They’ve seen the family farm become a factory farm. They’ve learned the truth about industrial dairy facilities. And now they’re trying to escape the perils of a meatpacking plant. They are Leo, Moopheus, and Chickity, the animated stars of a series of short films by Free Range Studios and nonprof Sustainable Table.

This latest version of the Matrix spoofs is Meatrix II½, and this time, they’ve partnered with Fast Food Nation to promote the film and help raise awareness about the production of fast food.

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Unfortunately, it looks like Fast Food Nation hasn’t done too well in theaters. Opening weekend, the film made just $390,000 compared to number-one film Happy Feet, which debuted at $42.3 million.

Interestingly, that same weekend, Saw III, a horror flick I had referenced in describing the surprising level of gore in Fast Food Nation, made $2.8 million, more than seven times as much as moola as FFN. (Get it? Ha ha, moo-la. Ahem.) I guess that’s the difference between having a major marketing firm pushing your film and leaving it to a cow in dark glasses.

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Below the fold, The Meatrix II½ via YouTube, a lower-quality version for those of you too lazy to click this link.