Bottom-line: Machines bad. Humanity good. That's the simplistic animated fantasy "9" in a nutshell. Opening on 09-09-09 as a gimmick, the movie expands Shane Acker's 11-minute student Academy Award-winning short into a bleaker portrait of a post-apocalyptic future where his rag-doll inventions face off against mechanical monsters.
The remorseful inventor of the biggest baddest machine, Alan Oppenheimer (get it?), which has wiped out mankind, creates these raggedy little wisps as his last best hope to sew new seeds of humanity. They have numbers instead of names, blinking lenses for eyes, and are a plucky band of brothers (and sister).
Using their wits and mustering some might to survive against the evil hunks of hardware hunting them down, they trudge forward. The leader of the pack is 9, voiced by Elijah Wood. He doesn't heed to older, wiser no. 1's desire to play it safe (Christopher Plummer as the elder statesman). His supportive sidekick, no. 5, is voiced by John C. Reilly. Eccentric actor Crispin Glover voices out-there artist no. 6, Martin Landau is elderly inventor no. 2, and Fred Tatasciore is no. 8, a larger enforcer-type. Twins no. 3 and 4 don't speak.
The sole female is Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly as feisty no. 7.
Acker's certainly clever. His eight-inch 'stitchpunk' puppets are reminiscent of visionary Tim Burton's work (it's no surprise that Burton is one of the producers).
But the story's essentially one-note, so drawing it out with more hide-and-seek scenes, famous performers voicing the numbered creatures and fancier production values doesn't make it better, just longer.
Pamela Pettler, who wrote Burton's "Corpse Bride" and "Monster House," is credited with the screenplay. Its sci-fi doom-and-gloom story has shades of "Terminator," with machines rising to prominence. Cue up the loud ominous score.
The landscape is desolate, with an amber palette broken by flashes of red.
If you weren't enamored with the junkyard landscape of "Wall-E," you certainly won't embrace the dreary atmosphere here. At least Pixar provided witty comic relief. Why so serious?
Stark and self-important, "9" wants you to be drawn in by the heart and soul of the characters, but there is little emotional connection.
We don't have a definitive time or place, but you've been here before: menacing marauders threaten the good people, who must rise up to defeat the hulking metal.
"9" is too dark for young children, and not dazzling enough to energize older ones. But if you enjoy adult-theme animation, the detailed handiwork will keep your attention despite the same-old story.
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