed. That iconic opening scene, with our first peek at “Bullet time”, a visual effect that would be copied and parodied so much between this film and the sequels 4 years later, that it almost became laughable. Plus the insanely cool lobby shoot out (Chapter 29, the ultimate demo!) the film pretty much doesn’t let up until the end and it’s still thrilling to watch even now.
My big issue with this version of the film are certain scenes that just seem very ‘blown out’, even with the edition of HDR. Like the scene where Morpheus and Neo are in ‘The Construct’, you’re almost blinded by the white background, and all the colours look washed out and odd. Compared to older versions of the film, even with the green tint, this scene was much easier on the eyes back then. “But that’s how Bill Pope wants you to see it!” I hear you… probably not saying. Yeah but, even back in 1999, I don’t remember this scene looking so intense. But I suppose a director of photography’s taste can changed a lot in nearly 20 years (at the time this came out), and it wouldn’t take much to tweak it to how he would’ve preferred it to always look.
It comes with a bunch of special features seen on previous releases, like The Matrix Revisited and there’s even a 1080p SDR version boxed with it incase you don’t have a 4K TV or projector. The box itself is nice with a fairly basic cover with the three main characters, and the obligatory white rabbit on the plastic case itself. Whichever way you look at it, this is the definitive version of the film so far and as we’re already way past the 26 year (good heavens) anniversary of the film.
With no announcements on the horizon, we have to accept that this is as good as it gets for now and it’s still pretty darn great. Sure, I may stick the original DVD in from time to time, just to feel the nostalgic low-fi vibes, but I still enjoy this 4K release a lot.
Author: Arron, Marketing Department
