9 (2009) Review

 9 (2009) 7.5/10

“We had such potential... such promise. But we squandered our gifts, our intelligence. Our blind pursuit of technology only sped us quicker to our doom. Our world is ending. But life... must go on.”

Hello and welcome to another movie review. Today, let’s take a look at a movie that helped define the style of 2000’s 3D animation. A movie that isn’t made under Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, Sony, or any other major western animation studio. 9 was originally a short film made by Shane Acker for a college project. He then took the film, got a bigger budget, and here we are. 9 was released theatrically on September 9, 2009, with Shane Acker writing and directing the movie. Also apparently Tim Burton helped produce the film, adding to its charm. Upon the film’s release, it received mixed reviews, but over the years people have warmed up to it, making it a cult classic of the late 2000’s

If you have never heard of this movie, I don’t blame you. In 2009, this movie was hyped up strictly because of 09/09/2009 and I feel like many people only remember the existence of this movie because of that, but nothing about it specifically. I want you to imagine a mixture between Fullmetal Alchemist, Horizon Zero Dawn, Killzone, Chibi-Robo, Oddworld, and Jamie Hewlett’s art style (artist for the Gorillaz), and the end result is one of the most unique films I have ever seen. The first time I watched this, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I joined in on the whole “it’s a hidden gem that didn’t get the proper love it deserved” crowd. Although I still feel this way about the movie, I don’t feel it as strongly. Let’s begin.

This is the story of a small ragdoll brought to life via unknown reasons. His name is 9 (as painted on his back) and as he gets his footing into the world, he discovers that it has been ravaged. A desolate wasteland as far as the eye can see, destroyed through the fruitless consequences of war. He soon discovers that there are others like him, walking 1 foot tall dolls who are also trying to understand their surroundings. As 9 comes to understand what happened to the world, he’ll be met by a machine that’s on a mission, and another doll, 1, who tries to keep the others in line through fear and manipulation. This is the story of righting a wrong through courageous actions, wanting to make the most of a new life, and survival in a post-apocalyptic world.

I don’t want to give away any details since I didn’t put a spoiler warning. What we are greeted with is a movie extraordinarily unique that it’s hard to compare it to other stories. Although our cast of characters aren’t all that interesting, it’s the story they tell and how their world came to be that makes this so interesting. Every character falls into a stereotypical trope, making the movie feel predictable at certain spots. Even after watching the movie again, I had forgotten certain plot developments, making me question how things will play out. I would say my favorite characters are 9, 7 (the female fighter), and 5 (the one-eyed ragdoll).

One of my favorite aspects about the movie is its art direction. This movie looks amazing from the underground dusty punk style that was going on at the time. All the ragdolls look great, the scenery and backdrops look breathtaking, and even all of the machines are all spooky. That snake thing actually startled me the first time I watched this. The movie looks amazing and is easily the film’s strongest aspect.

Music and sound design are all fine. Honestly nothing really noteworthy other than “Over the Rainbow” playing near the end of the film. Voice acting on the other hand is really solid. Best performances go to Elijah Wood (9), John C Reilly (5), Jennifer Connelly (7), Christopher Plummer (1), and Martin Landau (2).

9 is a good, if not great movie. Unfortunately, I do feel like the movie needed a bit more time in the oven to make it an even more compelling flick. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if the movie was rushed so that it could release on the coveted 9/9/09 date. Regardless, the movie is worth checking out and I wouldn’t mind adding this to my personal collection. Until my next review, remember to appreciate the life you are given, as you are only given one. Love you all and I’ll see you next time.

Thanks for reading.

This is Zorgak, signing off.