Reviews by Matt

The animation in movies these days is pretty amazing. Every summer Pixar releases a new movie that shows just how far they have come since Toy Story in 1995. This is not a review of a Pixar movie, or even a Dreamworks Animation Studio movie (the makers of Shrek and Kung Fu Panda). One of the keys to the success to these movies is the story. It is the combination of story and animation that make these movies what they are. Sadly “9” is has neither the animation nor the story to live up to the standards that have been set.

Based on director Shane Acker’s short film of the same name “9” is about a world here humans have been destroyed. The machines we created have wiped out the human race. Before humans met their end, a scientist (voiced by Alan Oppenhimer), created what he hoped would be the salvation of the world; 9 creations which he brought to life using bits of himself. The movie opens with 9 (voiced by Elijah Wood) coming to life and journeying out into the world. He comes upon the rest of the scientists creations and joins them. 1 (voiced by Christopher Plummer) just wants them to keep hiding from the machine the rules the world. 9 disagrees and with the help of a few of the others they go about doing their best to bring down the machine.

I do not know what I was expecting when I went to see “9.” All I do know is that I did not get what I wanted. The story is weak and leads nowhere. The machine that is hunting the sock puppets (that is the best way to describe them) and taking the spark of life out of them; to what end I could not tell you.

The animation is not even good enough to make the movie worth watching. There is only so much bleak, post-apocalyptic animation that one can stand. In the grand scheme of things it is just plain boring to watch.

5 out of 10
PG-13 for violence and scary images
79 min