Tim Burton’s animated post-apocalyptic nightmare on DVD & Blu-Ray
I liked this 9 instantly. It’s typically dark with Tim Burton at the producers seat, but it’s also filled with great characters, a good plot, slick animation and more realism than the average live action movie.
Based on the 2005 short film of the same name, this feature length computer animated masterpiece was never going to draw massive box office budgets. It’s a cartoon that you’d probably struggle to get the average kid to sit through, but maybe that says more about the way parents bring up children than the film itself.
In a world after the destruction of humanity by the intelligent machines that they created, 9 (Elijah Wood) awakens to find that he was the final creation of the scientist behind the machines and that he is a part of a band of “creations” that have managed to survive in the post-apocalyptic world. However, the machines still exist and their influence on the nine creations is just about to push them to the edge of their capabilities.
It’s a film with substance, a good story and some tense action. It won’t be to everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re interested in the concept of intelligent technology (Terminator, I Robot etc) then you’ll probably buy into the overarching message of the film. There’s also the rumour of a prequel and sequel to the film, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Overall, 9 is a good DVD / Blu-Ray home entertainment choice if you like your cartoons bleak and portentous (as I do).
9 DVD review: 4.2/5
