9: Movie Review
9
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Elijah Wood, John C Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Martin
Landau, Christopher Plummer
Director: Shane Acker
In a post apocalyptic world, it appears that it's the puppets who will save
us.
In the latest computer animation to hit the big screen, 9 tells the story of
the world after the machines attacked the humans. In a devastated land, a sack
puppet with the number 9 wakes up and suddenly discovers that he is not
alone.
After being attacked by a beast, and reunited with others of his type (all
numbered from 1 onwards), 9 begins to realize that he holds the key to getting
answers about what happened - and how they can live on.
9 is an odd piece of film - meshing Terminator style end of the world horrors
with the kind of Sackboy characters of the PS game Little Big Planet, it
certainly looks different and has been described as stitchpunk characters at the
end of the world.
The dystopian world in which everyone is a number certainly brings memories
flooding back of The Prisoner - and certainly with the secrets kept by the likes
of Number 1, there's many a parallel.
However, it's there that this ends - because 9 is visually engaging - full of
deep browns, greens and bright reds, it's hard not to fall for the burlap dolls
as they try to work out what's happened.
That's not to say they're a cute bunch - in fact, it's anything but as many
scenes will leave younger ones absolutely petrified.
Part of the problem with 9 is the story - while it's a nice idea, it soon
becomes a little too stuck in its own groove. Characters are abducted time and
time again and it gets a bit repetitive.
The performances are all perfectly fine - Elijah Wood has the right amount of
mirth to be our eyes in this world; John C Reilly provides enough humour and
pathos as 2 and Jennifer Connelly is on feisty form as 7, a fighter who left the
pack to try and save the world.
Overall, 9 is a little disappointing - with some genuinely scary moments and
some brilliant visual touches (some of the creatures are wonderfully inventive
and a newsreel scene evokes powerful touches of War of the Worlds), I just came
away wanting to have been a bit more engaged by the storyline.
However, thanks to a slightly odd ending and turn of events, 9 will haunt you
as you try to work out exactly what message Shane Acker wanted to get
across.
At Darren's World of Entertainment - a movie, DVD and game review blog. The latest movie and DVD reviews - plus game reviews as well. And cool stuff thrown in when I see it.
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