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Movies / In Cinemas / 9
9

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9 (2009)

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Reviews Counted:151

Fresh:85

Rotten:66

Average Rating:5.9/10

Consensus: Although its story is perhaps too familiar and less complex than some might wish, 9 is visually spectacular, and director Shane Acker's attention to detail succeeds in drawing viewers into the film's universe.

Rated: 12A

Runtime: 80 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:28-10-2009

Synopsis: A new era in animated storytelling begins on 9.9.09. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton (The Corpse Bride, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory) and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Nightwatch) join forces to... A new era in animated storytelling begins on 9.9.09. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton (The Corpse Bride, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory) and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Nightwatch) join forces to produce wunderkind director Shane Acker’s distinctively original and thrilling tale. 9 stars Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer and Crispin Glover and features the music of Danny Elfman.

When 9 (The Lord of the Ring’s Elijah Wood) first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world. All humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like him taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good. They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they'll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them. --© Focus Features [More]

Starring: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover

Starring: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer, Fred Tatasciore

Director: Shane Acker

Director: Shane Acker
Screenwriter: Pamela Pettler
Story: Shane Acker
Producer: Jim Lemley, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov
Composer: Deborah Lurie
Studio: Focus Features

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Reviews for 9

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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An imaginative fantasy set in a future world that appears to have come straight from a Terminator film.

Full Review Source: Daily Express | comment Comment
10/30/09
Allan Hunter
Allan Hunter
Daily Express

An interesting experiment that doesn’t quite survive the conversion from short to long format.

comment Comment
10/30/09
Chris Longridge
Chris Longridge
Heat Magazine

While you long to root for 9 and his pals, it's hard to emotionally connect with such under-developed characters.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
10/30/09
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Too violent for small children, but might be enjoyed by fans of Tim Burton, one of the film’s producers.

Full Review Source: Sunday Times (UK) | comment 2 Comments
11/06/09
Edward Porter
Edward Porter
Sunday Times (UK)

Despite using a limited palette of earth tones and cold metals, there’s a satisfying richness and depth to his CG world. Against unforgiving and ominous backdrops, the characters emerge with genuine soul.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment 1 Comment
10/30/09
Elliott Noble
Elliott Noble
Sky Movies

9 is undeniably flawed and fails to engage on an emotional level but it remains worth seeing for its striking animation.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/30/09
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Pretty exciting in its Sturm-und-Drang. And, aww, really, the little sack puppets really were the cutest poppets.

Full Review Source: Uncut Magazine [UK] | comment Comment
10/30/09
Michael Bonner
Michael Bonner
Uncut Magazine [UK]

9 is a post-apocalyptic fable notable for its visual beauty.

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
08/18/09
Mike Goodridge
Mike Goodridge
Screen International

Inventively animated with a striking attention to detail, this offbeat thriller might have trouble finding an audience, as the sweet and scary elements sit rather awkwardly alongside each other. But it's still ambitious and engaging.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
11/04/09
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Great material, credible producers, top voice talent and gorgeous visuals, stitched together to make a patchwork that’s less than the sum of its parts. Striking and ambitious, but worn at the seams.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
10/30/09
Rosie Fletcher
Rosie Fletcher
Total Film

9 is a bold and ambitious movie, a contemplative CG animation for grown-ups.

Full Review Source: Digital Spy | comment Comment
10/30/09
Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds
Digital Spy

Where it needs emotive magic, it lays on a vague and maudlin religiosity -- we’re never quite sure what Acker thinks he’s preaching. 9? I’d give it a 6.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
10/30/09
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The apocalyptic 9 offers innovative images of a broken Earth inhabited by woven warriors battling machines. But it’s more style than substance — this mechanical tale needs a human touch.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
10/30/09
Tony Horkins
Tony Horkins
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The intricate computer-generated images are breathtaking. In terms of visuals this is a nine out of ten. But it is impossible to care about dolls or the standard post-apocalyptic plot, so a lot of hard work has gone to waste.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
10/30/09
Sun Online

Beautifully designed but boringly told.

Full Review Source: Scotsman | comment Comment
10/30/09
Alistair Harkness
Alistair Harkness
Scotsman

Pamela Pettler's screenplay sucks out the very soul of Acker's original creations, leaving little behind but a ghost-like shell, pretty to look at, but free from any substance

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
10/26/09
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A cumbersome and trite "dangerous rise of technology" story that fails to engage.

Full Review Source: Sunday Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
10/30/09
Mark Adams
Mark Adams
Sunday Mirror [UK]

The story drifts towards the mawkish without answering any of the big questions it tentatively raises.

Full Review Source: Little White Lies | comment Comment
10/30/09
Matt Bochenski
Matt Bochenski
Little White Lies

It allegedly lasts 79 minutes. I think it lasted 79 hours, or 79 years, or perhaps 79 times the space of time between the extinction of allosaurus and the rise of Cro-Magnon.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/30/09
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A combination of the cute and the cataclysmic, the film has its moments but becomes increasingly frantic and morally self-important.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
11/06/09
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for 9

November 29, 2009: Win Tickets To The Tim Burton-produced 9
Win one of 20 double passes to '9' the debut feature animation for director Shane Acker -- produced by Tim Burton. More...

September 10, 2009: Critics Consensus: 9 Looks Great, But The Plot's Weak
This week at the movies, we've got post-apocalyptic conflict (9, with voice work by Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly); Antarctic intrigue (Whiteout, starring Kate Beckinsale... More...

September 08, 2009: Shane Acker and Elijah Wood Interviews at Comic-Con Opens in new window
More...

September 04, 2009: 9 has an impressive pedigree behind it in the guise of producers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Nightwatch) and the trailer looks intriguing enough despite the cutesy sackcloth characters. Opens in new window
More...

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