Clare Shepherd reviews 9 (12A) (From Stroud News and Journal)

Clare Shepherd reviews 9 (12A)

12:50pm Tuesday 10th November 2009

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9 (12A) IN 2005 a short computer animated fantasy of 11 minutes called 9 was released and went on to get a 2006 Oscar nomination for its student inventor Shane Acker. The film so impressed director Tim Burton that he backed Acker, enabling him to bring this full-length animated feature based on that short story to the big screen. In a post-apocalyptic world living in a parallel universe 9 (voiced by Elijah Wood) gains consciousness finding his inventor dead at his feet, and totters out of the dilapidated room into a bombed out city. 9 is a rag doll with a difference; he is inquisitive with leadership qualities. There are a few bodies lying about the place, but no humans have survived the disaster. Soon 9 runs into 2 (voiced by Martin Landau), another doll just like himself, but before he knows it his new friend 2 is whisked away by a large metal predator. Luckily for 9 he is found by gentle 5 (voiced by John Riley), and taken to the hiding place of a motley crew of rag dolls in the form of 6 (voiced by Crispin Glover) a thoroughly unstable character, 7 (voiced by Jennifer Connelly) who despite being the only girl is well able to look after herself and the rest of the them, boorish 8 (voiced by Fred Tatasciore), 1 (voiced by Christopher Plummer) who is their bad-tempered leader, and 3 and 4 the silent twins. 9 is in a state of guilt over 2’s abduction and is determined to find him, so against 1’s wishes he and 5 set out to search for him. But 9’s good intentions put them all in danger, as a red eyed beast is set to annihilate them, leaving the planet devoid of any form of emotional souls.

This is totally entrancing to look at, but fails in its story telling. Like Pitch Black (2000) the film is extremely dark, but that doesn’t seem out of place, as it is quite easy to distinguish all the many malevolent creatures. At first the fact that the dolls have only one or two character traits is intriguing, but after 80 minutes it does wear a little thin – one longs for a little more input from them. It is also a little difficult to know who it will appeal to as it is too violent for children and hasn’t quite enough substance for adults. That said this is such a visual treat it is worth seeing on the big screen – just don’t expect too much eloquence because you won’t get it. Clare Shepherd 5/10

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