9 (2009)
Average Rating: 5.9/10
Reviews Counted: 180
Fresh: 102 | Rotten: 78
Although its story is perhaps too familiar and less complex than some might wish, 9 is visually spectacular, and director Shane Acker's attention to detail succeeds in drawing viewers into the film's universe.
Average Rating: 5.7/10
Critic Reviews: 34
Fresh: 19 | Rotten: 15
Although its story is perhaps too familiar and less complex than some might wish, 9 is visually spectacular, and director Shane Acker's attention to detail succeeds in drawing viewers into the film's universe.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 268,198
My Rating
Movie Info
The time is the too-near future. Powered and enabled by the invention known as the Great Machine, the world's machines have turned on mankind and sparked social unrest, decimating the human population before being largely shut down. But, as our world fell to pieces, a mission began to salvage the legacy of civilization; a group of small creations was given the spark of life by a scientist in the final days of humanity, and they continue to exist post-apocalypse. One of these creations, 9,
Watch It Now
Cast
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fred Tatasciore
#8 / Radio Announcer -
Elijah Wood
#9 -
Alan Oppenheimer
Scientist -
Tom Kane
Dictator -
Helen Wilson
Newscaster
ADVERTISEMENT
9 Trailer & Photos
All Critics (180) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (102) | Rotten (78) | DVD (2)
This film will surely be remembered as an intriguing failure: a triumph of ambition over ability, of ideas over emotional resonance - just another grim fairy tale for these troubled times.
Top CriticIn movies, our technology is so often the ruin of us. We got that message from Stanley Kubrick way back when, and we get it now. But couldn't filmmakers let something else ruin us for a change? Even the apocalypse needs variety.
It's easy to see why Acker's gifts caught the attention of these directors; he's a visual craftsman of no little promise. Now if he can just stitch together a story with the same loving care that went into creating those digital burlap dolls...
[Its] splendid visuals are dragged down by a tedious story.
The expanded cast of creatures looks great, dressed and animated in the homespun style Acker calls ''stitchpunk.''
It might have been an opportunity for the sort of challenging speculation sci-fi is best at, however, and the best reason to see it is simply because of the creativity of its visuals.
A potent reminder that not all shorts, even ones as brilliant as Acker's, will necessarily work well as a feature.
Darkly beautiful to watch.
Feels unnaturally fleshed out and overthought, dampening the excitement through extensive padding...captivating eye candy, but something of a dramatic spinout.
If you're gonna be so downbeat, yah gotta be good. This ain't good. Paul Chambers, CNN.
9 is overall an enjoyable and inventive film.
Discovering the truth is good for the soul
A throwback to the industrial era, the film doesn't feel as important now as it might have then.
Proudly mature -- the movie deals much with individual death as well as doomsday -- so it's a welcome work, something we might even dare to call American-style anime.
This movie is what would happen if the folks at Pixar were manic depressives . . .
I think if I were not diligently taking notes for this very review I might have folded laundry or something to pass the time... It's a beautiful movie to look at and a clumsy story with a weird ending.
Totally lacking in character development. It is like seeing a love story involving toasters.
There is a lot that is interesting to see in the world created by Shane Acker but not enough to make the feature film satisfying.
Watch it for the visuals, and dream about what Shane Acker might accomplish with a better screenplay.
If ever there was a greater pity that a film wasn't exhibited in 3-D, I wouldn't know it. Acker's fluid direction and striking visual style would seem to welcome such an embellishment.
Substance abuse might improve the experience, but alas, 9 unto itself is only half-baked.
The characters are sketchy and the story makes little sense.
Well-designed but formulaic survival tale.
The interplay between characters is often electric and fans of the film will definitely find a character they can root for in the mix...
Grown from a superb 10-minute animation, this feature length version runs out of steam despite its stunning visual design.
Audience Reviews for 9
Super Reviewer
-
- #6: Go back to the source!
-
- #1: Sometimes fear...is the appropriate response.
-
- #9: I was right! You did send him out to die!
- #1: He was old! He was weak!
- #5: *gasp*
- #1: Sometimes one must be sacrificed for the good of many.
- #7: You coward!
-
- #1: They left us nothing. Nothing. Why do we have to right their wrongs?
-
- #5: Actually, I don't mind having one eye. It's easier for me. It allows me to concentrate on just one thing at a time, you know?
-
- #2: Some things in this world are better left where they lie. But if you know where to look, these ruins are full of riches.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| No One Will Ever Comment On This | 2 months ago | 1 |
Latest News on 9
June 11, 2012:
Shane Acker Is Going DeepThe "9" director is going post-apocalyptic with his next project.
September 10, 2009:
Critics Consensus: 9 Looks Great, But The Plot's WeakThis week at the movies, we've got post-apocalyptic conflict (9, with voice work by Elijah Wood and...
What's Hot On RT
Bradley Cooper's Best Movies
Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh
Fast & Furious cars gallery
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- Weekly Ketchup: Fox and Marvel Both Courting Quicksilver for Comic Blockbusters 31
- Critics Consensus: Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh 62
- Red Carpet Photos with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano and More 0
- Video: The Hangover Part III Cast Interviews 0
- Total Recall: Bradley Cooper's Best Movies 51
- Parental Guidance: Epic and Beautiful Creatures 2
- Comic Book Movies You Can Watch Online 16
Top Headlines
-
Evan Peters Joins X-Men: Days of Future Past
0
-
Toby Jones Talks Captain America: The Winter Soldier
1
-
The Poltergeist Reboot May Actually Be a Sequel
18
-
Will Forte Promises MacGruber 2
5
-
Universal Plans Timecop Reboot
2
-
Return of the Jedi Turns 30
2
-
Vin Diesel Says Fast & Furious 7 Will Take Place in L.A.
0
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Foreign Titles
- #9 (DE)
- Numero 9 (FR)
The movie is excellent. Well done. Great voice talents and amazing attention to detail by Shane Acker.