9 Review

3 weeks ago 29th Oct 10:26

Cast: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover
Dir: Shane Acker
Rating: 4/5

2009 really has been the year for animation movies with some outstanding films that have really pushed this genre forward. And it doesn't stop there as Timur Bekmambetov, Tim Burton and the film's director Shane Acker team up for 9.

When 9 (Wood) first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world. All humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction.

Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good. They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place.

As they'll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them.

Alright so this idea of man turning against machine and machine ruling the world may not necessarily be a new one but put that aside and 9 is a great film that, visually, is truly wonderful.

9 is a piece of art the entire look of the movie is incredible, and it doesn't need all this 3D malarkey, not that I'm saying that it's a bad thing, to capture the imagination of it's audience and draw them in.

But the movie is vivid and full of detail that this post-apocalyptic wasteland is really beautiful, 9 is a real treat for the eyes.

In recent year cinema's biggest stars have been queuing around the block to lend their voices to animated characters and 9 is no different as Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer and Jennifer Connelly all bring these characters to life.

Shane Acker has a long and prosperous career ahead of him, this being his feature length debut, but he managed to catch the attention of Tim Burton, who is one of the industry's best story tellers, and you can see his influence in some of the darker parts of the movie.

The story is one of survival and hope how these 9 creations band together in a time of desperation and fight against the evil.

Ok it is a bit of a stretch an hour and a half but Acker's strange little creations are really endearing that you can't help but root for them.

9 is a flawed gem and while the characterisation of the nine is great and there's plenty of action it's really the visual element of the film that will hold your attention which is a shame.

9 is out now.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw