7. The Ultimate Collection includes bonus materials that fill 5 double-sided DVDs plus all three films in HD-DVD, the Complete Trilogy includes only the HD-DVD movies.

The Matrix Trilogy On HD-DVD

by Ed Tittel

What better gift for any sci-fi or action film junkie than the complete Matrix trilogy in a fancy gift box? Why, the HD-DVD version of that magnum opus, of course, along with 35 additional hours of bonus materials calculated to turn any fan with pretensions of interest into a raving monster of obsession and non-stop, compulsive viewing. This package will be available on May 22 in two forms: the $120 Ultimate Matrix Collection includes five double-sided DVDs' worth of bonus materials, plus HD-DVD versions of all three movies (The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions); the $100 The Complete Matrix Trilogy skips the bonus materials, including only the HD-DVD versions of all three films.

The DVDs are recorded in 1080p format, the highest resolution available for HD-DVD playback at present. Both versions of the offering will support the HD-DVD In-Movie Experience (IME) capabilities that HD-DVD offers, which promote various ways to interact with DVD content so as to access interviews, commentaries, or other materials while the movie keeps running. Using a picture-in-picture mechanism, viewers can keep the movie in the foreground and check out bonus materials in the background, or vice versa. High-end audio on all three movies in the Trilogy is available in Dolby Digital True HD and Dolby Digital Plus for players and decoders that support one or both of these formats.

The collection of bonus materials is pretty eye-popping. It includes all kinds of commentaries from the directors, various philosophers and other pundits, movie critics, multiple cast members, and the composers. You'll also find the movie teasers and trailers, as well as the TV spots that aired to lure viewers to the theaters to watch these films. There are also detailed expositions and analyses of key scenes from each movie (available only on the flip side materials on the movie discs in the Ultimate collection). The additional bonus disks offer added commentary from Mahiro Maeda, plus a huge collection of anime and implementation materials. The bonus disks also include out-takes, and various chronicles and diaries compiled and shot during the production process.

At $100, the Complete Matrix offers crystal-clear, sharp, detailed HD-DVD versions of all three of these science fiction classics. For a mere $20 more, the Ultimate Matrix offers a treasure trove of extras guaranteed to beguile and tease any Dad or grad who winds up with one of these boxes clutched in his or her hot little paws. Either way, this is a great gift for anybody with a jones for alternate realities, sci-fi, or actions movies.