.-=The Matrix: Hacked!=-.
.----A FanEdit Project----.
Last update: 11/28/06

Status:
Matrix Reloaded: Finished
Matrix Revolution: Finished
This readme covers both Matrix Hacked releases.

What is it?
Remix edits of Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions. Maybe “fan” edit is a little too strong of a word. More a-fan-of-the-first-Matrix edit. I’m attempting to present the second two films in a way consistent with what made the first so enjoyable.

The first Matrix movie is one of the few films I would probably consider perfect. I wouldn't touch it, ever, don’t ask.

The second film although a good action film, is little more than that. There’s not much to do for it except surgical removal of that which sucks.

The third film, now that's a whole different story, or should I say, it is now. Forget everything you know. Conversations are now about different things. Plot threads have been unraveled and re-knitted into the film in a different light. The tone is different, the story is different. Leave what you remember about this film at the door, it’s the only way you’ll enjoy it.

Be aware the third film is a bit rougher only because the editing has been so drastic. Events that, in a real film, would probably be shown to you in better detail aren’t there only because the footage doesn’t exist. Regardless, the story should still be completely clear and enjoyable.

The format is two DVD5s in NTSC. Anamorphic, DD 5.1.

Why are you doing it?
Ok, I LOVE the first Matrix. I was a bit of a fan of Keanu (whoa), and I got mild enjoyment out of Johnny Mnemonic (I am a big fan of William Gibson). When I first saw the film advertised I couldn't believe someone was stupid enough to let Keanu near another CyberPunk film. I did drool at the prospect though. Opening day I took the day off and went to see it. I then saw it again that evening with a friend. And again a third time later that weekend with my sister. This is in fact the only time I have seen a first run movie 3 times in the theater.

Matrix 2 and 3. How could I not like the idea? The second one was weak. They even tried embarrassingly to rip off the theme of The Empire Strikes Back for the ending. The Architect is his father; Neo-Solo is frozen in carbonite; Trinity is his sister. (j/k) Ok, sophomore slump. The third, man that's gotta rock right? #2 was just the wind up to the main event...
I nearly chewed my leg off to escape the theater while I was watching it. I couldn't believe the Wachowski's had gotten so lost from the original film. I tried to wipe the whole experience from my mind.

BUT after watching the really nice things the CBB Group did with the DeZionized Matrix I was struck with the realization that the movies may not be as irretrievable as I originally believed. To get the best film though would require complete disregard for the material and the filmmakers. A cut so daring that some would call it impossible, genius or even daft. So this has been gestating for over a year. Nine drafts of the script and a lot of on-the-fly changes, a lots of false starts and versions, but it is done.

How many movies is this?
It’s two separate films. My goal is to preserve as much of the original footage as possible.

Matrix 2 (M2) clocks in at 1:52. The final file is a bit heavy has been hit with DVDShrink (about 6% compression). There will not be a dual layer vision.
M3 is 1:36. At that length, space is not an issue.

Who is this for?
Well, frankly, me. I'm trying to redeem these films, making them closer to the original, and I just want them to suck much much less. I wanted to see if an editor can do what the writers and directors could not. That is: make a film you wouldn't mind rewatching.

What about (The Video Games/The Deleted Footage/The Comics/What the Fan Sites Say...)
If you are a Matrix fanatic well versed in the canon. If you own all of the DVDs, re-releases, video games, comic books. If you have naked pictures of Carrie-Anne Moss on your computer and Lawrence Fishburn on your wall (I’m not passing judgment): you will hate these films, you will hate me.
This is not the edit you are looking for.
Get DeZionized or enjoy your DVDs as they are. Don't even think about watching this.
These movies should standalone, you shouldn't have to be up on all that other stuff in order to understand what's going on. That's called a plot hole.

How are you going to be different from the Dezionized edition?
The DZ edit is really great. They pointed out the intense craptitude that was the character Locke (though it was obvious. Locke is the new JarJar). They also showed that much of what was important was in the Matrix not out if it. But, people need a place called home, so I've left Zion in. I also wanted to show how much of a zealot Morpheus had become. I think it’s important to the progress of his character.

What sort of changes are you making?

Both movies are intended to be closer to the spirit of the first film. Although I considered re-coloring my edits to match the theatrical cut of the first Matrix, that would be prohibitively difficult, and a lot of people already have the altered DVD version of the first film.
M2 is edited largely for conformity to M3 and my new themes. Both are edited a little for pacing, and a bit for lowering the pompous exposition quotient. M3 has the most serious changes since I am doing the equivalent of cutting up a reel of film, putting the scenes in a bag, shaking and putting it back together in the order I yank them out. To be fair I'm only 90% happy with the final cut of M3H, but my technical skills, software problems and source limitations prevent me from doing any better.

Some of the changes:
Certain themes and ideas have been removed globally from both films. Mostly because I felt they sucked or weren't well executed. This accounts for dozens of tiny edits and trims. Sometimes just a word or two was removed from sentences.

Neo is now the One. The one and only One. Thou shalt have no other Ones before him. Get it? Multiple Ones and previous Zions had no real point. All that did was water down a great first film. (Congratulations you’re the One, the savior of all mankind. But there’s been some Ones before, and oh yeah they failed miserably. Good luck with that.)

Neo does not have powers in the real world (thanks MeBeJedi). This was so obvious I actually missed it in my first drafts. I hated it when I saw it, but lived with it so long I accepted it. No visions of the future, no disabling of squids, no Blind-o-vision, nothing. I am not opposed to the occasional vision within the Matrix about the future of the Matrix. That's Oracle territory and I'm fine with it. (And it's like one shot.) In TRW it just isn’t right.

Sati/The last Exile. What the heck was that all about? Man, if they were going somewhere with it I fell asleep as soon as her dad started talking in limbo. Programs reproducing and having little programs that have no use? Why is she the last? And if it's so hard to get in and out of the Matrix how did her dad do it to visit the Merovigian in the first place, and return for her? It's just a horrible idea all around: Gone. Sati is now one of the Oracle’s adopted kids (like in the first film). She has the ability to tweak colors; It's more useful than bending cutlery.

The Oracle looks different in the third film. Yes I know Gloria Foster is dead, but that's not an excuse for her not going back to work. The way it was handled was terrible. Either explain it or ignore it. Don't drop hints about "Something happened, but we're not telling what. (Oh and we’ll mention it three times!)" That's poor story telling. It may be explained in Enter the Matrix (game) but guess what, I'm not playing a game, I'm watching a movie. This has been fixed (with a really bad hack edit job). It's not pretty but it at least works if you suspend disbelief.

Programs talk of love. Um, no. It's been done, and I just don't care.

M3 had so much hyper action at the end, you got desensitized to it. I remember zoning out several times from all the flashes and explosions. Action has been redistributed. It's also less gritty war film, more sci-fi action film.

Trinity is dead, Neo is blinded and possibly/likely dead (as far as the movies are concerned). I don't want a downer ending. Not in the final film of a series I’m invested in. If the first film ended like that I wouldn't have been back. Neo survives his ordeal, and may have his vision (it's left up to the viewer to decide).

Both movies have new beginnings and new endings and LOTS of other changes.

Specifics:
_Matrix Reloaded Hacked_
A new opening lifted from M1. (Different from DeZionized.) This event is referred to three times later in the movie, so telling the audience that Neo dwells on it seemed important. I think it'd give me nightmares too if it happened to me. (Btw, the use of the theatrical color palette (instead of the new-improved one) is intentional to give a more dreamlike effect.)
They are not waiting to hear from the Oracle, she’s not in hiding. They are planning their strategies instead.
A lot less Locke.
The worshipping of Neo as a god in the real world (TRW) is cut.
The annoying kid is largely gone. (Can I change who the new JarJar is?)
Less home life with Link (and his wife/family)
Less of Councilor Hamann. I really don't care that he can't sleep or is fascinated by the blinking lights of the machines at Zion. The scene was ok but it really seemed to make the whole Zion portion of the movie overly long.
No rave scene (um, yeah, that's all I'll say about it). It is now a town meeting and prayer service.
A little less Oracle as needed.
A little less Merovingian babbling. He extols the virtues of the French. But this is the only time in any of the films where a specific location, city, country anything is EVER mentioned. That’s gone.
Persephone no longer talks of love before kissing Neo. The scene now feels more like "what is this human thing called love". A campy cliché, but the oldest are the best, right?
Do we need full introductions to a couple of goons at the Merovingian's mansion that are going to never be seen again? They were werewolves right? That could’ve been done much cooler.
Trinity's Flight has been extended with footage from the opening. It’s slightly different than the DZ version. It has a different angle or two and a slightly different pace.
A serious axe has being taken to the Architect. If Neo is the only One, half of what he says serves no purpose. He brought the movie to a screeching halt.
The movie will have an upbeat ending and a bit of a surprise.
The original ending made the film feel less self contained than it already was.

_Matrix Revolution Hacked_
I suggest skipping down if you don't want any surprises ruined. I will be as vague as possible.
The action has been spread around more.
Another new beginning; A bit of M2 has been relocated here (it weighed down the end of that film, but makes a good introduction to the third).
More last exile stuff trimmed.
Neo will not zap squids or faint like a little girl.
Sati and her family are gone. Yawn, good riddance.
Trainman and his snaggletoothed face is off my screen. You might catch his silhouette or see him in a wide shot, but that's it. He is just another anonymous extra.
If the Oracle knows the future, why the heck did she send them to catch the Trainman if they were going to have to storm the Merovigian's club anyway?
Oddly the Trainman gets to the train platform and back to the club in a real hurry, what was up with that?
Merovingian's silly self-importance is emphasized.
No Morpheus-Locke-Niobe love triangle. Mostly because of the less Locke thing. Come on, who'd want him anyway with Laurence Fishburn around.
Maggie isn't killed, only because I'm trying to avoid zombies in this film.
A few less people end up dead, but some people's fate are a bit more ambiguous.
No infantry, no reloading teams, less gore -- it made this movie more of a gritty war film. If I wanted that I'd watch Thin Red Line or G.I. Jane in the case of Link’s wife. Soooo…
Link's wife was largely cut again.
The kid is largely cut too. Did anyone buy him getting into a battledriod and kicking ass his first go? I couldn’t drive a car straight when I first started and that doesn't involve shooting things at the same time.
Gate 3 jamming thread is cut. It involved the kid and Link's wife.
Is Mifune dead? Probably, but I like to think he kicked ass and took names.
Trinity is not dead.
No blind-o-vision. Neo is now more Zatoichi than Mua’dib.
The Logos now has a soft crash (we need it later). Trinity waits in the car while Neo goes to the ATM.
An Ewok celebration. (Ok no Ewoks really, but there could be.)
A reasonable explanation for the new Oracle's appearance.
The movie has the Super Brawl near the beginning. I'm starting with the end and working backwards.
Zion fights off the invading squids. DZ cut this, but giant fighting robots have never been this good since Aliens.
When Lock appears (which is more frequent than I would have liked) I've de-assified him. Can anyone be that obnoxious to everyone including his superiors all the time?
Neo realizes the only way to stop the attack on Zion is to do what he should have done before. He goes to the Source. This isn’t incongruous since no other One has merged with the Source before…
As such he will travel to Machine City to plead for peace, bargaining with his life.
Neo's comatose body is brought back to Zion.
His friends try to help their friend and savior while Zion celebrates.

Tech stuff:
Womble Mpeg Video Wizard DVD (demo version) - I don’t really recommend this software it has some unpleasant quirks.
Croping, fade outs, and transitions were largely done with a combination of AviSynth, VirtualDubMod and CCE SP 2.70 (7-passes).
Authored with DVDMaestro.

Misc.
All sorts or tricks were used from the cheesy (overdubs, reversed video, and recycled clips from other Matrix films, and hack-like edits) to the slick (cropping (might also fall under cheesy), nice transitions and _very_ subtle edits that humming birds can't see.)

How can I get a copy?
Version 1 was released as Xvid/mp3 on Pirate Bay. I believe the torrents to be dead.
Version 2 fixes a couple cases of macroblocking and letterbox bar problems. I've also redone all fades in AviSynth for better quality. A couple of minor sound tweaks were performed along with QC fixes and oh yeah Revolutions was seriously overhauled to fix continuity issues.

Xvid/mp3 version can be found on The Pirate Bay.

DVD's will be sent out on a Pay It Forward system. There are 3 U.S. sources and one in the U.K. for you Euro people to start.

What's a Checksum and why?
To prevent degredation of quality from repeated duplication, I've generated a checksum file from the master copy. Running a checksum test will scan your files and verify that they (in high probability) are identical to the original. I'm using SHA256 method which is a stronger checksum than most P2P software utilize.

I recommend the cross-platform freeware JSummer for testing, further details are available on the DVDs themselves.
If you receive a disk lacking this information, here is a copy of the Checksums (copy to a text file save with the extension '.sha256'):
Matrix Reloaded Hacked:

d4b0fabd258bfb6b640f43c791d17bc24d3da5b56a6bd7dd62ef8112629cfe12 *ReadMe.txt
909d8a456eab10b8739e591ee3a21adf8e35e4e0894831ac165adb011b0b3a6a *Checksum ReadMe.txt
7f0e8ea381dd6091a935072054ffe426612268c0f829a017227da6d57b3c48e3 *VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.VOB
cd0bf559db9671d6ff3421e5b446222184c9615e4eece504edf4fff98cc643d0 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.VOB
a8f9aa2be804b977da37846349072ed8b616f97977614d6e61fbfd82de898d8b *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB
4546fac5924a8411814b26454240b34dfef9beae1594df077c638c2dec0265ec *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_2.VOB
a42c3755a7d6e8854f4f3545d777c73d934c75e630ddc191d14389c1f06cc26e *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_3.VOB
7e3bb3da227baec50fbeca51019dd743552f503dc366cefc657d0528c78fc4bf *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_4.VOB
361f82940a5febef6acf7d27b8b97e39c147647f46c901d266a3f2524e8ba2b2 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_5.VOB
8880e50f1172ebcfd96c0c72387d28f6cb53186d2e4e82686b68af9b817a6071 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.IFO
8880e50f1172ebcfd96c0c72387d28f6cb53186d2e4e82686b68af9b817a6071 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.BUP
71add34bae4031f8698aacfc814746f26c57e096d43d01ecc908269c19836d87 *VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO
71add34bae4031f8698aacfc814746f26c57e096d43d01ecc908269c19836d87 *VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP

Matrix Revolutions Hacked:
909d8a456eab10b8739e591ee3a21adf8e35e4e0894831ac165adb011b0b3a6a *Checksum ReadMe.txt
d4b0fabd258bfb6b640f43c791d17bc24d3da5b56a6bd7dd62ef8112629cfe12 *ReadMe.txt
4fbf68010ca480fbfc2879d90dd1b2330551657814a5d02c74307acd680ea361 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.VOB
4fbf68010ca480fbfc2879d90dd1b2330551657814a5d02c74307acd680ea361 *VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.VOB
df27f822cb4975e3d28f84df6eaef3c88afcc717dc33cbf30a121f1b5faf47c7 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB
1a9ddfe8828f58af652cfe4af3e3af809af8e1e772c974fb65799409964edcbf *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_2.VOB
4a298c86af51e2bcd7d7aa9b3549967f416382dbd3d865bc1c59812432914442 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_3.VOB
834b12bf123ba12e192745f8ac7b59bbc17c65ca32bb0876008ce8f2968125fa *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_4.VOB
ae4cb68309d6f820c43ecc2222f763cb91a954d53e2d264b90271967df242528 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.IFO
ae4cb68309d6f820c43ecc2222f763cb91a954d53e2d264b90271967df242528 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.BUP
a4ff925dcbcfb3fccb6b40a7060c9e19e1de82001e8f1f4d50d5024eb72ea079 *VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO
a4ff925dcbcfb3fccb6b40a7060c9e19e1de82001e8f1f4d50d5024eb72ea079 *VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP

I hope you enjoy this

-Dr. M