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Thursday 17th September 2009, 15:17
9: review from a listener, cos we ain't seen it yet...
9, reviewed by Jedd...
In 2005, Shane Acker made an 11-minute animated film for his university thesis at UCLA. This film, called 9, took four-and-a-half years, on and off, to animate and went on to win several awards. Arguably its greatest achievement was impressing Tim Burton, who, along with Wanted director Timur Berkmambetov, went on to adapt it into this feature film. Something that made these two well-known filmmakers want to see more surely has the makings of something special.
9 takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, in which humans have lost a war with machines that have turned against them. A scientist (Alan Oppenheimer) imbues his spirit into nine “stitchpunks”, burlap rag dolls, who must fight for survival in this hostile, bleak environment populated with ferocious machines.
The nine consist of 1 (Plummer), the authoritarian self-proclaimed leader, 2 (Martin Landau), a kind inventor, curious but shy twins 3 and 4, engineer and mechanic journeyman 5 (John C Reilly), prophetic artist 6 (Crispin Glover), she-warrior 7 (Connelly), 1’s brutish bodyguard 8 (Fred Tatasciore) and the film’s protagonist, the earnest but naïve 9 (Wood).
9 accidentally activates the fearsome Fabrication Machine, which is able to create dastardly creatures such as the pterosaur-like Winged Beast and The Seamstress, reminiscent of a snake. Worst of all, the Fabrication Machine sucks the life force out of the stitchpunks for its own sustenance. 9 and his motley crew of comrades must battle the Fabrication Machine and save themselves-the only things left of humanity.
9 is a visionary, inventive and creative piece of work, a complex, dark and layered visual feast with a computer-animated exterior that belies some depth and maturity, much more than a run-of-the-mill kid-pleaser cartoon anyway. It’s a very human story, despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that there’s nary a human in sight.
Despite its numerical name, 9 is anything but by-the-numbers. Despite utilizing the familiar plot device of a post-apocalyptic world overrun by machines, the idea is presented in a visually-arresting fashion. A truly immersive environment has been created for the film, and one can’t help but feel drawn into it. The animation is also very fluid, and each of the 9 stitchpunks has a distinct personality visible in their body language.
9 also sets itself apart from the herd with its intense and menacing tone. While perhaps more accessible than quirkier and equally-dark animated fare such as Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, this is not a film recommended for very young audiences. This quality makes it a good contrast to Disney/Pixar’s Up, far brighter and cheerier and an excellent film as well, though in different ways. 9 offers several good scares and some high-octane action sequences to be had, and the bleakness is milked for all it’s worth.
While the strongest point of 9 is undoubtedly its captivating visuals, there is plenty of aural spectacle as well. The details in the sound design are breathtaking, and the musical score by oft-Burton collaborator Danny Elfman and Deborah Lurie is evocative and suits each scene well.
However, the voice acting seems a little disconnected, and since so much emphasis is placed on the look of the film there ends up being little the voice actors can contribute, regardless of their talent. Christopher Plummer however stands out, fairly effectively conveying the quick-tempered, irritable and domineering nature of 1 through his voice acting.
Unfortunately, 9 seems to possess plenty of unmined potential, with philosophical, political and even spiritual issues hinted at but not fully addressed. It seems director Acker has only scratched the surface with his brilliant material and, this being his first feature film, has yet to bring his A-game to the fore. 9 is great as it is, but with more room for characterization, subtext and other storytelling elements, it could have been excellent. The film is also let down by a slightly plodding plot, even though it clocks in at a mere 79 minutes.
Even so, 9 emerges as a profound and superbly-crafted animated masterpiece that keeps its promise of being different from so many other animated films aimed squarely at children and possessing little substance. This one looks like a strong contender for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. Look out, Up.
RATING: 4/5 STARS
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