Universal // 2009 // 80 Minutes // Rated PG-13
Reviewed by Appellate Judge Mac McEntire // December 21st, 2009
"Our world is ending, but life must go on."
August and September of 2009 saw the theatrical releases of two films that, although unusual, were similar in interesting ways. They both got their starts as short films made independently by unknown filmmakers. These shorts gained notice as online viral videos. Then, some famous Hollywood bigwigs got involved, helping the unknown filmmakers turn their shorts into huge -- yet unconventional -- blockbusters. Also, both films have the same number in their title. The first was Neil Blomkamp's action-packed sci-fi metaphor District 9. The second, the subject of this review, is Shane Acker's animated apocalypse, simply called 9.
The story begins in a damaged workshop, where a ragdoll with internal electronic components somehow springs to life. The doll, with a number 9 painted on his back, explores his settings, full of destroyed buildings and a browned-out sky. He encounters others like him, numbered 1-8, who are in hiding from a mechanical beast hunting them. A talisman, which 9 has on him, could be the key to discovering who they are and what's happened, or, if in the hands of the beast, could mean their deaths.
Nine aspects of 9:
1: The spirit of invention
The word "steampunk" is in
serious danger of becoming grossly overused, as many have used it to describe
9. In terms of story, 9 is more like "electrician-punk."
(Look at me try to create a catchphrase!) I believe the steampunk descriptor
applies to how the characters, both hero and villain, are constantly tinkering,
building devices and contraptions out of whatever happens to be strewn around.
All the machines and doohickeys in the movie have that bronzed,
clunky-yet-functional look that steampunk enthusiasts enjoy.
2: Visual storytelling
One of the most refreshing things about
9 is how much of the story is told through the visuals. Scenes with
dialogue exposition are few and brief, with the most of the backstory, setting
and character motivation told visually. We get the tale of how 9's world
got so messed up through the eyes of 9 and the others as they go exploring. A
torn poster here, a destroyed statue there, and we the viewers get a sense of
what's happening. It's immersion storytelling, in that we are dropped right into
the middle of the story with little context, and figure things out along the
way, as opposed to having the entire plot spoonfed at us at once. It's a risky
move, but in this case it works, as viewers explore this unfamiliar terrain
along with the characters.
3: Hope versus science
During the film, 9 and 1 are often at
odds with one another. As the group's leader, 1 believes in survival over all
else, even if that means locking themselves away inside their sanctuary and
never venturing outside. The other side of the argument, represented by 9, is
that the outside world contains the answers they need to put an end to the
danger. 9 is all about curiosity, wanting to explore and tinker. This gets him
and the others in trouble early on, but it's also something that needs to happen
in order to relieve the fears they all live with. 9's argument is one of faith,
as he always jumps into the unknown, knowing in his heart (or whatever his
equivalent is) that it's the right thing to do, despite the potential
danger.
4: Distinct characters
None of the above would work if it
weren't for the characters being as distinct as they are. With their big eyes,
pear-shaped bodies, and floppy cloud feet, the main cast has a classical
cartoony look, but it doesn't take long before you get a sense of who each one
is. First, each of the nine main characters has a few visual distinctions, so
you never lose track of who is who. Some have different colors, and some have
other ticks, such as patches, stitches, or improvised pieces of clothing. The
result is that each one is his or her own character, while still clearly the
same type of creature, created from the same source. The voice acting helps as
well, with Elijah Wood (Sin City), Jennifer Connolly (The
Rocketeer), Martin Landau (Ed Wood), and Christopher Plummer
(Up) and Crispin Glover (Back to the Future) among the cast. Wood
is fairly recognizable at first, but, like the rest of the actors, he quickly
disappears into the character.
5: The little details
As noted above, the details are what
really make the movie stand out. The characters look remarkably textured, and
you can make out all the various stitches and knitting that make up their
"skin." Their eyes are made of little camera lenses, with their
widening and closing done in little irises. It's a cool little touch that makes
them expressive while still looking constructed by hand. This attitude extends
to the many made-on-the-fly inventions crafted by our heroes, and especially to
the backgrounds. The demolished cityscape is actually kind of beautiful, in a
dark way. There are a lot of oranges and browns in the colors, representing the
lifeless desolation all around the characters, and yet the animators really push
these colors, along with many shadows and natural-looking lighting to craft a
film that looks much more "painterly" than it is CGI.
6: Everybody loves killer robots
Among all my talk about
visuals, story, and theme, let's not forget that at the most basic level,
9 entertains. Every time one of the evil machines comes after our heroes,
it's a great action scene. There's more giant-monster-versus-hapless-survivors
action in this movie than there is in half a dozen Cloverfields. The
monster designs are varied, as are the settings of each attack, so that the
movie never feels repetitive.
7: The new breed of filmmaker
Just as Peter Jackson stepped in
to bring District 9, directors Tim Burton (Sleepy Hollow) and
Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) helped bring 9 to the screen. It's
fitting that another of the themes of 9 is the end of the old ways and
the start of a new life, because behind the scenes, there's a sense of the
so-called establishment welcoming a new voice into the fold, and letting this
first-time feature director tell the story he wants to tell. Hopefully, Acker
will continue to produce his own work in the future, and not get sucked into the
usual Hollywood morass of remakes, adaptations and sequels.
8: Audio/video
The tech specs on this DVD are stunning. The
colors and textures jump right off the screen. I especially like the escape from
the factory, during which there's a shot of the characters running for safety
while a giant red flag rises behind them, and the color and clarity of it on
screen is breathtaking. The sound also impresses. There are quite a few
stretches of movie with no dialogue, with only the action on screen moving the
story forward, and during these scenes, the sound really stands out, with a lot
of atmospheric effects coming out of all the speakers, furthering the immersive
feel.
9: Extras
The bonus content kicks off with Acker, animation
director Joe Ksander, editor Nick Kenway and "head of story" (?) Ryan
O'Loughlin. The group discusses all the work that went into the film, as well as
hints about the "bigger picture" of the story not immediately evident.
The three featurettes are highly self-congratulatory, with everyone praising
everyone else for being so great to work with, but there's some interesting
discussion about how 9 made the transition from 10-minute short to
feature film. Speaking of which, the original short is here as well, so you can
see how it all began. It too has a commentary, in which Acker and the others
talk about its creation and ideas that eventually made it into the longer
film.
When I first saw 9 in theaters, I liked it but that it went by too fast. I remember thinking, "As soon as the story got going, it ended." Revisiting the movie on this DVD, though, I didn't have the same experience. Instead, I was drawn into all the action on screen. If your initial reaction to the movie is "That was it?" then try a second viewing.
This movie is worth seeing simply because it's something new. If you're someone who gets frustrated every time an old TV show or forgotten classic gets the remake treatment, grousing about how Hollywood has run out of ideas, then give 9 a try.
Not guilty times nine.
Review content copyright © 2009 Mac McEntire; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2012 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Video: 99
Audio: 95
Extras: 90
Acting: 85
Story: 90
Judgment: 90
Perp Profile
Studio: Universal
Video Formats:
* 1.85:1 Anamorphic
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English)
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (French)
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (Spanish)
Subtitles:
* English (SDH)
* French
* Spanish
Running Time: 80 Minutes
Release Year: 2009
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13
Distinguishing Marks
* Commentary
* Deleted Scenes
* Featurettes
* Short Film
Accomplices
* IMDb
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0472033/combined
* Official Site
http://www.9themovie.com
* Theatrical Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnoJecu9e7c