Adapted from a work originally composed as a short animation and submitted to the College Emmys (something a co-producer and I recently submitted to), I can't help but respect this film from the very beginning. Anything but a kid's film, 9 depicts a post-apocalyptic world in which the only survivors are the anthropomorphic dolls of a scientist, sequentially numbered from 1 to 9. The film is unnecessarily dark, and though childlike humor is thrown in to break up the tension, it doesn't match the sincerity and tone of the rest of the film. The plot was interesting, at least, and the characters are all entirely distinct, voiced by a spread of actors like Elijah Wood, Chris Plummer, John C. Reilly, Martin Landau, Crispin Glover, and Jennifer Connelly. The film doesn't take the easy way out - no quick resolutions or last minute saviors - but rather relies on quality emotions, established by the interaction and dependence of the characters. The film is relatively short, but despite that, I felt there was a definite arc within the film, and the characters showed genuine progression. The dialogue was weak, but with a film caught somewhere in the pre-teen to adult target audience, it can be expected. I enjoyed this film - and certainly respect this film - but I rest firmly on the fence whether I would seek a second viewing of the film or not.
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2/17/2010
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