The short films in the Matrix franchise’s The Animatrix collection give viewers insight into a world with infinite possibilities. As the action is often split between real life and the created computer simulation known as the Matrix, there are two very different worlds to navigate. The animated anthology The Animatrix was created to open that world up even more, with some stories centering on characters that we had not encountered in the four live-action Matrix movies. The Animatrix has an impressive 88% positive critical review on Rotten Tomatoes, a better score than even the original The Matrix.
The stories in The Animatrix are a mixture of anime and CGI short films, and while they are mostly standalone, some connect more closely to the live-action movies than others. Each of them expands on an aspect of the Matrix, serving as both a tie-in and a prequel to The Matrix: Reloaded. The first movie briefly mentions the concept of freeing yourself from the mental confines of the Matrix, but this is not fully explored until The Animatrix‘s short movie, “World Record.” The short film shows what happens when a character self-substantiates.
Dan Davis Broke Out Of The Matrix By Pushing The Simulation To Its Limit
Dan’s Ability Is Extremely Rare, Even In The Matrix Lore
“World Record” centers on Dan Davis, an athlete who is living inside the Matrix and preparing to run a 100-meter sprint. In the original The Matrix, Morpheus explains to Neo that some of the physical rules of the world can be bent or broken. However, it appears that if some physical rules are broken, this can affect the Matrix. Dan, embarrassed by a former drug scandal, pushes his body to its limits, bursting his leg muscles, and yet he keeps running. This monumental effort breaks him out of the Matrix and into the real world for a few seconds.
Dan, in a moment of foreshadowing, explains to a reporter that running makes him feel like he is “breaking free from the world.”
People who are able to break themselves out of the Matrix simulation without any kind of outside interference are said to have self-substantiated. While The Matrix comics address the idea that some people become more aware of the Matrix’s framework, ‘World Record” is the first Matrix movie to clearly address it as a main theme. It is stated in the story that only exceptional humans are aware of the Matrix, and Dan’s athletic prowess has put him on the radar of agents. The ability to self-substantiate is one of the coolest concepts in The Matrix, but few have done it.
Dan Davis Is One Of A Few Known Cases Of Self-Substantiation In The Matrix
Despite Being “The One,” Even Neo Didn’t Self-Substantiate
Dan Davis is the clearest example of self-substantiation in Matrix lore, but he is not the first person to be able to do it. While these are not shown in “World Record,” it is explicitly stated in the story that people with “a rare degree of intuition, sensitivity, and a questioning nature” are more likely to become aware of the Matrix, though extreme physical endurance can also play a part. Morpheus claims that the founder of Zion self-substantiated before freeing more people, and The Kid in the Animatrix episode “Kid’s Story” goes through similar physical stress to Dan and self-substantiates.
Neo had a long-held sense of unease, rather than Dan’s obsessive drive to break the record.
The original movie, The Matrix, centered on Neo, who was aware of the Matrix on a subconscious level but had not self-substantiated. Neo was “The One,” but he was too deeply embedded in the system to fully self-substantiate. Even Morpheus apologized to him when he freed him, explaining that he does not usually free people as old as Neo. Unlike Dan in “World Record,” Neo had a long-held sense of unease, rather than Dan’s obsessive drive to break the record. As part of a prophecy, Neo’s path was more clearly laid out, including his needing help to leave the Matrix.
What Happened To Dan Davis After He Woke Up From The Matrix
Dan Davis Could Return In Another Matrix Project
Dan Davis was not rescued in the real world and only emerged from the Matrix for a very brief period. Dan sees the real world’s crimson liquid-filled pods and some lines of code as his eyes open. As he believes that he is still in the race, he keeps running before being pulled backward by the plugs in his spine. A Matrix machine lets him live, but tranquilizes him, and Dan presumably has his memory wiped. That said, while Dan is only outside the Matrix for a few seconds, part of him seems to remember it.
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The Agents believe that Dan will never walk again and that while he has no memory of the race, he has a world record and “what more could anyone ask for?” Dan not only replies “free,” but also stands up and is even able to rise as though flying. This implies that Dan might still have the potential to break free from the Matrix, although the story ends there. “World Record” is a great example of why The Animatrix is one of the best installments in the Matrix franchise.
The Animatrix
- Release Date
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May 9, 2003
- Runtime
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102 minutes
- Director
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Peter Chung, Andy Jones, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike, Mahiro Maeda, Kôji Morimoto
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