Review: 9
DVD & Blu-ray: 9 (2009)
A CGI animated movie from 14 years ago may well suffer from dated graphics, but that wasn’t the case when I revisited 9 in this new blu-ray release from Fabulous Films, with the post apocalyptic landscapes and the cloth of the characters still looking as good as I remember from my first time watch many years ago.
Set in a future where machines have turned on humankind and now rule the world, it is left to a small group of “stitch punk” characters (created by a dying human scientist and named in the order he created them) to defeat the centre of the machines power and bring peace back to a world that has a visual style of WWII machinery crossed with a crumbling sci-fi future.
Never afraid to show a whole gamut of emotions, 9 takes you on a journey of hope, fear, despair, humour and much more during its short 80 minute running time, with its 12 certificate warning that younger viewers may well be scared of some of the ‘good Vs evil battles’ and scenes of main characters dying. All of these though add extra layers of emotional attachment to everything and everyone involved in this futuristic tale.
The characters are likeable and engaging, with the voice acting of Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, Martin Landau, Crispin Glover and the rest of the cast bringing everyone to life in a way that makes you empathise with the perilous situations they find themselves in, all while avoiding falling into a sea of schmaltz that I always find so off-putting.
A more “grown up” animated movie than a lot of Pixar’s releases, this is one to be enjoyed with the older kids in your family, or even without them.
Thoroughly enjoyable and with the added bonus of some very interesting special features.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Audio Commentary with writer/director Shane Acker, animation director Joe Ksander, Head of Story Ryan O’Loughlin and editor Nick Kenway
- Deleted Scenes
- 9-The Original Short with optional Audio Commentary with writer/director/animator Shane Acker and Animator Joe Ksander
- The Long and Short of it
- On Tour with Shane Acker
- The Look of 9
- Acting Out
Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Fabulous Films.