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Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover, Jennifer Connelly ... see more see more... , Fred Tatasciore , Elijah Wood , Alan Oppenheimer , Tom Kane , Helen Wilson

The time is the too-near future. Powered and enabled by the invention known as the Great Machine, the world's machines have turned on mankind and sparked social unrest, decimating the human population... read more read more... before being largely shut down. But, as our world fell to pieces, a mission began to salvage the legacy of civilization; a group of small creations was given the spark of life by a scientist in the final days of humanity, and they continue to exist post-apocalypse. One of these creations, 9, emerges to display leadership qualities that may help them survive and possibly even thrive. It is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like himself taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good. They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they'll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them.

Flixster Users

58% liked it

268,198 ratings

Critics

57% liked it

180 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 20 min.

Directed by: Shane Acker

Release Date: September 9, 2009

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DVD Release Date: December 29, 2009

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Stats: 16,015 reviews

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9 9 official poster official film still official film still official film still Introducing the "9" stitchpunk beings! official film still official film still Introducing the "9" stitchpunk beings! 9 official film still Introducing the "9" stitchpunk beings! official film still official film still official film still official film still official film still
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Flixster Reviews (16,015)

  • jmanard52
    December 30, 2009
    jmanard52
    Interesting take on the dark apocalyptic future world genre.

    The movie is excellent. Well done. Great voice talents and amazing attention to detail by Shane Acker.
  • SirPant
    April 5, 2013
    SirPant
    Stylish and mysterious, it is probably best to remember that 9 is set in a fantasy world and that it's not necessarily necessary that everything should be explained to the nth degree as frustrating as that may first be. I was quite happy to just get lost in it, much like a comput... read moreer game I suppose which it kind of reminded me of. The animation is great, as is the style. It's original, I can't think of anything out there like it but I think the schmaltzy ending could have been better. The voice cast was good but certain actors I felt were a little underused.
  • ironclad1609
    January 3, 2013
    ironclad1609
    Based on the similarly themed animated short film this dark and visually stunning adventure follows a number of puppet-like creatures that seem to be all that's left with a soul in a post-apocalyptic world, where the machines dominate. The lovable main characters, that show more ... read moreexpressions just through their eyes than some actors with their entire faces wander through gloomy landscapes and ruins fighting fantastic and terrifying opponents. That may not be much of a story, especially the final solution falls a bit short, but is very entertaining, enthralling and visually most impressive. Especially the original and fun action sequence have you sit on the edge of your seat. I certainly would not mind revisit this world, especially with the small ray of hope the ending has in store, for further adventures with the likable fellows. Younger kids should probably stay away from the film, considering the dark atmosphere and menacing attacks. Still, highly recommended for being different and very unusual.
  • emilkakko
    December 22, 2012
    emilkakko
    This film does have a concept that could have worked much better in a more assured and creative hands. Now it is mostly just a wasted potential of imaginaton and takes itself way too serious.
    Somewhere behind it's paper thin script and half baked ideas there lies a something tha... read moret propably was a coherent story, but now it is just animation without a good story or without that much sense. It also doesn't help that they made this film so as serious as it is. 9 is a film which is at times too dark for little kids and still a film that feels a bit silly with it's seriouness when it comes to adult audiences.
    It is clear that director/writer Shane Acker film supposed to be somekind of a hybrid between serious post-apocalyptic sci-fi and pure childrens adventure, but what Ackers forgets is that one of the most important things while making animation is to give it a heart and soul. That's what 9 is especially one major thing that his film is lacking, the emotions that would make us in the audience care about these characters. Now it is just a series of visual gimmicks and couple nice ideas, nothing much else.
    The biggest problem and question with Acker's film is that why should we care about any of these ragdolls and their fate? They are animated with careful and creative touch but under their surface Acker and his team cannot make them anything more than a lifeless puppets.
    9 is a film which does has it's moments and a film that occasionally wakes up from it's frim sleep, but only occasionally. Overall this could have been so much better as a film.
  • UniversalDreamer
    September 2, 2012
    UniversalDreamer
    the forces of intolerance are at havoc yet again, and so a hero will rise. is it the guy who thinks if you hide then mr. bad man will go away? what about the guy who thinks more muscle is the answer? or the hottie who wants to face evil all by herself cause nobody's man enuff?... read more like so many films nowadays, here's another visual eyeful, creative and stunning, but the story could use a little pep, yah? a nice one nonetheless.
  • fb791220692
    August 8, 2012
    fb791220692
    Cold and lifeless (no pun intended), 9's worst offense isn't its mediocre visuals or underutilized cast - though it does have both - but rather, its flimsy plot that could easily have been crafted by a seven year old and its baffling lack of sophisticated dialogue or character de... read morevelopment.
  • skeletonking101
    March 25, 2012
    skeletonking101
    Machines. The soul beings that were created to improve our lives, betrayed us. But life is remaining in the form of 9 ragdolls, that are left to stop the remaining robots, and keep the flame of life going.

    9 Takes place in an apocalyptic world where all human life is dead exce... read morept for the soul of one scientist in the form of 9 ragdolls of his creation. While the 9 ragdolls are searching the land one is taken by "The Beast" who takes it to a factory on the outskirts of a city. 2 of the 8 remaining ragdolls go out to look for him only to find him and kill the beast, only to awaken a robot creation long dormant, resurrected by absorbing the life force out of the taken ragdoll. The robot is now trying to kill the ragdolls by building other robots to find and kill them.

    9 is a strange case in terms of voice acting, not just because the first 10 minutes are mute, but the fact that the original short the film was based on was done in a pantomime style, but the voice acting in the film is very well done and I'd say its some of the most well done voice acting I've seen in an animated film. Unlike other animated films where you know the voice actor is a celebrity just by the sound of their voice or the sound of their singing voice, here you don't get that in the least. Each of the voice actors just sound like real people and you feel compassion towards all of them, so you feel generally bad when one of them dies. Which is funny seeing how many of these actors are vetran actors such as Martin Landau, Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connoley, Crispin Glover and Christopher Plummer, but they all just sound like real people coping with the insanity and death going on around them. Christopher Plummer does one of his best performances in this film to me, and don't get me wrong I love Christopher Plummers acting, but here he does such a remarkable job as the leader of the group #1. The power and devotion he gives to this performance makes it one of my favorite performances in an animated film, and the other actors do very good as well. Martin Landau, though having little screen time or dialogue, does a good job and you feel very sad and shocked when they kill him off so early on in the film. But one of the best performances in my mind in the film is John C. Reilly as #5, he is so fun and so well developed as a character that you feel the most compassion towards him seeing how he is the only one to show real compassion to #9 aside from #2 and #7.

    The CG in the film is very well done and makes this post-apocalyptic world look very terrifying and the robot designs used in the film are very creative and awesome to see move and interact with the environments, the way they move and the way they interact with there surroundings are very interesting to watch and very animal like. The designs of the main characters are also interesting, the hands being made out of metal or wood is interesting and the way the eyes and bodies of the ragdolls look very interesting. Rather than other animated films, this film looks like a breath of fresh air in terms of the animation, it doesn't look all bright and colorful like a Pixar film or Dreamworks, it looks grainy and very brown much like Terminator Salvation which suits the nature of the environment the characters live in.

    Overall 9 is one of my favorite animated films and definitely one of Tim Burtons best film collaborations. The animation looks incredible, the characters are well fleshed out and acted, the plot is interesting, and the film leaves with one of those endings that will make you tear up. If I could suggest one of Tim Burtons films or even animated films, I'd suggest this film.
  • fb100002384654145
    March 2, 2012
    fb100002384654145
    The animation is fantastic, however, the film did not give me a whole lot to care for. The story suffers from being a little too dark for kids but at the same time being too simple and straight-foward to adequately engage adults. The character's also lack development, which tak... read morees tension away from the film's action sequences. Combine that with an anti-climatic ending, and the film "9" offers an interesting surreal world to explore but lacks the emotional punch in the story department.
  • fb100002090596996
    January 19, 2012
    fb100002090596996
    I don't see why people hate on this film. I thought the film was a dark, surreal thriller more than anything else. Keep in mind, it's so dark that it's not PG. You must have a strong heart to endure the thematic elements such as loneliness, long stretches without talking, and ver... read morey scary jump scenes involving leftover machines. By the way, I saw this on blu-ray... *Cough* anyway, the story follows as an animated rag doll wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world, meaning everything is run down. He and a few other rag dolls are the only "humans" alive. I say humans in quotations as in, they are only rag dolls, but have human life. Machines suck the life out of these rag dolls, either that, or there slice and diced to death. Continuing, 9 (the main character) finds 2, and half of the other 9 rag dolls (as I said, the others are dead), and... well, just wach the movie yourself. I don't know about the 58% of the people who didn't like it, but I really liked it. I might give it 4 and a half stars if I watched it again... but nah, I've already seen it at least 4 times.
  • fb1672039553
    December 14, 2011
    fb1672039553
    The original short film should have been left alone. A simple concept was stretched thin and added nothing that was worth the effort or your time.

View All 9 Reviews

Critic Reviews

Tom Huddlestone
October 30, 2009
Tom Huddlestone, Time Out

This film will surely be remembered as an intriguing failure: a triumph of ambition over ability, of ideas over emotional resonance - just another grim fairy tale for these troubled times. Full Review

Mary F. Pols
September 11, 2009
Mary F. Pols, TIME Magazine

In movies, our technology is so often the ruin of us. We got that message from Stanley Kubrick way back when, and we get it now. But couldn't filmmakers let something else ruin us for a change? Even t... Full Review

Dana Stevens
September 10, 2009
Dana Stevens, Slate

It's easy to see why Acker's gifts caught the attention of these directors; he's a visual craftsman of no little promise. Now if he can just stitch together a story with the same loving care that went... Full Review

J. R. Jones
September 10, 2009
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

[Its] splendid visuals are dragged down by a tedious story. Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum
September 9, 2009
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

The expanded cast of creatures looks great, dressed and animated in the homespun style Acker calls ''stitchpunk.'' Full Review

Roger Ebert
September 9, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It might have been an opportunity for the sort of challenging speculation sci-fi is best at, however, and the best reason to see it is simply because of the creativity of its visuals. Full Review

Peter Howell
September 9, 2009
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

The post-apocalyptic adventure 9 adds up to everything except an obvious audience. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
September 9, 2009
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Acker, whose gifts for mood, design, and character design are impressive enough to have attracted Tim Burton as a producer, is more of an artist than a storyteller. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
September 9, 2009
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

It signals the arrival of Shane Acker as an audacious new talent to watch. Full Review

Tom Long
September 9, 2009
Tom Long, Detroit News

9 is a captivating film with much to say about the human spirit -- even if humans are nowhere to be found. Full Review

View more 9 reviews

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    • #6: Go back to the source!
    • #1: Sometimes fear...is the appropriate response.
    • #9: I was right! You did send him out to die!
    • #1: He was old! He was weak!
    • #5: *gasp*
    • #1: Sometimes one must be sacrificed for the good of many.
    • #7: You coward!
    • #1: They left us nothing. Nothing. Why do we have to right their wrongs?
    • #5: Actually, I don't mind having one eye. It's easier for me. It allows me to concentrate on just one thing at a time, you know?
    • #2: Some things in this world are better left where they lie. But if you know where to look, these ruins are full of riches.
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  • What platform did Harry have to go to, in order to get on the train to Hogwarts?  Answer »
  • How many members are in the Fellowship of the Ring?  Answer »
  • Which actor has played in 9 films with his character name in the title? (Private Ryan, Mr Ripley, Grimm...)  Answer »
  • In what movie did Quenten Tarintino make where 9 guys planned a robbery but it doesn't turn out the way they planned?  Answer »
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