9 (I) (2009) User Reviews

A true great, if it had just chosen an audience!

[tnt80808 · 7/10 · 18 July 2010]

First things first. DO NOT SHOW THIS MOVIE TO VERY YOUNG CHILDREN!! This is a very dark and often scary animation. I would recommend it as an 8 years and up movie, minimum!

And this is also this movies biggest problem. It just didn't pick a target market. It is neither cuddly enough for kids or smart enough for adults. Many reviewers have said how they were confused by the plot or that there didn't seem to be a reason for anything??? I found the opposite, this movie is very straight-forward, a little too so maybe. It is a simple tale of good versus evil in a post apocalyptic, alternative earth. (I fear the suits holding the money may have had something to do with the "dumbing down" of the story however and not the writers).

All this being said, it is beautiful to look at, with some fantastic set pieces and atmosphere and despite it's simple story, it is a sweet tale. The voice acting is solid (special mention goes to John C Riley for his ever-so-sweet portrayal of "5") and the action scenes are tense and well thought out. As I said earlier, the monsters in this really are quite creepy, even by grown-up standards, add to that the post-war setting and occasional images of (albeit CG) dead bodies/death and this really puts this movie out of the young kids film bracket.

"9" could have been so much more. In my opinion, it would have worked better as a grown-up animation with a slightly meatier script and the peril ramped up a little. As it is, it sits somewhat uncomfortably in limbo between kids and grown-ups, fully satisfying neither. Now, your thinking, "he gave this 7/10 and all he has done is complain!" well, it is a good movie and I did enjoy it a lot. It is haunting, thought provoking and beautifully animated and would have scored a 10/10 if it had just been written more towards older viewers.

A fantastic idea, lovingly animated. could have been a classic if it had just been a little braver in the writing phase.

9 is a 6

[captelephant · 6/10 · 10 September 2009]

9 is better than average... but only barely.

The movie is carried by a unique visual style and a great sense of "place." The sack-men (and woman) are refreshingly odd and fun to watch. The post-apocalyptic city is consistently beautiful and dangerous. Desolate without feeling dull.

Unfortunately, the story and characters ARE dull. Not crushingly so... but enough to frustrate. Frequent, obvious plot holes and violations of established world-rules pulled me out of the movie over and over again. Tired clichés abound. I wasn't able to shake the feeling that I'd seen and heard this all before.

And that's a shame because there's a lot of potential here. If only the writer had taken more chances. Why not challenge the audience and defy expectations? Why make a movie that's too scary for kids but too simplistic for adults? Who is expected to enjoy it?

I would watch another Shane Acker movie if one is made (hopefully after he's picked a target audience). But 9 is not a classic.

... that said, it's probably worth watching on the big screen just for the sights and sounds.

Well, the animation was great...

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 11 September 2009]

I was looking forward to seeing 9, as I had already seen the original short film (also called 9) and wanted to see what they could do by expanding upon the story. Well, after seeing this full-length film, I can certainly say I liked the computer generated animation....as for the story, well, it left a bit to be desired. And the problem is that I can't strongly recommend the film, but if you don't see it in the theater, then you'll probably like the film less because the graphics are THE film.

The story is set in an alternate reality. While some of the features look very much like Earth, many of the details are different. There's been a war raging and tanks are definitely of the WWI variety while airplanes are of the WWII style--yet there are also very modern holograms as well. As for the leader, there is some similarity to a fascist dictatorship, but this guy sure ain't Hitler, Mussolini or Franco. It's like Earth, but not our Earth. Oddly, while I could accept this, in this alternate reality there apparently IS a Judy Garland and the song "Over the Rainbow"--an odd blending of the real and the fanciful.

Most of the story, you have no idea what led to this ruined world that is now devoid of all life--no animals, no people...not even bugs. Slowly, some of the details of this apocalypse come out...but never is there ever a full explanation as to what happened and why--just a dribbling of information here and there. What you positively know is that instead of living beings, there are a group of very small and oddly designed burlap covered dolls--with very high tech eyes. Why these dolls are there and their purpose is unknown to them, but some are just happy to hide and avoid the hellish mechanical creations that inhabit the rubble as well.

As for the burlap creatures, this is a shortcoming in the film. While 9 is the "designated hero", he and the rest of them really don't have any personality and a few of them seem like story clichés (such as the "strong and plucky female"). So, when one dies you are left wondering what made that one any different than the one that was killed moments earlier or you are left feeling a caricature died--not something tangible. No real character development occurs nor are their motivations particularly clear throughout the film. Nor, for that matter, does the story answer many questions at all. So, provided this doesn't bother you and you don't mind a vague story with vague characters, you'll enjoy the film very much--it certainly is a visual delight. If you demand clarity, then I suggest you see another film.

Beautifully made but slightly flawed...

[ajs-10 · 7/10 · 24 September 2010]

Set in a post apocalyptic world where all life on Earth has been wiped out by machines, or rather one machine in particular. This film focuses on the efforts of a group of inventions, numbered 1 to 9, who try to redeem the scientist who made both them and the machine that destroyed the world. The machine has been dormant for many years, but one of its progeny, a mechanical cat-like creature protects its lair and takes anything that moves into it's area.

9 was the last of the scientist's inventions, but he didn't have time to animate him before he died. All of the previous inventions, 1 to 8 had already been released into the world. So we begin with 9 falling to the floor and becoming sentient. He explores his surroundings, the remains of the scientist's lab, and finds a small device that he seems to think is important. He looks outside to see another like himself, but he is unable to call out, so he goes outside, taking the device with him, where he eventually finds 2 who gives him a voice. 2 tells him of the war, and how the machines had wiped out all life, apart from the 9. At this point they are attacked by 'the cat' who takes both 2 and the device back to its lair. 9 is now alone again, but is found by 5, who takes him back to the sanctuary where 1, 6 and 8 also live. 9 persuades 5 to help him go after 2. They battle with 'the cat', which is finally destroyed by 7, who luckily turns up at the last minute. 9 finds a socket that the device fits into, unfortunately, that socket is on 'the machine'! This is where things get pretty intense for our heroes.

A beautifully made film with, I thought, a wonderful visual style. Decent performances from the voice talents of Christopher Plummer as 1, Martin Landau as 2, John C. Reilly as 5 Crispin Glover as 6, Jennifer Connelly as 7, Fred Tatasciore as 8 and the radio announcer and Elijah Wood as 9. The film did have some quite scary moments and some of the themes were quite grown up, so I wouldn't recommend it for small children. The producers include Tim Burton, whose work I shouldn't have to mention and Timur Bekmambetov, who has previously worked on Wanted (2008), Night Watch (2004) and Day Watch (2006).

Having already seen this at the cinema it was interesting to re-watch it on TV. For me I felt it was better the second time around. I had a better understanding of the plot and could focus more on the quality of the animation and the score, both of which are excellent. I have given it the same score I gave it first time around because, although not perfect and yes, there are som plot holes in it, but I still quite like this one. Over all, recommended.

My score: 6.8/10

New view to a hackneyed storyline. Visually appealing though not very intellectually stimulating. Worth a watch.

[ankurtg · 7/10 · 1 December 2009]

We've had a lot of the "man-machine battle in the future", and "the importance of human emotions". The movie beautifully presents a new angle to it, though probably not new enough to write home about.

Clichés abound throughout the movie--the music, and even the voice of 9 (Elijah Wood) sound trite (the latter possibly due to watching LotR movies dozens of times). The action, although enthralling, depends a lot on lucky close-shaves and a bit of the 'deus-ex-machina'. For most of the movie, I expected something powerfully epiphanous to occur, but the anticipation went unfulfilled.

The Animation and Special Effects are beautiful. The objects, settings and the 'image' (particularly the use of Low depth-of-focus) are reminiscent of the works of Brothers Quay, though this doesn't have any of that macabre quality.

Viewed thoughtfully in hindsight, the plot does have some substance. In this microcosm, the puppet-characters seem to be symbolic of individual human traits--covering a spectrum of black gray and white, which, in a complex way, comprise our 'soul'. There are many symbols and allegorical elements. An act of thoughtless curiosity (the activation of the machine) leads a people to disaster. Troubled folk seek sanctuary in an abandoned church, led by an orthodox, power-hungry figure. In the face of a full-fledged assault, the sanctuary burns down, and man is left to use his own wits to ensure his survival.

Because of being an isolated essence, each of these puppets seems to be a stereotype--this fact, if not appreciated, encourages the perception of the movie as being full of 'clichés'. Once it dawns, this realization vindicates the movie, albeit not completely.

While the movie leaves somewhat dissatisfied the mature and expectant viewer, it offers a fairly enjoyable experience to both the young and the old.

A visual banquet

[juliet-staveley · 9/10 · 12 December 2009]

As a long-time fan of animation, I like to believe (misguided or not) that I have high standards and am not easily impressed. But this creation blew me away, so much so that I felt compelled to write my first ever review on this site. Please forgive me for the abundance of clichés that may follow.

9 reminded me strongly of my favourite short-work, Joacquin Baldwin's award-winning Sebastian's Voodoo. The detail, backgrounds, colours, forms, the dark 'grubbiness' of the overall look, the minimal but meaningful character expressions and sublime use of light and shadow were pure heaven for the eyes.

Imagine, if you will, a strange but beautiful lovechild of The Borrowers, Voodoo, Alien, Corpse Bride and War of the Worlds; and you have 9.

The atmospheric score and use of imagery from various real political movements and historic events added to the post-apocalyptic, almost Gothic feel. To prevent it from becoming too heavy, it is interwoven with a deliciously subtle humour and creativity - such as the use of ordinary household objects as weapons and items of clothing. You can tell that Tim Burton had more than a sprinkling of input.

Yes, the storyline is simple (which is why I am puzzled that so many viewers found the ending difficult to grasp) and the characters could have done with more development. That said, I immediately fell in love with 2, 4 and 5 with no knowledge of their past - a difficult task to achieve. And it would be hard to create nine full-blooded personalities with back-history involved in a complex plot in only 80 minutes.

Which brings me to timing and the only reason I knocked a star off - I felt it ended too quickly and I just did not want it to.

It is a rare sort of exquisite film-making that makes you want to serve it on a plate and eat it raw, enjoying every last mouthful. Then savour it all over again because you know you've missed so much in all the glorious detail.

It is a film that stays with you long after it ends. I would urge anyone with a love of the unusual to experience it.

Wonderful !

[bacnekid · 7/10 · 13 December 2009]

Woohoo , now that was awesome ! i enjoyed every single moment in this Film it is really The Animated Movie ! these guys worked so hard on the Characters and theme and so on. really great animated movie but actually although the scenes were very good , i felt like the story was missing something , i was very excited to watch it actually at the beginning of showing it in Theaters , but after i watched it my enthusiasm was a little bit down out of my expectations , but though it is awesome ! one thing that i really hate is it's Duration , i really felt the movie needed more time !!! and the ending i wish it was more motivated ! after all , it's nearly my favorite animated movie this year.

This film is one of few gems that explore the aspects of humanity

[captaindoctorghost · 9/10 · 26 July 2016]

This film at it's core explores the idea of humanity and what it means to be human. It does this by exploring themes such as friendship, curiosity and discovery, family and the fundamental question we all ask "why am I here and what is my purpose?" What makes the film so unique is that it projects these onto the main characters which are small ragdoll like automatons who have been set with the task of undoing the wrongdoings of their creator. This film has heart and on a first viewing the core themes and story may be lost by the stunning visuals of the characters and the environment they interact within. So I recommend at least watching this film twice to really appreciate all it has to offer. This film is set In a post apocalyptic setting yet it still manages to feel so unique. The closest I can think as far as cinematography is The Book of Eli, yet this is much more menacing and darker. Although wrapped up like a children's film with the animation, it definitely is for a more mature audience.

Pieces of a Soul

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 6 November 2009]

After an apocalyptical war between human and machines, the world is completely destroyed and without human life. The burlap doll 9 awakes without voice and finds a weird object in the middle of the debris that he brings with him. While walking through the ruins, 9 is attacked by a machine called Beast but he is saved by another doll called 2 that fixes his voice. 2 brings 9 to meet his hidden community, leaded by the coward 1. When 2 is captured by a machine, the newcomer 9 convinces the other dolls to go with him to rescue 2. However, 9 places the device that he found in a slot and activates a lethal machine called Brain. The burlap dolls are chased by Brain and despite the advices of 1 that they should hide, 9 organizes an attack to destroy Brain.

I had a great expectation with "9" and the bleak animation is really great. Unfortunately the flawed and unoriginal story is disappointing, a kind of rip-off of "WALL•E" and "Terminator" together and there are many holes and questions without answer or explanation. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "9 – A Salvação" ("9 – The Salvation")

A much darker "Wall-e", and that's a good thing.

[kirk-246 · 9/10 · 27 December 2009]

9 is a rag-doll who wakes up after a war between humans and machines that has devastated the world and wiped out humanity.He later meets a group of surviving rag-dolls and he tries to convince them to save 2.9 and 5 go to save 2, but they accidentally awaken a machine known as Brain.After they escape the dreaded machine, Brain hatches a scheme to build machines and hunt down the remaining rag-doll survivors.

"9" is like a combination of "The Terminator", "War Of The Worlds", and "Wall-e".With the war, machines, and apocalypse, there's no way you can disagree with that.The PG-13 rating is most certainly deserved.Afterall, the imagery is a bit frightening and will have young kids begging for their parents to take them to see "Wall-e" so they can get all of the disturbing images out of their minds once and for all.As for the movie, I can't say that I was disappointed.With it's spectacular visuals, great action sequences, and convincing characters, "9" is a must-see for those who want to take a visually thrilling roller-coaster.Clocking in at a brief 79 minutes( 72 minutes if you take out the end credits), "9" will take your imagination and put it into a world that will make you want for a sequel.We all know what the title would be, so I don't need to go any further."9" deserves a 9.

A lot of potential

[grayghost-40225 · 6/10 · 28 September 2022]

The first 10 minutes feel like 30, in a good way. The world feels like it has so much texture; there's a lot to take in. Unfortunately, once our main character "9" begins meeting the rest of the cast, things go downhill pretty quickly.

Pros: Very cool cast. This movie looked great for an independent 3D animated film. The monstrous machines that our characters meet are unlike any you'll see elsewhere. It has a uniquely mature tone for an animated film, especially for one from its time. You won't expect all the twists and turns in the story.

Now the cons: hardly anyone has any lines. John c Reilly and Crispin Glover in particular have less than 10 lines each it seems. Their characters are in many scenes but never seem to say anything. While Elijah Wood performs well, no one else seems to give much energy to their characters.

The animation does not hold up today unfortunately. Most of the character models are smooth 3D dolls with burlap textures painted on. This leads to some weird warping of the image around their eyes and joints. During action sequences it is very difficult to tell characters apart as they all have the same basic ragdoll model, with only slight variations in colors or head shape. The sound design leaves a lot to be desired too. All the machines sound like dinosaurs from Jurassic Park.

While you won't expect every twist in the film, you probably guessed from the first 20 minutes what the big reveal would be at the end.

This film feels like they had the perfect cast and crew for a masterpiece, but seemingly they lacked the support to bring it all together.

Nitpicking here: why do they breathe so much? There's a scene where they hide from a monster, and 9 covers his mouth because it can hear him breathing. The scene before this showed us he has a voice box, so what was that about? Another character falls over panting after running. So strange.

Once again, form over function

[sketchball90 · 5/10 · 4 October 2009]

I might have had my expectations too high when I walked into the theater. I hadn't done any reading and was under the impression that Tim Burton had directed it. So when it became obvious 5 minutes into the movie that once again I was going to be subjected to big budget stylistic environments and effects sans any kind of real mental engagement, I was pretty disappointed.

There were so many problems with this movie I don't really know where to begin without rambling. So instead I'll just say that the "good" is all about the visuals. The "bad" is all about my issues with plot and character development, audience education, cheesy dialog and unambiguous morality in circumstances that should force compromise at every turn. Being any more specific would result in a hideously long post, so here are my top 3 gripes:

• The story advances too quickly early on for the sake of setting up the second half of the movie. It left me with an empty feeling akin to throwing away dinner so you can have dessert.

• At the core of our protagonists identities is the idea of a multifaceted human soul (i.e. aspects of our personalities captured in discrete pieces of our immortal selves). Unfortunately, almost no time is devoted to explaining or developing this concept. It's up to the viewer to decide if they care or not and why. Beyond the heavy handed symbolism of the church Stitchpunks vs the university Stitchpunks, there isn't much of a reason you have to. The idea felt like a convenient foil device instead of the meaningful linchpin it could have been.

• The "successful" outcome of the movie is dependent on a wildly lucky string of events. There's no solid story here about bravery in the face of adversity, intelligent heroes, clever plot twists, and a few narrow escapes. Instead you get a chain of formulaic action scenes in which any of a few hundred close calls gone wrong prevents our happy ending. Give me an engaging story, not an account of winning the lottery 5 times in a row. See Secret of Nimh for a reasonably good animated noir counterexample.

Ultimately, I could probably sum up the mass of problems with "target audience confusion". On the surface, it seems aimed at a more mature set of folks (13 years +?) with its graphic wartime theme and truly creepy villains. The development of everything else and the simplistic dialog feels targeted at a younger audience. It probably could have worked well as either. Tone it down, keep it short and sweet for the 9 year old set or lengthen it and spend more time on story, characters, etc for the older crowd. It fails in targeting both.

Animation for adults

[Wizard-8 · 15 May 2010]

"9" is an animated movie aimed at an adult audience. That's not to say it is filled with sex, nudity, and bad language - it has none of that stuff. Instead, it is an animated movie for adult minds - with stuff you don't see in a family animated movie. It is often downbeat in nature, it unfolds at a slower pace, there are deaths (at least I think they can be called deaths), and the colors are dark instead of being bright. So most (not all, but most) kids will probably be turned off by it. However, more mature children and their parents will enjoy it. The story slowly unfolds at a pace that will keep you curious as to what the explanations for things will turn out to be, each of the characters are unique instead of being all alike a la Ninja Turtles, and the animation is very good. There are a few plot holes that come up, mostly when the movie is over and you think about it, but the movie is still an enjoyable and unique experience.

UInique and enjoyable sci fi animated but short on plot.

[dfwforeignbuff · 7/10 · 22 January 2010]

9 originally a short subject by Shane Acker, a student at UCLA, it was nominated for a 2006 Oscar. The film is clearly in the tradition of his mentor Tim Burton. What if Toy Story took place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland? And all the toys were designed by that bad neighbor kid? Plot: 9 is a little burlap doll with watch parts for innards. When 9 first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world where all humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from scary machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the new one in the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good. They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they'll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them. It is a good flick but the plot leave us with little real explanation of what is going on except the world has been destroyed and there is a bad guy (thing) and these little burlap doll things still around. The small community gets divided into factions over the war they are fighting. These survivors go on a journey to unlock the secret to their existence, while dodging and fighting the killing machines responsible for exterminating the planet and its life. The script is simple and predictable. The film has a unique visual style. For an animated feature places things appear very real. Dark plot. Really not for children. This is more of an adult Sci-fi animated film. Gives us a really creepy, menacing atmosphere. A short 79 minutes. Entertaining and worth seeing. This Sci-fi adventure is a treat for mature audience animation and science-fiction fans. The film is similar to Wall-E another sci fi tale of the animated machine in a destroyed world but 9 never achieves that films storytelling greatness. It is still an enjoyable film.

Good but somewhat disappointing

[Quebec_Dragon · 6/10 · 15 September 2009]

A little puppet rag doll machine with a 9 painted on his back comes to life in a deserted room, he opens a window to find that everything outside has been destroyed as if in a war. The best part for me was the visual design of those small rag doll machines, a mix between the evil Oogie Boogie from Nightmare Before Christmas and the protagonist Sackboy from the game Little Big Planet. I found their mechanical "eyes" fascinating but also distracting. The doll creatures showed emotion and some character but nowhere near the same league as Wall-E's robots who had much less to work with. To be fair, the limited (some would say lacking) characterizations of the rag doll robot creatures can theoretically be explained by their origins but that could have been better told and exploited. The animation for them was top-notch though. I liked the production design of the post-apocalyptic world but nothing blew me away.

9 is produced by Tim Burton but it doesn't have the same sense of wonder and cleverness present in most of his films so be forewarned. The action scenes were exciting and well shot but the storyline didn't feel satisfying especially the ending. The reason for the creation of the little rag doll creatures didn't make much logical sense to me. There's not much social commentary, originality (beyond visual) or humor in here that would have pushed 9 in the realm of classic. So overall, although I enjoyed the look of the film, I was left wanting in terms of story and emotional involvement. Adults would probably like it more if it was more mature, complex and darker while children would probably like it more if the characters were more personable. I wouldn't pay full price for 9 in the theatre.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Brilliant

[colindeane · 10/10 · 1 July 2017]

I made an IMDb account just so I can rate this movie! No really, I did.

I thought it was brilliant, very dynamic! All the nuances and layers are there, also the animation is on point! Highly recommend this film. After seeing it on the list for months I final watched it, you should too!

7

[Rectangular_businessman · 7/10 · 11 June 2010]

I had high expectations of this, especially after seeing the original short by Shane Ackner of the same name, in which this movie was inspired. However, the results ends being just adequate.

These movies, despite being a small production, have an excellent animation and a great atmosphere: Shane Ackner creates a unique, fascinating, world. Also the whole cast make a great work with every single one of the characters. Too bad that the story was filled with a lot of silly, stupid clichés, that only ruin the interesting parts of the story: Here you have the "Chosen One" that have to save the world, the boring, invincible villain that never and the plain, one dimensional characters that only appear to be killed.

Despite that, I liked this film. Even when it is completely predictable, it still is very funny to watch, mostly because of the animation and the atmosphere. The character design was pretty good too. Even when "9" wasn't so good as films as "Coraline" it still a decent, entertaining film. But it could have been way better.

Absolutely Hypnotic!

[fwomp · 10/10 · 21 January 2010]

There are so few times in life when a piece of entertainment can literally enrapture you that when one does come around, you wonder how you lived so long without seeing something like it. And this was my experience with 9, a single digit movie based on a single digit 11 minute short film of the same name, both directed by young genius Shane Acker.

The 11 minute film 9 was nominated for an Oscar in 2006 for Best Short, but didn't win. But it did get the notice of Tim Burton, who had fallen in love with Acker's idea and world. He wanted to see more of 9's bizarre existence and so, in true entrepreneurial fashion, they went out and did just that.

I have to admit here that I'd never heard nor seen the original 2005 short upon which this film was an extension (you can now view the 11 minute version on YouTube so that's not a problem anymore). But after watching this, I IMMEDIATELY searched out the short film. Amazing. What's more amazing is that Acker took years and years to develop his work – and the technology – in order to give the burlap sack-like characters a sense of computer reality unrivaled before or since. And, if it is possible, even more amazing, I found it's visuals to be of a higher standard than the new AVATAR film everyone is raving about. Yes, they are THAT good. Every frame of this 79 minute film is brilliantly colored, muted and darkened. Looking at it, one gets a sense of near hypnosis, unable to pull their eyes away from what is, in every sense, wondrously appealing ...in a dark and dreary sort of way.

What else draws you in is the world that surrounds these nine characters. The simplicity (if you think about their names, 1 - 9) is perfectly formed from the beginning. The dangers aren't unique to human history, but to non-humans, this is a weird existence. The surrounding world is a mesh of alternate reality and, yet, familiarity. Songs such as "Over The Rainbow" play on ancient phongraphs while WWII weaponry bombard our heroes alongside advanced robots. Tell me that's something you've seen before?! The voices actors were perfect choices, from Elijah Wood (LORD OF THE RINGS) as the title character 9, to Christopher Plummer (INSIDE MAN) as 1. Plummer's distinctive voice added a darker quality considering his past acting efforts ...which pulled the story up even further in my eyes (and ears).

What else should surprise viewers is that the film cost a measly $33 million to make and is only 79 minutes in length. Whereas things like Avatar cost significantly more and run three times as long.

If you really want to be transported to another world, and see what it might be like to view it from the eyes of strangers, don't look to Avatar, look toward 9. You won't be disappointed. I promise.

Should have been one of the best films of the year, but the script is weak

[zetes · 7/10 · 13 January 2010]

Quite possibly the best looking animated film of 2009, with its only rival being Coraline. Shane Acker's visual imagination is astounding. This is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi flick about a group of robotic sack-dolls fighting to preserve themselves from an at first unspecified thing hunting them. 9, the ninth and final sack doll, is the last to awaken into the world. He starts trouble by being overly curious about existence. Most of the movie is made up of chase sequences, but they're beautifully choreographed. The film should be counted amongst the best action movies of the year. In all honesty, 9 should have been one of the year's best films in a year pretty much dominated by animated films. It has such promise. Unfortunately, Acker's desire to drop us into this mysterious world without much information ends up backfiring on him. The whole thing feels underdeveloped. The characters, most of all 9, are so thin that it's really hard to give much of a damn if anything happens to them or not. The villain of the picture is extremely awesome to look at, but its backstory is just generic sci-fi stuff. And the final bit is very unsatisfying. The film overall is kind of a big disappointment, but it still comes highly recommended just for the visuals. At 79 minutes, it's hardly a chore.

Imagination at it's finest!

[jawbreaker18 · 10/10 · 9 September 2009]

I come from the school of early Tim Burton, and Jim Henson- two of my cinema deities from my earliest memories- and this is the first time in a long time that anyone has managed to touch on that magic for me.

I'll do my best to convey what a fantastic movie this is, without really revealing too much of the plot- because I think that this movie is best experienced not really knowing anything. You come in the same way the main character does- not knowing anything of this world.

While sitting in the theater, I recalled memories of the intensity and heart of "my first movies" such as E.T., The Secret of Nymh, The Dark Crystal, and Edward Scissorhands- movies that touched upon something that was at once so rooted in human emotion yet so fantastic and unimaginable. I can absolutely say that "9" is now considered one in that catalog of visionary and hallowed movies.

Guaranteed some will have a complaint with the length (a seemingly short 79 minutes considering the scale and impact of the story) but I think that a movie can be an epic without needing to be over 2 hours long, or a HUGE amount of unnecessary back story and origins that's only purpose is to make the story SEEM grandiose. This movie is a complete work of art- from the obviously eye-catching visual style and composition of what you see, down to the basic story and character development that you feel. In 79 minutes this team managed to harness my imagination and senses without having to dumb-it-down for the audience, or use any of the old gags that many bigger studios seem to rely on to sell tickets (thankfully there are NO cheesy gross out jokes to appeal to a typical cable-fed attention span). Instead they took me to places that I had never thought of, but will never forget. My most respectful nod to everyone involved.

Absolutely do not miss this one.

A dark but beautiful offering of CGI.

[Rafacus · 7/10 · 9 September 2009]

A dark but beautiful offering of CGI about a post-apocalyptic world and 9 humanoid robots with a mysterious mission to carry out. Shane Acker directs this movie although the trailers and signs all point to the more popular Tim Burton. To top off this confusion (Burton produced it) we are shown creatures that play more than a little homage to A Nightmare Before Christmas. But even though Shane Acker directs it, for the Burton loving audience, 9 will not disappoint. I will however warn you that before you see it, be sure to be alert, awake and attentive because this isn't your run-of-the-mill, so simple a 9 yr old could have wrote it, story. This is a complex, decide for yourself, watch and pay attention type of story in a nice CGI coat that may fool you that it is a children story.

Starting out with the scientist (Alan Oppenheimer) crafting the future protagonist 9 (Elijah Wood), we are given a clue that the world has gone all to hell, and the all too familiar theme of machines taking over comes to play. 9 is a curious creature, a sack-boy with mechanical parts, he is adorable but not in a teddy bear kind of way, we are shown a bit of innocence in him which contrasts his world that looks very much like the aftermath of a war. At one part in the film we are shown the marching of soldiers to a dictator whose symbol and gait echo a resemblance to Adolph Hitler of World War 2. The steam punk influence combined with the 1940s style of art makes the world foreign but familiar and even with the flashbacks and the hints, the world of 9 just never feels like our world to me. As the movie progresses, 9 runs into the other 8 members of his tiny robot race, all being named after their respective numbers and each having a dramatically different personality from the other.

The toughest and probably my favorite of the lot was the only female (I could tell from the voice), the mask wearing, blade wielding 7 (Jennifer Connelly). Numbers 1 (Christopher Plummer) and 2 (Martin Landau) were the eldest and number 8 (Fred Tatasciore) was the typical strong oaf. 5 (John C. Reilly) was the loving and innocent healer of the bunch and 6 (Crispin Glover) was an artist. The twins 3 and 4 never talk but loved to chronicle and record events to playback for the others. The bad guys as you may have guessed by now were the machines. The flawed inventions of man who turned on their masters and decimated the human race.

The tale of 9 is one that has been in film since the original Metropolis with the robot version of Maria leading the overworked serfs to destroy the very machinery that kept their world running. Most of us may remember The Matrix which echoed the same tale of the renegade machine. Terminator also comes to mind with Skynet and many others. The unique thing about this story however is it isn't left up to some dark haired human to save the human race. This dark tale wipes us out and places the future in the hands of tiny machines the size of your hand. The story of 9 is a dark, dark one with a very bleak outlook for humanity and our ability to self-destruct. Within the world of 9 lays the debris and remnants of war and death. The corpses of the fallen lay strewn about, the sky has a steady flow of dark clouds and things die as naturally as they appear on screen.

As much as I loved this story, I wish I could have had a bit more. The team of 9 are each love-able in their own right but we are left to our own theories about their history. Nothing is explained to the audience outside of the reasoning for their existence, we get no personal background stories or grand flashbacks of happy times. This is why you should flex your creative muscles when viewing it, since the movie spans only 79 minutes, we are given the raw outline and forced to make do with what we have. For me this was enough and I thought 9 to be a well paced story about a very, very dark time. I would not recommend this for young children and I would think that the PG-13 rating would clue you in on that. But for the big kids and sci-fi loving adults, I would urge you to get out there and see it.

More reviews from me at www.SpicyMovieDogs.com.

Beautiful animation; undeveloped, incomplete story

[paulglen · 5/10 · 11 September 2009]

This movie feels like it starts in the middle. I don't instinctively identify with robot rag dolls. So, for most of the movie I didn't care much about what happened to them because their plight, purpose, and origin are not explained at all until the movie is almost over. At that point, I felt like "Oh, okay, if they had explained that in the FIRST 15 minutes of the movie, I might have cared what happens". But they didn't explain it, and I didn't care what happened.

I won't even go into the conclusion of the "story", except to say that it makes no sense at all and is riddled with holes and ambiguity.

Yes, the animation is very nice. Yes, there are some decent action scenes. Those are the strongest points of the movie. But, honestly, beyond the unique look and style of the artwork, it's the same stuff, the same action, that you see in every other animated movie. Ho hum.

Summary: nice animation, cliché action, underdeveloped plot, and very little story to pull the (over age 16) viewer in.

A 9 worth 10

[vederable · 8 April 2021]

Great movie for not so young childrens, and adults.

I Was Hoping for Better

[RichardSRussell-1 · 6/10 · 9 September 2009]

9 (R, 1:19) — SF, 2nd string, original

Boy, I so wanted to like this picture, but it's sort of the inverse of last week's Gamer (4), which I described as having good story ideas badly executed. 9, OTOH, is wonderfully imaginative in its production design and execution but disappointingly single-threaded in plot.

It opens with scenes of WW1-style warfare and destruction, accompanied by a sad voice-over: "We had such potential... Our world is ending, but life must go on.". And then we see consciousness arriving for a spindle-shaped burlap guy with camera-shutter eyes and a giant hand-lettered "9" on its back; "he" (I guess) is filled with wonder at who he is, what's going on, and what this world is all about. He appears to have a giant zipper up the front, but as he makes his way across a desktop and a book to reach a shuttered window, we realize that the zipper is normal size, it's the guy who's little — about cat-sized.

This is 9 (voiced by Elijah Wood), and shortly he meets fellow fabric manikins 1–8, all of whom are refugees from the last of the machines that had recently exterminated humanity. That this is an alternate reality is evident from the battle scenes, all clockwork, gaslight, rust-covered, early 20th Century tech, not a glimmer of electronics (let alone Skynet) anywhere in sight.

The rest of the movie is devoted to 1–9 trying to escape from the last monster machine — a large, clanking, single-minded contraption with a big glowing red "eye" and multiple bladed arms — a construct capable of (apparently) sucking the souls out of any of these little gunnysack digits it can grab.

And that's about it for plot.

I appreciated that the boldest character among the dolloids, the intrepid 7, had a female voice (Jennifer Connelly). Unfortunately, "she" appeared to be the only "woman" in the movie. There were no overt evidences of gender on any of the burlap critters, so if the future of life on Earth is dependent on these little dudes reproducing, it looks like a pretty long shot. Most post-apocalyptic stories at least try to offer a ray of hope at the end, but this one looked frankly bleak. I give it an extra point for that, simply because it's a relatively daring thing for a movie to do.

The animation was evidently done (or at least supervised) by Starz Animation, and it has a consistent look and feel to it, as original as The Nightmare before Christmas (7), and this too earns some credit in my book. Animation can give you all the time and space in the world, but this final drama on Earth is cramped, taking place in about a day in a ruined cityscape within about 2 klicks of the house where 9 first wakes up.

So, even tho it fell short of my hopes, there are sufficient positive aspects that it edges up to the top of my "up to you" range and gets a 6. I guess that's 9 upside down, huh?

A solid film that doesn't live up to its full potential

[Apemangalore · 6/10 · 13 September 2009]

Aside from perhaps The Princess and the Frog (and, prior to May 29th, Up), there hasn't been a single movie this year that I've been looking forward to more than Shane Acker's debut film, 9. The basic premise, while somewhat familiar, really intrigued me, and the art direction looked superb. Along with a decidedly darker tone than most animated films, this one definitely looked like it had potential to be one of the all-time greats. But does 9 live up to its full potential? Well…not quite.

On the positive side (and as one would guess from the trailers), the movie looks spectacular. By use of both the environments and the characters, this harsh, post-apocalyptic world feels extremely real, and successfully draws you into the film. I simply couldn't take my eyes off of the art on display here.

The voice acting is also relatively solid. Jennifer Connelly as 7, the strong-willed warrior of the group, and Christopher Plummer as 1, the gang's self-proclaimed leader, are especially terrific in their roles.

As much as the visuals draw you into the film, and as strong as the voice acting is, though, the story feels pretty bland, and in fact, is littered with several gaping plot holes. The movie is also quite short, and with the majority of it centered on the action, I don't think I had enough time to connect with any of these characters. There was only one scene in which I truly felt attached to them, which was toward the end, with the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" playing throughout. To me, as well as a few other people that I've spoken to, that was easily the best scene in the film.

Overall, 9 is a thoroughly entertaining film with beautiful animation and a strong voice cast. Unfortunately, the story itself ends up being pretty dull, and not as complex as one might hope. It's still a solid film, and I look forward to whatever Shane Acker's next project is (animated or otherwise). However, it simply doesn't live up to the potential that I thought it had.