9

2009 • 80 minutes

About this movie

From visionary filmmakers Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and Academy Award-nominated director Shane Acker comes this visually stunning and original epic adventure. In the final days of humanity, a dedicated scientist gives the spark of life to nine of his creations. The world has turned into an unrecognizable landscape of machines and spare parts, but this group of nine finds that if they band together, their small community might just be able to change the course of history. Featuring the voice talents of Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly and Crispin Glover, it's a thrilling, suspenseful story critics call "richly imaginative." (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone)

Ratings and reviews

With all of the reviews I've read the main complaint seems to be story flow and dialogue. Don't get hooked on those reviews as they are written by a generation over-attached to instant gratification cinema. The voice acting and story flow is literally perfect for a bunch of handmade creatures possessing a semblance of a soul without the evil inherent to being a human. Innocent and alone these little dolls slowly become more like the soul that was given to them at the end of humanity. For Good AND Evil each number ultimately makes a choice that reflects the hopes, dreams, fears and devastation of their masters own heart. This movie is too beautiful to react with human emotion at all. You have to watch it a second time before the awe wears off.

(A few spoilers for parents' sake). It was definitely interesting. Kind of scary in parts (let's just say I wouldn't let any kid younger than 12 watch it). I think it was certainly thought provoking, maybe even slightly controversial about the idea of "Dark Science" and the micro-organisms in the end that hint at some form of evolution. It has some dark themes, but if you get past them it's a cool story and it features the concept of a loving Creator in the character of the Scientist. Although, the movie can seem slow in parts, but I think we can chuck that up to the "artsy independent film" feel that the whole thing has.

From the first time I saw this movie, heard this story, I was lost to its dark past and hopeful future. The characters are real, with personalities and depth that lets you become attached to them. I took 9 and all of his brothers to my heart in the telling of this strange and compelling and heartening tale of friendship, loyalty and love.