9 is a 2009 American computer-animated science fiction action/adventure film directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov. The film stars the voices of Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, Fred Tatasciore, Martin Landau and Christopher Plummer.^[2][3] It is based on Acker's Academy Award-nominated 2005 short film of the same name.^[4] The screenplay for the film was written by Pamela Pettler, with casting by Mindy Marin, production design by Robert St. Pierre and Fred Warter, and art direction by Christophe Vacher.

Plot[link]

Prior to the events of film, a scientist is ordered by his dictator to create a machine in the apparent name of progress. The Scientist uses his own intellect to create the B.R.A.I.N., a thinking robot. However, the dictator quickly seizes it and integrates it into the Fabrication Machine, an armature that can construct an army of war machines to destroy the dictator's enemies. Lacking a soul, the Fabrication Machine is corrupted and exterminates all organic life using toxic gas. In desperation, the Scientist uses alchemy to create nine homunculus-like ragdolls known as Stitchpunks using portions of his own soul via a talisman, but dies as a result.

Some time later, the last doll, 9, awakens in the Scientist's workshop. Taking the talisman with him, 9 ventures out into the devastated city and meets 2, a frail inventor who gives him a voicebox and is surprised when 9 reveals the talisman. The last surviving machine, the Cat-Beast, attacks the pair and kidnaps 2 and the talisman. 9 collapses, but awakens in Sanctuary, a cathedral that is home to the other dolls, including the dogmatic leader 1, his large bodyguard 8, the one-eyed engineer 5, and unstable oracle 6. 1 immediately labels 2 as dead, but 9 and 5 decide to rescue him. The two track the Cat-Beast to a factory where they find 2. 7, the only female of the dolls, arrives and kills the Cat-Beast, but 9 puts the talisman into the previously derelict Fabrication Machine, causing 2's soul to be absorbed by the machine and it awakens.

7 takes 9 and 5 to the library, where the silent scholar twins, 3 and 4, show 9 the Fabrication Machine's origins. 5 realises the talisman's symbols match the clairvoyant drawings of 6. 9 and 5 return to Sanctuary to investigate, but 1 confronts and chastises them. The Fabrication Machine starts constructing new machines, one of which, the bird-like Winged Beast, attacks Sanctuary and almost kills the punks, but sets fire to the cathedral from a firepot, and later gets killed by a plane's propeller. Retreating to the library with 1 saddened by the loss of his home, 6, 3, and 4 cryptically explain the talisman's alchemic origins, but 1 once again chastises the group. The Fabrication Machine meanwhile has made many spiderbots and Seekers, hot air balloon-like robots. One of them has the Winged Beast's head and the BRAIN, angry at the loss of its creation finds 2's corspe to make something else. 8is captured by the creature it made, the Seamstress. After a fight 7 is kidnapped too. The others give 2 a funeral before heading out, as 2's body was used on it. The others run to the factory to destroy it. 9 goes inside alone, but is too late to save 8. 9 and 7 escape while the others destroy the factory by pushing an oil barrel with a flaming rag fuse into a puddle of oil.

The dolls celebrate but the Fabrication Machine appears, quickly killing 5 and then 6, but not before 6 tells 9 that the others are trapped within the machine and to return to the "first room" (the Scientist's workshop) to gain answers. 9 follows his instructions, finding a recorded message from his creator, who explains the talisman can be used against the Fabrication Machine and free the dolls' souls trapped in it. 9 reunites with the other dolls, willing to sacrifice himself so 7 can get the talisman. However, 1, having had a change of heart, puts himself in the way and is killed instead allowing 9 to remove the talisman and destroy the Fabrication Machine, freeing the trapped souls. 9, 7, 3, and 4 free the souls of 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8 from the talisman, who fly up into the sky causing it to rain. The final image shows that the raindrops contain small flecks of glowing bacteria, bringing life back to the world.

Cast and characters[link]

"Creations"[link]

• 9 (Elijah Wood) is the main protagonist of the film. He is the youngest of the group and represents the Scientist's humanity, making good-hearted, thoughtful, and sincere. He is very intelligent, but he can make mistakes due to his curiosity (he accidentally sucks out 2's soul and awakens the Fabrication Machine). He seeks the truth in the history of his creation, and wishes to know the meaning of life. He often clashes with the fearful leader of the creations, from their enemies. 9 is very selfless and has a strong heart, even attempting to sacrifice his life, so 7 could retrieve the Talisman from the Machine and save the souls: along with 7 and the twins 3 and 4, he is a survivor. 9 forms a strong, almost brother-like bond with the Healer of the group, 5. 9 has a zipper on his body to fasten his skin.

• 8 (Fred Tatasciore) is the brutish ruffian from the Scientist's personality. He wields the one half of a scissor and a knife as his weapons. He is a master of his weapons, but is the least intelligent of the group. He is given to inebriation, as shown by his affinity for magnets that reduce his mental capacities. This is the assumed reason that he rarely speaks. The muscle and enforcer of the group, 8 was created to help the others physically survive the dangerous, post-apocalyptic world. 8 isn't very clever and is easily deceived. 8 is especially susceptible to 1's doctrines, so he becomes 1's personal weapon/bodyguard for the film. He is prone to harassing and intimidating the others, especially 6 as shown in the Deleted Scenes, but is also protective of them (such as defending 9 from the Winged Beast's harpoon when it shoots at 7). 8 is the second to die after falling into a trap set up by the Seamstress using the lifeless corpse of 2.

• 7 (Jennifer Connelly) is the Ninja type warrior part of the Scientist's personality. She is (possibly) the only female creation. (See 3 and 4) A rebel and a loner, she is willing to take many risks for the good of her people. She is kind and caring for others, and is very protective towards 3 and 4. Near the end of the film, 7 shows her vulnerability, most notably when she believes 9 is crushed to death. Her canvas skin’s color has been bleached away by the sun, leaving her a moonstone-white; and she uses a blade mounted on a long staff for fighting. She wears a helmet made from a dead bird's skull as well as two bird feathers hanging down her back, covering up her briefly shown scar that covers her number. She was the first to reject 1's fearful teachings, and has spent the time leading up to the film in the wilderness fighting the Cat Beast on her own. Her skin is fastened together by stitching and a green button on her chest. Along with 9 and the twins, she is a survivor. As a hardened warrior, she hasn't let anyone into her heart for a long time, but she is gradually softened towards 9, eventually becoming a close friend.

• 6 (Crispin Glover) is the artistic portion of the Scientist's personality. He sees things that the others in the group don't see. 6's fingers are made of ink pen nibs, which he uses to draw. He is white, covered in faded black stripes; his hair is made of ropes and is ink-stained, like much of his body. His right eye is larger than his left, and wears a key around his neck, which he protects with his life, but no one knows what it truly unlocks (although the original suggestion is seen in the deleted scenes of the DVD). He repeatedly tells the group to "go back to the source", but the others don't understand him. 6 speaks in a confusing manner, so he is often ignored. He also acts somewhat like a child. 9 is the only one of the creations that believes in 6 and listens to what he says. 6 has prophetic visions of the past and future, channeling his visions through drawings to interpret them, which are accurate in predicting events and help solve mysteries that puzzle 9. The Scientist described him as being peculiar and unable to naturally fit in to his surroundings, judging from his expressive artwork that he sees the world differently from the other creations. He is the fourth to die.

• 5 (John C. Reilly) is the Healer part of the Scientist's personality. He takes the parts that he has and makes them work together. Most often this means that he fixes the injuries that the other creations have gotten while fighting the Machine and its minions. 5 is also caring, nurturing, and the loyal, big-hearted "common man" who always tries to play the peacemaker. He is a diligent worker, a meek spirit, and a devoted friend to his people. He becomes 9’s best friend and they share a strong bond with one another. He is missing his left eye, which he lost during the War of the Machines, instead wearing a leather plate, but says having only one eye is actually useful to him because it allows him to focus on one thing at a time. The Scientist remarked that 5 was the first of his creations not to run off or explore the workshop; 5 was very trusting of the Scientist. He has two buttons on his front to fasten his skin. 5 is the third to die. He is one of the characters from the original short.

• 3 and 4 are twins, and the Historians of the group. They are unable to speak, instead using flickering lights in their eyes to communicate with each other and 4 can project images from his/her eyes for the other members of the group. It is unknown what their genders are, but Director Shane Acker has said that he 'leaves it to the fanbase to choose their gender'. They instinctively run and hide at the sight of danger. Both wear hoods because they are made of garden gloves and have a cape-like empty thumb hanging from their backs. They are both very scholarly, voraciously cataloging everything they can see and find, recording and building a massive database of the world that surrounds them and the history that led up to their creation. They are very playful and intelligent. After the Scientist created them, they playfully romped around his workshop and read all of his books. They treat 7 as an elder sister and a protector. They are both somewhat smaller than the others, with the exception of 6, and can only be told apart by their numbers. They, along with 9 and 7, are the survivors of the film.

• 2 (Martin Landau) is the creative portion of the Scientist's personality. He is the oldest of the creations in terms of physicality. He is a kind, delicate old inventor. He is fascinated by garbage, and loves to explore the wastelands and look for parts for his inventions. He is not in very good shape, always walking with a cane, and can only see with a lorgnette attached to his stovepipe top hat. The Scientist wrote that after 2's creation, 2 began tinkering with the loose parts of the Scientist's workshop. He is an explorer who embodies the Scientist's strong creative spirit. He is virtually fearless, and possesses an inquisitive personality. He is a teacher to 5, whom with he shares a special bond. He is also the very first one to befriend 9. 2's leather skin is fastened with many knotted strings. Shane Acker affectionately describes him as a “salty old dog.” He is the first to die and his corpse was used as part of The Seamstress's trap.

• 1 (Christopher Plummer) is the cowardly, arrogant portion of the Scientist's personality. He is extremely clever and sly, but also domineering, irritable, quick-tempered, and slow, if not reluctant, to trust 9 and his own ideas. The Scientist described 1 as struggling out of his hands after his creation, and being stubborn and defiant. 1 wants to protect the group, but he can understand the world only through strict rules that end up causing harm. He ostensibly sent 2 out to scout but he really sent him out to die. 1 wears a cylinder-shaped hat that has a one pence coin attached to it with rubber bands, as well as a red cape fastened with a red-purple gemstone. He carries a broken pen topped with a cog that has a small bell attached to it which he uses as a scepter. 1's strong belief that fighting is futile leads him to avoid taking risks, which hurts the group at multiple times throughout the film. 1 is the most tragic of the characters in the film because he is a veteran of many wars and wants the best for the group, but his fearful nature prevents him from effectively helping the others until he sacrifices himself. Number 1's skin is fastened by many metal snaps. The old soldier shows much more courage when he preempts 9’s self-sacrifice, giving his soul instead – he is the last one to die.

Humans[link]

• The Scientist (Alan Oppenheimer) invented the nine creations in an attempt to thwart for the corrupt and warlike B.R.A.I.N., hoping that they would continue the spark of life. Each of his creations contains a portion of the Scientist's soul, embodying his qualities and his flaws. He used the talisman to transfer his soul and supply each with life. At the beginning of the film, one of the first things 9 comes across is the Scientist's lifeless body sprawled on the floor, frightening him.

• The Chancellor (Tom Kane) is a cruel and evil man. He was responsible for causing the Fabrication Machine to turn against humanity, and as a result, lead to his downfall. An early idea that was ultimately cut saw the Chancellor fighting the Scientist over the failure of the Fabrication Machine, and ends up dying when he is stabbed in the eye with a quill.

• Radio announcer (Fred Tatasciore) is the typical announcer who gives the daily news.

• Newscaster (Helen Wilson) is a newscaster who releases news pertaining to the world and its nations.

Machines[link]

• The Cat Beast is the first machine that 9 encounters, and the main antagonist of the original short film 9. It was the last active machine in the world until the reactivation of the Fabrication Machine. With a gait somewhere between a lion and a monkey, it has spines on its back, a cat skull for a head, a red mechanical eye in its left socket and a light bulb in its right, which it uses to see in the dark. It kidnapped 2, but was destroyed by 7.

• The Fabrication Machine/B.R.A.I.N. (Binary Reactive Artificially Intelligent Neurocircuit) is the machine that built all the machines in the film and the main antagonist of the movie. It was designed by the Scientist for use by the Chancellor, but the latter misused and overworked it, causing it to go rogue and wipe out humanity. It fell dormant at some point, but was reactivated (accidentally) by 9, at which point it began building machines to hunt down the last remaining lifesigns on the planet. After the group destroys its factory, it manages to emerge and continue the battle. It killed 2, 8, 5, 6, and 1, but it was destroyed by 9 with the help of the talisman.

• The Winged Beast is a pterodactyl-like machine constructed by the B.R.A.I.N. to hunt down the creations. It has knives and scissors for a mouth, four small red eyes around its "head", a tarp or flag for its bat-like wings, and a harpoon on the end of its tail. Several human bones appear to be integrated in its structure. It can fly through a combination of its wings and an electric fan in its body. In battle, it uses the blades on its head, the claws on its wings, or its harpoon tail, which can be fired and retracted at will. It attacks the group in their cathedral base, setting it on fire in the process. It is knocked out of the air by 8 and 9, but manages to counter 7's attack and impale her leg with its harpoon. 8 severs the weapon when it tries to reel in its prey, causing the string to be caught in an old airplane propeller. As the Winged Beast attempts to attack 1, 5 and 6 manage to reactivate the propeller, destroying the mechanical monster when it collides with the spinning blades.

• The Seamstress is a cobra-like robot designed by the Fabrication Machine to capture the Scientist's other creations. Its serpentine body bears numerous spindly metal limbs that end in a variety of needles, scissors, and blades. Spools of red thread are attached to its back, and 2's lifeless body is attached to its tail. Its head-a mixture of a skull and a broken doll mask with the requisite red mechanical eye-is hidden by the black fabric of its body, surrounded by smaller limbs that can spread the fabric to reveal its face. It flashes light through 2's eyes to hypnotize its victims, immobilizes them with its thread, and binds them in its own body to take back to the Fabrication Machine. It kidnaps 7 and 8 in this way, and the others follow it to the main factory of the Fabrication Machine. It is eventually destroyed by 9 after being tricked into attacking a decoy.

• Seekers: Large, hot air balloon-like machines with searchlights and alarms similar to air-raid sirens to scout around the factory.

• Spiderbots: Small tarantula-like robots that are made by the Fabrication Machine to repopulate the humanless world. They chase 9 and 7 as they escape the factory.

• Steel Behemoths: large, two-legged machines built by the Fabrication Machine as autonomous weapons. They formed the bulk of the Chancellor's army during the new war; a decision that backfired on humanity when the B.R.A.I.N. went rogue, as its behemoths were already spread across the world to begin their mass extermination of all life. They are visually similar to the tripods from "The War of the Worlds". They are fast for their size, and use powerful machine guns that can penetrate concrete. They can also launch capsules that excrete toxic gas. As said by 1, the gas kills all life, including bacteria.

Production[link]

9 was directed by Shane Acker, who also wrote the story based on his previous short film by the same title. Pamela Pettler and Ben Gluck wrote the script. Shane Acker the young director who influenced by Tim Burton could work with him in this animated feature. It was produced in part by Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov and Jim Lemley, and released on September 9, 2009. Animation began in Luxembourg at Attitude Studio, but subsequently moved to Starz Animation in Toronto, Canada.^[5] The film was released by Focus Features. Originally, TriStar Pictures was going to release the film with Focus Features but dropped out to distribute Planet 51.^{[citation needed]}

Director Shane Acker at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International

Music[link]

While the surviving creations are celebrating, "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland plays on a vinyl record.

"Welcome Home" by Coheed and Cambria plays in the trailer for the film, with minor censoring. The trailer also features an excerpt from "The Captain" by The Knife.

It released the soundtrack CD which was only available on iTunes before the movie was released. It includes the themes created by Danny Elfman, Deborah Lurie's score and "Welcome Home".

Track listing

All music composed by Danny Elfman and Deborah Lurie with soundtrack, except "Welcome Home" (lyrics by Claudio Sanchez, music by Coheed and Cambria).

Marketing[link]

On December 25, 2008, a trailer was released on Apple.com, featuring The Knife's "The Captain" and Coheed and Cambria's "Welcome Home".^[6]

The trailer featured several machines up against the protagonists: the Cat Beast, a cat-like ambush predator that appeared in the original short film; The Winged Beast, a pterodactyl-like machine with movable blades in its mouth; the Seamstress, a hypnotic serpent; Walkers, large two-legged machines armed with a machine gun and poison gas missiles which can kill in a matter of seconds; the Fabrication Machine, a cyclopic, spider-like machine with many multi-jointed arms; and Seekers, aerial machines with searchlights.^[6] Later trailers also reveal the existence of several small spider-like machines.

Part of the film's marketing strategy was its release date of September 9, 2009 ("9/9/09").

9 is the second animated feature film to be released by Focus Features, the first being Coraline, written & directed by Henry Selick and based on the book by Neil Gaiman. The trailer for 9 preceded Coraline when it was shown in theaters and released on DVD.

A second trailer for 9 first appeared on G4's Attack of the Show and was later shown before Land of the Lost. It is an extensive trailer which includes a bit of the background story behind the existence of the creations.

In April 2009, the film's "Scientist" began making journal entries on a Facebook page called "9 Scientist", including essays about each of his nine creations. The "9 Scientist" Facebook page seemingly references events leading up to the release of the film.^[7]

A viral campaign promotional website for 9 was launched. It shed some light upon the background of the 9 world.^[8]

Since the work of The Scientist is ultimately responsible for the destruction of mankind, it is of some note that the actor who plays this role, Alan Oppenheimer is the cousin of scientist Robert Oppenheimer, the "Father of the Atomic Bomb".^{[citation needed]}

The film was rated PG-13 for "violence and scary images".

NECA Toys released collectible action figures of 9 and 1.

Video game[link]

Shortly before the film's release, SkyZone released a mobile game adaptation entitled 9: The Mobile Game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The plot is similar to the movie's plot, with minor differences. It received mixed reviews.

Reception[link]

Critical reaction[link]

9 has received mixed reviews, with critics highly praising its visuals, but criticizing its average voice acting, character development and pacing. Based on 174 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an overall "Rotten" approval rating of 57% from critics, with the Top Critics ranking it slightly lower, giving it a "Rotten" rating of 50% and the film having an average score of 5/10.^[9] On Metacritic, it currently holds a score of 60 out of 100 indicating mixed or average reviews.^[10] Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, saying it is "beautifully animated and intriguingly unwholesome...nevertheless worth seeing".^[11] The general sentiment by critics is that the film is "long on imaginative design but less substantial in narrative."^[12] Variety's Todd McCarthy says "In the end, the picture's impact derives mostly from its design and assured execution."^[13]

Box office[link]

Its opening weekend landed it at #2 behind I Can Do Bad All By Myself with approximately $10,740,446 and $15,160,926 for its 5-day opening.^[14] As of November 29, 2009, the film has grossed US$48,428,063 worldwide.^[1]

Awards and nominations[link]

• Honored with the Winsor McCay Award [for career achievement] (producer Tim Burton)

Home release[link]

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 29, 2009, just three-and-a-half months after the film's theatrical release.^[15] The DVD and Blu-ray contained special features such as the director Shane Acker's original 2005 short film of the same name, cast interviews, and commentary by the filmmakers.

Sequel[link]

Currently no plans for a sequel have been made, but possibilities have been mentioned via the film's DVD commentary. Shane Acker has also mentioned the possibility of a sequel being made because of the lack of darker animated films, claiming that everything is G and PG rated anymore with little to no dark elements. He has said that he will continue to make darker animated films, either doing so with a sequel to 9 plus original ideas for future films.^[17] Before the theatrical release of the film, director Shane Acker stated he was open for a sequel.^[18] He also stated that there may be more sequels than just a second film, and also video games based on the film.^[19] In an interview released on MoviesOnline, he jokingly brought up the possibility of the sequel being titled 10.^[20]

See also[link]

• List of American films of 2009
• 9 (2005 film) – The original short film on which 9 is based.
• Homunculus
• Rag doll

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 9 (2009 film)

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: 9 (2009 film)

• Official website
• 9 at the Internet Movie Database
• 9 at Box Office Mojo
• 9 at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Scientist's Laboratory
• 9 picture gallery
• Shane Acker's official website
• 9 wiki