9 (2009 film)

9 is a 2009 American computer-animated post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Shane Acker based on his 2005 animated short of the same name. The film was produced by Focus Features and released on September 9, 2009.

Plot
In an alternate world, an unnamed scientist (Alan Oppenheimer) is ordered by his dictator (Tom Kane) to create a robot in the apparent name of progress. The scientist uses his own intellect to create the B.R.A.I.N., a highly intelligent robot. Upon completion, however, the dictator quickly seizes it before the scientist can give the machine any human characteristics and turns 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 decides to exterminate all of Earth's population. The Fabrication Machine reprograms the other war machines to attack humanity, wiping out all plant, animal and microbial life with toxic gas and chemical weapons. On the verge of destruction, the scientist uses alchemy to create nine homunculus-like rag dolls known as "stitchpunks", giving them portions of his own soul, via a talisman that he created, to bring them to life. He dies upon completion of the final doll.

Some time later, the final stitchpunk, 9 (Elijah Wood), awakens in the scientist's workshop. Taking the talisman with him, 9 ventures into the devastated city and meets 2 (Martin Landau), a frail inventor who gives him a working voice box and is surprised to see the talisman. The last active machine, the Cat-Beast, attacks the pair and abducts both 2 and the talisman. 9 collapses, but awakens in Sanctuary, the tower of a dilapidated cathedral that is home to other Stitchpunks: the dogmatic leader 1 (Christopher Plummer), his large bodyguard 8 (Fred Tatasciore), the cycloptic engineer 5 (John C. Reilly), and the mentally unstable oracle 6 (Crispin Glover). 1 immediately declares 2 as dead, but 9, having seen the condemned factory where the Cat-Beast took him, decides to rescue him. 9 and 5 venture to the factory where they find 2. The Cat-Beast attacks the trio, but are saved by the warrior 7 (Jennifer Connelly). 9, drawn by curiosity, connects the talisman to the derelict Fabrication Machine, reviving it, and it subsequently kills 2 by sucking out his soul. 9, 5, and 7 manage to escape the factory.

7 takes 9 and 5 to an abandoned library, where the mute scholar twins, 3 and 4, show 9 a film showing the Fabrication Machine's origins. 5 realizes the talisman's symbols match the clairvoyant drawings of 6. 9 and 5 return to Sanctuary to investigate, but 1 intervenes and reprimands them for disobeying his orders, especially due to the consequences of their actions. Meanwhile, the Fabrication Machine assembles new robotic creatures; one of them, the bird-like Winged Beast, attacks Sanctuary, leading to a battle between it and the stitchpunks. The stitchpunks win, defeating the Winged Beast, but lose their safehouse due to a fire caused during the battle.

As the group retreats to the library, 6, 3, and 4 cryptically explain the talisman's origins. Meanwhile, the Fabrication Machine retrieves 2's corpse and turns it into a hypnotic lure on another one of its robot creatures, the snake-like Seamstress. The Seamstress attacks the library and captures both 7 and 8, but 2's body is recovered and given a funeral by the others. The stitchpunks then run to the factory to destroy the machines. As part of their plan, 9 goes in alone, kills the Seamstress, and rescues 7, but not before 8's soul is absorbed by the Fabrication Machine. 9 and 7 then escape while the others destroy the factory.

The stitchpunks celebrate the destruction of the factory, but the Fabrication Machine, which survived, suddenly emerges from the ruins of the factory and absorbs 5's soul. The Fabrication Machine attacks the group as they run away, and finally captures 6, who is absorbed, but not before telling 9 to go to the scientist's workshop to find answers. 9 follows 6's instructions, finding a previously-overlooked holographic recorded message to him from the scientist, explaining the origins and backstory of the B.R.A.I.N. and that the Stitchpunks have his soul, making them the only hope for humanity. Following this revelation, 9 returns to his friends.

9 reunites with the other stitchpunks and decides to sacrifice himself so the others can retrieve the talisman. Having had a change of heart, 1 redeems himself by saving 9, pushing him out of the way and allowing himself to be absorbed while 9 removes the talisman. 9 activates the talisman and uses it to reabsorb the souls taken by the Machine, resulting in its final destruction. Afterwards, 9, 7, 3, and 4 release the souls of 5, 1, 6, 2, and 8 from inside the talisman. Bidding farewell to their friends, they fly up into the sky. Rain then falls from the sky, the raindrops containing small flecks of glowing bacteria, bringing life back into the world.

Why It's Great

 * 1) Spectacular animation.
 * 2) Awesome score by Deborah Lurie & Danny Elfman.
 * 3) Good set pieces.
 * 4) Well-done action sequences.
 * 5) Great creatures.
 * 6) Interesting world.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The voice acting is pretty average.
 * 2) The storyline and dialogue isn't the most interesting.
 * 3) The characters can be a bit more fleshed out.
 * 4) The pacing can be slow at times.

Trivia

 * Shane Acker first made 9 (2009) as a ten minute short film while he was still at UCLA. It was nominated for Best Animated Short at the Oscars, and although it didn't win, Acker was offered the chance to expand it into a feature film. It follows the same basic plot, but more characters have been added, they have the ability to talk now, and the reason for the world's destruction is explained in more detail.
 * Alan Oppenheimer plays the scientist responsible for the destruction of the world. So it seems fitting that he's the cousin of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the "Father of the Atomic Bomb."
 * A canny choice of the marketing department was to give the film a release date of September 9, 2009 (09/09/09).
 * The clock on the Notre Dame Church is stuck on the time 9:09.
 * The design of 3 and 4 is based on a pair of garden gloves - the thumb can be seen in the back, and the wrist is gathered at the top.
 * 1 tells 9 that he led the others to their current hideout, which he refers to as "sanctuary". The building happens to be the Notre Dame church, famously referred to as "sanctuary" in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".
 * The first ten minutes have almost no dialogue -- much like the dialogue-free 11-minute short film that this movie is based on.
 * Being a Tim Burton production, some of his trademarks have made it into the film. The themes of outsiders or the alienated triumphing over adversity. Some of his design schemes are present like stripes. The funeral scene looks very similar to the one in Burton's Batman Returns (1992). And people who've worked with Burton helped make the film, like Martin Landau. The film was also co-composed by Burton's frequent composer Danny Elfman.
 * Elijah Wood was the production's first choice for the voice of 9.
 * Post-war Vienna was one of the inspirations for the look of the film.
 * Coraline (2009) and this movie, both Focus Features animated films released in 2009, begin with a montage of a character being sewn together.
 * The script, some drawings, character design and a copy of the short film was given to Jennifer Connelly when she was offered her part.
 * During the making of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Elijah Wood and his fellow Hobbit actors all got commemorative tattoos of the epic production. Coincidentally, Wood's is of the numeral 9.
 * The fourth theatrically released computer-animated film to receive a PG-13 rating, following Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), Kaena: The Prophecy (2003) and Beowulf (2007).
 * The fifth slide in the film shown by the twins resembles the painting, "Panic In The Streets" from Jeff Wayne's 'War of the Worlds' album art.
 * The song in the official trailer is "Welcome Home" by Coheed and Cambria.
 * The Chancellor mentioned by the scientist and showed in the old archive footage appears to be a reference to Adolf Hitler, the fascist dictator of Germany from 1933 through 1945. Hitler held the title of Chancellor of Germany, until he gave himself to the new title of Führer. When standing in the car in what appears to be a parade, The Chancellor lifts his hand in a motion similar to that of The Hitler/Nazi Salute. The flags and banners shown on the wall when The Chancellor announces the creation of The Machine are similar to the Swastika Flag of the Nazi Party. Finally, when the Chancellor takes The Machine away from The Scientist, the soldiers who take The Scientist away resemble SS Officers (Hitler's Secret Police Force) in uniform and actions.
 * Christopher Plummer's 2nd animated film of 2009, after Up (2009).
 * John C. Reilly's first Animated film. Later he'd go onto voice the title character of Wreck it Ralph (2012) and its sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) and Eddie the Sheep in the Sing films.
 * Shane Acker's feature directorial debut.
 * In select US and Canadian theaters, the film could be watched on D-BOX motion simulator seats.
 * One of the few family films to get a 12 certificate in the UK.
 * The film cast includes three Oscar winners: Martin Landau, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer; and one Oscar nominee: John C. Reilly.
 * Animation began at the Attitude Studio in Luxembourg and then moved to Starz Animation in Toronto.
 * Like other post-apocalyptic films The Terminator (1984), The Matrix (1999) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) the film takes place in a post apocalyptic future where robots have taken over the world.
 * In the archive footage, when the robot first awakens, it takes a pose similar to how Ganesh is often portrayed. Ganesh is a hindu god of destruction as well the creator. The robot creates the robot army which then proceeds to bring about the apocalypse.
 * So far the only animated film of John C. Reilly's to not have any follow ups.
 * The first and (so far) only adult animated film released by Universal Pictures (under the Focus Features name) to date.
 * John C. Reilly's first and only role in an adult animated film.