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Critics Consensus: 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.
Critic Consensus: 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.
All Critics (183) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (104) | Rotten (79) | DVD (1)
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.
It allegedly lasts 79 minutes. I think it lasted 79 hours, or 79 years, or perhaps 79 times the space of time between the extinction of allosaurus and the rise of Cro-Magnon.
There's no denying that Acker has a knack for bleak landscapes and an inventive salvage-yard approach to character design, but his narrative skills are less developed.
In 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.
The worst thing you can say about 9 is that it's the look, not the script, that keeps your interest.
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...
The new version stays so true to the original you could describe it as a feature-length short-which is not the most staggering accomplishment.
A potent reminder that not all shorts, even ones as brilliant as Acker's, will necessarily work well as a feature.
9 has a very Coraline-esque tone to it, so if that's a film you enjoyed, then this movie is definitely something worth checking out on the big screen.
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.
Machines. The soul beings that were created to improve our lives, betrayed us. But life is remaining in the form of 9 ragdolls, that are left to stop the remaining robots, and keep the flame of life going. 9 Takes place in an apocalyptic world where all human life is dead except for the soul of one scientist in the form of 9 ragdolls of his creation. While the 9 ragdolls are searching the land one is taken by "The Beast" who takes it to a factory on the outskirts of a city. 2 of the 8 remaining ragdolls go out to look for him only to find him and kill the beast, only to awaken a robot creation long dormant, resurrected by absorbing the life force out of the taken ragdoll. The robot is now trying to kill the ragdolls by building other robots to find and kill them. 9 is a strange case in terms of voice acting, not just because the first 10 minutes are mute, but the fact that the original short the film was based on was done in a pantomime style, but the voice acting in the film is very well done and I'd say its some of the most well done voice acting I've seen in an animated film. Unlike other animated films where you know the voice actor is a celebrity just by the sound of their voice or the sound of their singing voice, here you don't get that in the least. Each of the voice actors just sound like real people and you feel compassion towards all of them, so you feel generally bad when one of them dies. Which is funny seeing how many of these actors are vetran actors such as Martin Landau, Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connoley, Crispin Glover and Christopher Plummer, but they all just sound like real people coping with the insanity and death going on around them. Christopher Plummer does one of his best performances in this film to me, and don't get me wrong I love Christopher Plummers acting, but here he does such a remarkable job as the leader of the group #1. The power and devotion he gives to this performance makes it one of my favorite performances in an animated film, and the other actors do very good as well. Martin Landau, though having little screen time or dialogue, does a good job and you feel very sad and shocked when they kill him off so early on in the film. But one of the best performances in my mind in the film is John C. Reilly as #5, he is so fun and so well developed as a character that you feel the most compassion towards him seeing how he is the only one to show real compassion to #9 aside from #2 and #7. The CG in the film is very well done and makes this post-apocalyptic world look very terrifying and the robot designs used in the film are very creative and awesome to see move and interact with the environments, the way they move and the way they interact with there surroundings are very interesting to watch and very animal like. The designs of the main characters are also interesting, the hands being made out of metal or wood is interesting and the way the eyes and bodies of the ragdolls look very interesting. Rather than other animated films, this film looks like a breath of fresh air in terms of the animation, it doesn't look all bright and colorful like a Pixar film or Dreamworks, it looks grainy and very brown much like Terminator Salvation which suits the nature of the environment the characters live in. Overall 9 is one of my favorite animated films and definitely one of Tim Burtons best film collaborations. The animation looks incredible, the characters are well fleshed out and acted, the plot is interesting, and the film leaves with one of those endings that will make you tear up. If I could suggest one of Tim Burtons films or even animated films, I'd suggest this film.
Super Reviewer
Based on the similarly themed animated short film this dark and visually stunning adventure follows a number of puppet-like creatures that seem to be all that's left with a soul in a post-apocalyptic world, where the machines dominate. The lovable main characters, that show more expressions just through their eyes than some actors with their entire faces wander through gloomy landscapes and ruins fighting fantastic and terrifying opponents. That may not be much of a story, especially the final solution falls a bit short, but is very entertaining, enthralling and visually most impressive. Especially the original and fun action sequence have you sit on the edge of your seat. I certainly would not mind revisit this world, especially with the small ray of hope the ending has in store, for further adventures with the likable fellows. Younger kids should probably stay away from the film, considering the dark atmosphere and menacing attacks. Still, highly recommended for being different and very unusual.
the forces of intolerance are at havoc yet again, and so a hero will rise. is it the guy who thinks if you hide then mr. bad man will go away? what about the guy who thinks more muscle is the answer? or the hottie who wants to face evil all by herself cause nobody's man enuff? like so many films nowadays, here's another visual eyeful, creative and stunning, but the story could use a little pep, yah? a nice one nonetheless.
Interesting take on the dark apocalyptic future world genre. The movie is excellent. Well done. Great voice talents and amazing attention to detail by Shane Acker.
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