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This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

When you have Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov as producers, you know you're in for a treat! This is no exception. Stunning animation and cute characters highlight this sci-fi action adventure. The film appeals to a more mature demographic, though, although animated, as younger kids might not always understand or follow the plot. As with most animated films, this is best viewed on Blu Ray.

In 2009, animator Shane Acker released a feature film adaptation of his UCLA student film, 9, co-produced by Tim Burton and released under Focus Features. What looked like a generally dark and mature animated feature ended up getting swept under the radar due to mixed reviews and an underwhelming box office performance. Upon watching it for the first time almost ten years after it was first released, I can definitely say it was a unique attempt at tackling mature themes in an animated feature....if only the film were much more than what it ended up as.In terms of praises, the visuals really help recreate the post-apocalyptic world the film is set in. Everything looks tragically grim, and the muted color scheme adds a lot of depth and subtle details to how the world ended up. What's also neat is the way the animators worked with the main characters, considering that they're rag dolls and their designs and movements feel accurate to how any given doll would be displayed if real. The effects animation is also well crafted, mainly given how mysterious it looks and by how even smoke can be a deadly toxin to anything in the world. Sometimes the animation does look a little mediocrely rendered, but the overall spectacle more than ever makes up for it.As for the story, it centers around these remaining rag dolls in a post apocalyptic world caused by a war between man and machine. All these dolls have numbers stitched on them that were done by their creator, including the main protagonist 9. Upon encountering one of the others named 2, 9 discovers a disk hidden in him containing three unique symbols on the front, which may be the last hope for humanity to survive. While the exposition of how the world got to the way it was is perfectly set up, the actual story is rather straight forward. It's a simple tale of good versus evil of the rag dolls trying to fight back against the machine that ruined everything, and it's not hard to figure out what's going to happen. Granted, the film does contain some pretty tense action sequences and thought provoking ideologies here and there, but the overall plot comes off as rather weak.Adding in to that, the characters could have been some of the greatest characters in any given animated feature, but they come off two dimensional at best. 9 is the bighearted and intelligent albeit curious one who seeks the truth in the history of his creation, 1 is the cowardly arrogant self-appointed leader who demands loyalty from all, 5 is the caring "common man" who always tries to play the peacemaker, 7 is the rebellious risk taking fighter, 6 is the artistic one who sees things the others don't, 8 is the brawn nitwit, and 3 and 4 are the twins who detail history from their eyes. While they have their own distinct characteristics, they just aren't given enough development throughout the course of the film. If anything, the villainous machine known as B.R.A.I.N. is more developed given its backstory and the horrible tragedies that became of it which led it to nearly destroy the whole world. While the characters aren't by any means unlikable, they just aren't interesting enough to stick out beyond their basic traits.That being said, the voice-acting is quite decent. While famous actors voicing animated characters has become a polarizing trope in animation, each voice actor gives each of their characters distinct voices and personalities to the point where you forget that they're even voiced by the likes of Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover and Martin Landau. My personal favorite would have to be Reilly as 5, as he actually elevates the character's bighearted persona better than the two dimensional story does. Plus, how can one not love listening to Fred Tatasciore voicing anybody, whether it's only vocal effects or actual dialogue?Overall, while I admire 9 for trying to take a risk with haunting and thought provoking themes such as machinery ruining mankind and rag dolls coming to life and trying to find their origins, it could have used a little more depth and substance to make itself into a great feature. Sure the concept is all there, it is well animated, and the voice talent is spot on, but the underwhelming characters and somewhat routine plot keep the film from rising above being simply ok. I'd say if you're really interested, check this one out. You might not get much out of it, but it will offer some creepy subtext and a potentially horrific world for any given media. It may not have gotten a 9/10 (see what I did there), but it's still impressive to see its director make the leap from short film to feature film nonetheless.

Dystopia is a ricocheting friend. Should be. Or refute and plug that head up the clouds. Nonetheless, it is a curve that continues to confront daily. On the keenest of days, nature unwraps humanity's caution. Total prosperity does occur but not guaranteed. Though natural disruption is not a huge cause for worry—basic human instincts rouse the need for concern as privileges of power to the inwardly unstable are catastrophic.With the glimpse 9 offers on a such and interweaving situations, the human contend takes hold. Based on a warring period Germany, when they had superior technology, it is a contact upon animated alternate history. A transcendental scientist succeeds at making a mechanical brain with human-like capabilities—until military interference. Once seized, the mechanoid is inflected with world control and domination —a setting from which it is almost impossible detracting it from.World of havoc, war, metal, and discord—all organic life has been wiped off. It is built on a Steampunk, Futurepunk directory; this post apocalyptic world—with the old world still technologically upending— is a shot into an unyielding unfolding future with the punks following a devoid direction.Opening up to statutes in their perfect sculpt, The Mad Mane Machine retraces Wells' the time traveler arising to the same in a distant future. Much with its Star Trek allusions as Seven of Nine gets a centre-stage presence—saving a sinking ship. Another moment of Wellsian descent yields itself in the hall of retrieval and archiving, from the time traveler's escapades. Dusty, decrepit, and devoid of life—a towering structure of decaying records. Collective hands are involved in the tid-bit gathering needed to destroy the enemy gladiatorial force.From the recollected manuscripts the scientist gave his life for— much to foresee mechanical defeat—the same electric eye mechanism that gobbles and destroys is the same that takes part in disintegrating the hub of the bug hive-mind.9 is akin to degraded Steampunk with alternative Cyberpunk sheddings —or primitive Cyberpunk in its best description. Arising technology that fails to boom once the ultimate breakthrough culminates to unmitigated corruption. It purges a lot as a disaster film—once salvaged to savagery the survivors have zero option to figure out to turn the best of their fate. Spiritual aspects of transcendentalism leave an un-rooted gap on the plane of escapism but given the rushed connections to keep the story linked and running it should pass as a ground to ignore

9 was overall a very entertaining movie, sadly though it wasn't that good.The main thing that held this movie down was it's story, it's about a rag doll called 9 who awakens in a house and goes to explores a mostly live-less post-apocalyptic world. But don't led has name fool you because he's the one, and he's is destined to save the world. In his journey he meets some other rag dolls, he meets a big terrifying monster and he discovers what happened to the world. Just like 9 being the one the story about the apocalypse is also very cliché: humans make robots and robots go rogue and kill the humans.Another big thing that irritated me about this movie was it's pacing, the first and last part of this movie was were in my opinion a bit to short and could've been fleshed out some more.The characters in this movie were also a bit cliché(to name a few: the one, the love-interest, the muscle, the best friend) but they were enjoyable to watch and all served their purpose.This film also doesn't really know who it's target audience is, it's probably to scary for children but it's to simplistic for adults.Overall I would give this movie a 6,3 because of it was very cliché, had some pacing issues but the characters and setting were interesting enough to keep me entertained.