Matt S. and I went to see 9 last Friday night. I was very excited to see this movie. It’s strange, the movies I have most anticipated this year were animated. Coraline and Up were both successes. 9, not so much.
The story goes, at the end of civilization, just before the apocalypse, a scientist imbues nine dolls with consciousness. It is the duty of these nine creatures to somehow restore life to the Earth. Pretty straight-forward. I thought based on this premise and the trailers I’d seen that this movie would have a more mature tone and theme (in the trailer, one doll says, “Sometimes fear is the appropriate response.”), that there would be some sort of existential investigation, a man’s-search-for-meaning kind of thing. An artificial lifeform wondering about the nature of existence seems like an obvious theme to investigate, especially when set amid post-apocalyptic destruction. The filmmakers squander this opportunity, I’m guessing, to make the movie more child-friendly. While the tone was decidedly dark, the script was less sophisticated than much of the animated fare you’d find on a children’s cable channel. As a consequence, the all-star cast of voices goes to waste. I truly believe that the movie could have been improved if the dialog was omitted completely, and we were left to piece together the “plot” ourselves. You know, like Triplets de Belleville, or something.
I felt the movie was too short, like there were pieces missing. When I saw the 79 minute run time, I should have realized the film would be slight and adjusted my expectations accordingly. Of those 79 minutes, a good 50 or so of them are action sequences. And while the visual effects are beautiful, it’s not enough to prop up the film. I think I’ve been spoiled by Pixar; their films are always so fucking clever, clever in a way that few other animated films can touch. 9 certainly does not come close to getting over that bar. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I will not, however, recommend anyone go see it.
The story goes, at the end of civilization, just before the apocalypse, a scientist imbues nine dolls with consciousness. It is the duty of these nine creatures to somehow restore life to the Earth. Pretty straight-forward. I thought based on this premise and the trailers I’d seen that this movie would have a more mature tone and theme (in the trailer, one doll says, “Sometimes fear is the appropriate response.”), that there would be some sort of existential investigation, a man’s-search-for-meaning kind of thing. An artificial lifeform wondering about the nature of existence seems like an obvious theme to investigate, especially when set amid post-apocalyptic destruction. The filmmakers squander this opportunity, I’m guessing, to make the movie more child-friendly. While the tone was decidedly dark, the script was less sophisticated than much of the animated fare you’d find on a children’s cable channel. As a consequence, the all-star cast of voices goes to waste. I truly believe that the movie could have been improved if the dialog was omitted completely, and we were left to piece together the “plot” ourselves. You know, like Triplets de Belleville, or something.
I felt the movie was too short, like there were pieces missing. When I saw the 79 minute run time, I should have realized the film would be slight and adjusted my expectations accordingly. Of those 79 minutes, a good 50 or so of them are action sequences. And while the visual effects are beautiful, it’s not enough to prop up the film. I think I’ve been spoiled by Pixar; their films are always so fucking clever, clever in a way that few other animated films can touch. 9 certainly does not come close to getting over that bar. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I will not, however, recommend anyone go see it.
