Title: 9
Original Release Date: September 9, 2009
Rating: PG-13
CG Animated films have been given a reputation of sorts. They tend to be, more often than not, “kiddy” films with high-budget animation and a stockpile of pop culture references that no one will get twenty years from now. Some companies like Pixar break away from this norm, but their films are still often defined as being “for kids.” Very rarely are CG films made with anyone but younger audiences in mind, likely because the animated medium as a whole is unfortunately perceived as being “kiddy.”
“9” is one of the exceptions to this rule. It’s a dark, gritty CG film with some pretty morbid overtones. To the film’s credit, it doesn’t follow the traditional precedent set by “mature” films. There’s no swearing, no suggestive themes, and no gore. Rather, the film boasts impressive action scenes and a detailed post-apocalyptic atmosphere, giving it its status as a more “mature” film.
The film takes place on Earth after the human race has been wiped out by an army of robots. The only living things left on the planet are a group of sentient dolls stitched together by a kindly scientist. The movie stars the youngest of these dolls, named “9.” He takes refuge with the rest of the dolls, who live in hiding from the robots. This is around where the movie begins.
The movie is based on a short film that only lasted around ten minutes. This new take on the film stretches it out to over an hour, and adds several new characters. While the short film only focused on two of the dolls, the movie fully fleshes out all nine of them, giving them distinct personalities and appearances.
The film’s animation is top-notch; perhaps not at Pixar levels, but impressive all the same. The main cast is full of life, and the backgrounds look appropriately gloomy. The robots are especially well-done, with each and every cog and wire full of detail. The film’s visuals are one of its biggest drawing factors.
Of course, a movie cannot live on pretty animation alone; it’s the writing that holds it together. Thankfully, the writing in “9” is of pretty good quality. The original short film managed to tell its story through movements, with no dialogue to speak of. This new film gives the whole cast voices, and while the actors were undeniably very professional, I couldn’t help but feel that the film may have been better if the characters had remained silent. One of the most intriguing scenes in the film is at the very beginning, when 9 first wakes up, and is without a voice. The lack of dialogue gives you a chance to take in the brutal post-apocalyptic surroundings, and really adds to the creepy decrepit atmosphere. However, as soon as he finds a voice box, the movie becomes completely dialogue-based.
One of the only real complaints I have of the film is its length. The movie was only 79 minutes long, and I felt that it could have been made just a bit lengthier. While the movie’s build-up took its sweet time, its ending was somewhat abrupt. By the time the movie ended, I found myself thinking, “Wait, it’s over already?” I couldn’t help but feel that the movie’s climax could have been stretched out just a bit longer, at least bringing the film to the 90-minute mark.
Despite my complaints about dialogue and length, “9” really was an enjoyable film; just don’t see it expecting it to be a two-hour epic. I give “9” an 8 out of 10.
