Revolution "9"

Movie: 9

Rating: **1/2 out of ****

Directed by: Shane Acker

Featuring the voice talents of: Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau

Running Time: 79 minutes

Like the doll-like creations that populate 9, animator Shane Acker’s directorial debut, the film is spectacularly and imaginatively designed, but also feels incomplete and emotionally stagnant.

Expanded from Acker’s Oscar-nominated animated short, 9 is a bold and amibitious first feature.

It’s set in a dismal and decimated industrial landscape, after mankind has been demolished by hyperactive machines. The only inhabitants left in this wasteland are “stitchpunks,” tiny rag dolls with metallic hands, bodies patched up with cloth, binocular eyes and numbers emblazoned on their backs.

One of these stitchpunks, #9 (voiced by Elijah Wood), wakes up in a laboratory one dreary morning to find that it’s the end of the world as he knows it. And he doesn’t feel too fine, walking out into a dim, barren ghetto, needing to hide from the mechanical menaces who swarm the skies.

On this day, #9 meets a kind and elderly scientist stitchpunk, #2 (Martin Landau). When this new companion is attacked by a beastly machine and then carried off to a looming industrial tower in the distance, #9 sets off to rescue his friend.

However, #9’s early efforts to save #2 only awaken mechanical beasts whom are even more treacherous. And thus, he teams up with a troupe of stitchpunks to destroy the perilous machines.

They include: #1 (Christopher Plummer), the shady and domineering leader; #5 (John C. Reilly), the trustworthy and highly-intelligent engineer, #6 (Crispin Glover), a heavily troubled artist, and #7 (Jennifer Connelly), the reckless and physically robust warrior.

Technically, 9 is a bona-fide masterpiece. Acker is an assured animator who has created some fascinating visuals. The hazy backgrounds have the haunting, oozing qualities of a Dali painting, and the film’s numerous creatures are stitched with meticulous detail. The monsters in this film have such imaginative structure and movement, we can only wish that Acker dethrones Michael Bay as the director of future Transformers movies.

9 also zips along at a breakneck pace, ensuring that many of the action sequences are downright thrilling.

However, at only one and a quarter hours, there’s too much frantic violence and not enough character development. There is a time for action and mayhem and a time to break from the action and mayhem and enhance our interest in the story and characters. 9 unfortunately leaves these latter moments aside.

There is, however, one cheerful scene where many of the stitchpunks find a record player, put on the classic “Over the Rainbow,” and get a chance to dance, frolick and interact with each other. It is a beautiful moment and much needed change of pace for the characters; unfortunately, the film then goes right back into nonstop violence.

Furthermore, the stitchpunks have little personality or emotional depth. They refuse to branch off from their generic archetypes to become fresh, unique characters. If only the animation had sacrificed a few of its dimensions and given it to this slew of stitchpunks.

And while 9 is far too intense for younger audiences, the film’s rudimentary dialogue is geared toward schoolchilden. The lines, at certain points, seem to have been mechanically programmed for these characters.

Acker’s vision is unique, but 9’s environment is an all-too-familiar one. The film’s flashback scenes depicting war between humans and hyperactive technology instantly bring Terminator’s Judgement Day to mind. As well, the murderous machines, originally built to assist humans but whom have ultimately become a tamperance, recall 2001: A Space Odyssey and even Wall-E.

If 9 will be remembered for anything, it’ll be as a sharply crafted debut from a young visionary. While its technical aspects are stunningly complex and entirely dazzling, the story elements and characters remain too generic to ensure that the film can be remembered as anything more.