“9” is an expansion of director Shane Acker’s 2005 Oscar-nominated animated short by the same name. And like “Wall-E” and “Terminator: Salvation,” “9” deals with a post-apocalyptic world, only this time humans and most of the machines they battled have died. The survivors are a series of puppet-like rag dolls made out of burlap and animated by one visionary scientist before he, too, died. Number 9 (voiced by Elijah Wood) awakens not knowing where he is. He is rescued by Number 2 (Martin Landau), but 2 is then carried off by a mechanical beast. 9’s desire to rescue him is vetoed by Number 1 (Christopher Plummer). 9 goes after him anyway, accompanied by 5 (John C. Reilly) and 7 (Jennifer Connelly).
“9” hardly compares to the visual and emotional feast provided by “Wall-E,” but it stands on its own as a speculative tale about life after man destroys himself although Acker doesn’t answer all of the questions he poses. Perhaps he keeps the action moving so he won’t have to. Acker does, however, provide some intriguing blasted city scenes and menacing metal antagonists. Maybe even more menacing than the recent “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” “9” is an enjoyable fast-paced science fiction adventure aimed more at the teen viewer than younger children. Some of the scenes are too intense for young audiences, hence the PG-13 rating. 9/11/09
1 comment:
This is an unusual animated film with a theme that is getting a little tiresome of a post-apocalyptical world filled with robots and power struggles. There are some interesting twists that keep your interest like the power struggle within the puppet-like creatures who can't agree on how to handle the imminent threat from the robots that are attacking them. I give this animation a 3 bagger out of a possible 5 (popcorn)
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