9
by Shane Acker
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Actor: Christopher Plummer, Crispin Glover, Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Martin LandauDirector: Shane Acker
Brand: NBC Universal
Writer: Shane Acker
Producer: Dana Ginsburg
Producer: David J. Steinberg
Producer: Graham Moloy
Producer: Jim Lemley
Producer: Jinko Gotoh
Producer: Marci Levine
Producer: Mary Clayton
Writer: Pamela Pettler
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 80 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-12-29
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Reviews of 9
DVD Review: Tightly stitched, but lacks sufficient filling
Summary: 4 Stars
Essentially a feature-length expansion of the impressive short film that director Shane Acker created as a student project at UCLA, this CG cartoon is considerably better than its mild stateside reception might suggest. What it lacks in story and character development, "9" compensates for with an ingenious production design, extraordinary graphics and an endearing sincerity.
Set in a war-ravaged landscape devoid of organic life and inhabited by nine sentient, action figure-sized rag doll homunculi, the lightweight story begins when the titular last among their group awakens to life. Through adventure and accident, a massive automaton designed to build and organize the operations of war machines is reactivated and immediately prepares to fulfill its sole function: to exterminate the only other intelligent life forms known to it. Attempts to combat this military construct are complicated by hierarchical in-fighting and a revelation concerning the difficult relation between these survivors and their adversary.
Murky, junk-strewn and brimming with detail, the post-apocalyptic terrain is a suitably perilous backdrop for quite a few elaborate character designs. Each homunculus appears constructed of different metals and fabrics, and their devised tools and patchwork self-repairs indicate the nature of both their intelligence and hardships. Even more impressive than these are the piecemeal antagonists built to pursue them, each comprised of commonplace items, animal remains and scraps of fabrics and metals. This attention to detail is only enhanced by the extraordinarily naturalistic body language and motion with which each character is imbued.
Ably voiced by a well-cast selection of popular actors, all of the roles were assigned to performers perfectly suited to them. Christopher Plummer and John C. Reilly are particular standouts, Elijah Wood is appropriate in the well-intentioned but none-too-bright lead, Crispin Glover is afforded far too little time as the manic artist of the group and Martin Landau and Jennifer Connelly provide backbone as the two most reliable personalities. Luminary cartoon vocalist Alan Oppenheimer provides the voice of the group's fatherly roboticist creator - clearly an ironic casting decision, as he's a cousin of famed theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Even though its exceptional visuals have been uniformly praised, it's not difficult to understand why "9" failed to attract more than passing notice during its numerous test screenings and brief theatrical run. The film's tone is almost invariably dismal, major protagonists are killed off repeatedly and the story's gloomy conclusion isn't terribly satisfying. A hopelessly inept advertising campaign didn't help matters, but blame for this film's failure to attract a wider audience rests squarely on the shoulders of that very audience. Most Americans don't know what they want unless it's stupid and simple. I've read one complaint after another of this film's eighty-minute brevity as though the running time is a flaw in and of itself, but if its ample action had been interspersed with more exposition and deliberation, it's certain that the popular complaint for it would be that it's boring.
If "9" is deficient in any way, it's because its intriguing world and the fascinating inhabitants therein are too often terrorized, and barely examined. As a result, each of these little survivors are well-defined but lack any significant depth. Both the concept and its execution are full of invention and heart, and for this it warrants a viewing, but its narrative is underdeveloped and likely to leave most wanting.
Description of 9
From visionary filmmakers Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and Academy AwardŽ-nominated director Shane Acker comes this visually stunning and original epic adventure. In the final days of humanity, a dedicated scientist gives the spark of life to nine of his creations. The world has turned into an unrecognizable landscape of machines and spare parts, but this group of nine finds that if they band together, their small community might just be able to change the course of history. Featuring the voice talents of Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly and Crispin Glover, it?s a thrilling, suspenseful story critics call ?Spellbinding!? (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times)Bestsellers in DVD
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