9

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 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.

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.

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.

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.