9

9, released on 9/9/2009 is Computer Graphic Illustrated film, released by Focus (who also released Coraline) and Universal (which this is the only adult animated film released by Universal to date. The film, is inspired by the art style of Tim Burton, who also was a producer for the film, but was directed by Shane Acker. 9 has a star studded cast featuring Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Riley, Crispin Glover, Christopher Plummer, and others. The story is a post apocalyptic tale about these rag dolls, whose names are only numbers, and they represent the different aspects of "the Scientists" personality. The Scientist is a scientist who created the machines, that man would use to destroy the world and life on the planet. All that is left of life are these rag dolls and the remnants of the machines.

Now saying that 9 is similar in look to Tim Burton, extends to the music as well, including a soundtrack created by Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo fame) who also creates most of the music used in nearly every Tim Burton Film. The film started as a student short film project by Shane Acker, which he made and created by himself. His short was nominated for an academy award, and created a strong interest in seeing the full story developed and created. Tim Burton stepped in to support and help create a feature length film, because he believed in Acker's vision. Acker like Burton has created a beautiful dark world, that is heavy on setting to create the mood of the film. The feature film, expands on the short, but doesn't seek to create a longer version of the short, but to expand upon the mythology that is hinted at.

The film only had moderate success, and critically had mixed reviews. Many criticize the film on focusing primarily on style and aesthetic, and lacking in story telling and substance. My thoughts are though that the film actually has a great story that it is telling, and much of that story is told through visuals. I love post apocalyptic films and stories, and I feel that this film succeeds in creating that feel and mood. The film has a nice pacing, and keeps the story moving forward. There is a lot of emotion in the film, and the characters play their roles wonderfully. I honestly feel that this film is really well directed both visually, as well as character acting. This is a great example of CGI working exceedingly well. This film came out in 2009 and in my opinion 11 years on looks as beautiful and captivating as when it was created.

Would I recommend this film? Yes, absolutely. This is a film that I feel that many people sadly overlook, but it is honestly a great film. I feel like this is a film that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Children are going to really enjoy the stylistic look of the film, playing on their dark imagination. Adults though can really get into the depth of the story telling, and the emotion of the film. I really do like this film a lot and I honestly think it really is a must see film, and a great cautionary tale about human's tendency to create machines to more efficiently destroy life and the earth. If you watched this film in the past but just kind of forgot about it or brushed it aside, I recommend giving it another viewing, and think more about the story, if you have never seen this film, I highly recommend checking it out.