9 opens with the birth of small puppet-like figure possibly made of burlap dubbed #9 (Elijah Wood). Along with #9 we see a city that has been ravaged by something terrible. Bombed out cars line the streets, buildings are partially demolished and every once in awhile a human corpse is spotted within the wreckage. As we follow #9 on his journey we will discover how this devastation came about and that #9 will not be the loneliest number for long.

The previews came early and rampant with the names of visionary filmmakers like Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride) and Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch, Wanted) on the production team and some freaky graphics paired with a rock music soundtrack. 9 looked like it would be the animation sensation of the year.

I’m going to switch up here and start with my not so great feelings about 9. I think my first and major gripe about 9 was the implications by the trailers that 9 was predominantly an action film. While there are some intense action sequences throughout the film 9 was a more mellow and dialogue driven piece of entertainment. I’m being nitpicky, I know, but I would like to imagine that a more accurate advertisement for 9 would’ve focused more on the plot elements such as the state of the world the puppet people dwell in, the clashing ideals that split the small group into factions, and the question of whether the world is worth saving or leaving to decay. Instead, I was bedazzled by a CG rock video.

So, what’s the problem with that, you say? True. The trailer shows the film has moments of action and excitement so the marketing wasn’t completely false. My concern is that 9 is not Shrek or G-Force or The Incredibles but the trailer gives that impression. Intentional or not I worry that kids and even some adults will watch 9 and leave the theater disappointed. The tone and style of 9 is a lot closer to the higher end kind of animated storytelling you would catch in Hayao Miyazaki or Mamoru Oshii anime. If 9 had been advertised in the tone of Ponyo or The Sky Crawlers perhaps it would’ve grabbed a more suitable audience instead of attracting a demographic that might not dig all the philosophical stuff that 9 is composed out of.

On the other hand, those poor saps that get “tricked” into seeing 9 might appreciate the change of pace. Let’s be honest, ya’ll. Except for Pixar’s Up most of the CG toons that have come out this year have had to do with talking critters, physical comedy and potty jokes. The plots aren’t very deep but it keeps everyone entertained and that’s okay. That’s what movies are for. But movies can also engage your intellect and make you think about important issues. Y’know, besides better ways for Scratch to finally secure that elusive acorn.

I hope I’m not scaring you because 9 isn’t all that complicated. The story is actually quite simplistic. Humans came up with a new technology, it got corrupted and then it turned on us. Yes, almost like Skynet in The Terminator mythology. Humans tried to fight back against the new tech but from the first act it’s obvious who won that war. Now the fate of the planet is in the hands of these wee puppet beings.

Though #9 is practically a newborn he is determined to find out how he came to be and how he can defeat the source of the world’s desolation. He gains the favor of the ultra-curious tinkerer #2 (Martin Landau), the Amazonian #7 (Jennifer Connelly), and the reluctant hero #5 (John C. Reilly). While they yearn to uncover this knowledge #1 (Christopher Plummer) is the voice of extreme caution that urges his fellow puppets to leave well enough alone and worry more about their own survival. With his trusty bodyguard, #8 (Fred Tatasciore), #1 does his best to force his will on those who won’t follow him willingly.

The cast also includes #3 & #4, two mute puppets that act as the catalogers or historians in the group. They have collected all sorts of books, newspaper clippings and other media that help #9 and his pals piece together the past. #6 (Crispin Glover) is touched in the head. All he does he mumble to himself and draw strange pictures. I could tell you whether he will be a help or hindrance to the team but why should I spoil all the fun?

Remember those vivid action clips in the trailer? Well expect more of that. Though the humans have been utterly wiped out that doesn’t mean the remaining machines have settled down to run their own dairy farms. The machines are driven to eradicate all life including the puppet people. This will force #9 and his friends to use their brains and brawn to topple these metallic menaces.

I feel kind of weird recommending 9 because I wasn’t totally thrilled with the finished product. Besides that little tiff about the misleading trailers I have to be honest that I did not leave the multiplex feeling like I saw something groundbreaking. 9 did not move the earth under my feet but it did wiggle my big toe. I think it was because the story was so similar to other technological apocalypses portrayed in The Matrix and The Terminator films. I guess 9 could be seen as the kid friendly version of that concept.

When I think on it further I think I found it hard to completely invest myself emotionally into the puppets. Here are these burlap things scuttling to and fro to stop the machines. And then what? The humans are dead. The animals also seemed to be wiped out, too. Aside from finding out their origins and stopping the destructive robots what other motive was there? Would they repopulate the Earth with “Burlapians”? If the puppets win they get a whole planet to themselves. If they lose then the robots get the planet to themselves. Whoever wins will inherit a barren orb. That's some kind of prize to look forward to. 

I admire Shane Acker (director) and the rest of the 9 crew for striving to deliver something imaginative and thought provoking to the masses especially in the US. Japan and Europe have long past utilized animation to tell stories other than fairy tales. I’m hoping 9 will help to encourage mainstream Hollywood to be more daring with animation and not just see it as child’s play.

There’s also a good chance that the buzz will spread that 9 was born out of an animated short. I shamefully confess that I’ve never really paid attention to animated shorts. I would watch the category presented for Best Animated Short on the Academy Award telecasts but I didn’t think much about them. It wasn’t until I rented the 75th Annual Academy Awards Short Films dvd, about a year ago, that I realized that these shorts are far from insignificant. There is some really amazing stuff being created outside of the realms of Cartoon Network, NickToons, and Dreamworks Animation. Perhaps 9 will be the springboard for other animated shorts to be made into full features.

If it could happen to Pixar……