#9

I don't know how much of a market there is for animated films like this but as someone who appreciates good artwork and computer animation, I enjoyed it. Yeah, the story is only so-so but the characters keep your attention - both good and bad guys, and it is deceptively involving.

The "good guys" in here are burlap-looking sewn puppets. Why they are who they are is explained near the end of the movie. The "bad guys" are the machines. Yes, this is familiar "Terminator" country, theme-wise, but the machines in this movie are brutal and scary. This movie is definitely not for little kids!

If you keep your expectations in the "fair" range, and watch it on Blu-Ray, you should enjoy it. As mentioned, the story draws you in. On the other hand, if you are looking for something fantastic, you might be disappointed.

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.

I was quite taken with '9', a movie I saw without reading the reviews here (which is not the usual sequence of things for me). I'm glad I didn't read the reviews this time, though, because too many of them seemed to me to be off point.

This is quite a didactic film with a decided moral and spiritual flavor from the opening scene to the beautifully crafted ending. It uses archetypes and plot lines that are more or less predictable and common. But it combines those elements with -- as most of the reviewers here have agreed -- wonderful visuals to create a sweeping story that is at least wonderful and borders on the magnificent. I was enchanted with the rag-doll characters from very early on and frankly don't get it when reviewers here say they couldn't identify with these touchingly and endearingly humanoid creatures. So much more empathetic than, say, Wall-E, of which it is only vaguely reminiscent.

The spiritual message in this movie is deeply interwoven and -- perhaps because it resonates with my own spiritual path -- I found it quite well done and sufficiently subtle that remarks to the contrary here seemed to me to derive more from disagreement with the spiritual philosophy than with its presence as a major component of the story.

I highly recommend this movie. It is entertaining and enlightening. The only thing that kept it from earning a very-hard-to-garner 10 from me was the overuse of violence in the late-middle portion when the denouement should be closer to the surface.

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.

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.