Voices by: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly
Director: Shane Acker (first major feature)
Running Time: 1 hr 21 min
Release Date: Sept. 9, 2009
Budget: Est. $30 million
Average Critics’ Score: 56%
“…a triumph for the young director.” Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
“…dreary and monotonous…” David Edelstein, New York Magazine
Director Acker originally made this post-apocalyptic animated kids’ tale into an Oscar-nominated 11-minute short film. Too bad this blasé, bleak full-length feature feels like it’s only got 11 minutes of substance. The titular 9 (Wood) is a strange, ugly creature resembling a burlap-covered, two-legged amphibian, and he is one of the few “stitchpunk creatures” remaining on Earth after all humankind has died and evil machines are now running rampant. While the film’s message about human destruction is relevant, its moral is stronger than its delivery. The juxtaposition between “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and a desolate landscape is effective, but 9’s bogged down by a muddled plotline, unrelatable characters and over-hyped visuals.
