Ten Stars or Less

For this month’s next review for Genre Grandeur – Animated Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Non-Disney/PIXAR) Movies, here’s a review of 9 (2009).

Thanks again to S.G. Liput of Rhyme and Reason for choosing this month’s genre.

Next month’s Genre has been chosen by Kim of Tranquil Dreams. We will be reviewing our favorite teenage/high school romance movies. Please get me your submissions by 25th June by sending them to teens@movierob.net Try to think out of the box! Great choice Kim!

release date: 9 September 2009 (Canada) 

run time: 79 mins
rated: PG
considered: Animation, Action, Adventure
director: Shane Acker
starring: Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover, Jennifer Connelly, Fred Tatasciore, Elijah Wood, Alan Oppenheimer, Tom Kane, Helen Wilson

movie summary: A rag doll that awakens in a postapocalyptic future holds the key to humanity’s salvation. (www.imdb.com)

my thoughts: I’ve owned the movie 9 since Christmas 2010. I bought it out of the bargain bin at Best Buy because I did not see it in the theatres but caught it some months after. The ending of the movie is by far the best part and almost brought me to tears the first time I watched it. In the last five years I’ve probably watched this movie three or four times and I’ve been meaning to donate this movie to the used book store because I have no reason to own it anymore. 

When MovieRob was looking for selections for this month’s Genre Grandeur, Animated Sci-Fi/Fantasy (non-Disney/Pixar) movies, I thought that 9 would be a great selection. I dug it out of the back of the bookshelf and forced myself to watch it the other night. Seriously after the first 30 minutes I couldn’t take it anymore and started to do things around the house while the movie played in the background. I’m sorry to say this movie does not entertain me anymore.

I wouldn’t call 9 a kids movie because it is really creepy, scary, and not meant for a young audience even though it is an animated movie. These rag dolls may be cute and cuddly on the outside, but each one in the surviving group have their strengths and weaknesses. Despite surviving the apocalypse, these doll’s creator made them and passed his personality traits upon each individual doll with the hopes they come together to save what’s left of the world. Like in any society without rules, someone feels the need to be the “leader” and take control of the situation, along with some shy ones, smart ones, daring ones, creative ones, and the one who can potentially save the world.

The movie is filled with sewn together dolls and mechanical bots who battle head to head across the piles of destroyed earth. The animation is actually fantastic, which is the only reason to watch this film. Although the story is pretty straight forward, there’s so many dolls and bots that it’s really hard for everyone to come together to work for the common goal of surviving.

Tim Burton may be involved in the film as a producer, but I have never been a huge fan of his work. I can count only a handful of his movies, that are held in such high regard, that I actually enjoy. I’m sorry to say after watching 9 again the other day that I will definitely trade this movie in, it deserves a better home where someone may appreciate it more than I do.

my final thoughts: I’m currently torn on how to rate this movie since I recently rated Pitch Perfect 2 with a 4/10, and I actually laughed  through out that one. 9 is a unique movie that will praised by a certain kind of audience, while others like myself may shake our head in disapproval. The animation and actors/actresses are the only thing that save this movie from being a complete disaster, kinda like the world 9 wakes up to on one dark day. 

my star rating: 5 out 10

imdb: 7.1 out 10 
metascore: 60/100
rottentomatoes: 56% out 100%
roger ebert: 3 out 4
richard crouse: n/a