'9' a lot to look at, little to think about

In spite of having an incoherent story line, “9” redeems itself with ornate visual design and sound effects.

The film, with first time director Shane Acker at the helm, is set in yet another post-apocalyptic world. The world, though crumbling, is gorgeous to behold. Ruins are intricately stacked atop of one another and filled with broken dolls, gas cans and skeletons of cars. The protagonist, 9, is a humanoid creature made of canvas. The film follows him and other numbered sack people as they fight the machine menace that killed off mankind.

Detail is the film’s strongest suit, and the viewer can see evidence of the filmmaker’s ingenuity in every set, character and prop. While the characters are about as real as hollowed canvas people can be, they are at least interesting to look at thanks to quirky accessories. For example, the leader has a scrap piece of paper folded into a crown, the warrior damsel has a bird skull helmet, and the character who knows how to defeat the machine has a key hanging from his neck.

Sound effects also draw the audience into the world of “9.” The sound of rubble falling beneath the hero’s feet, a machine’s electronic scream as it ignites, or the twang of a makeshift crossbow are just a few examples of the supreme audio effects. The score is only contextual, and it seldom enhances the viewing experience. Instead, it’s loud during action sequences, foreboding when a machine is lurking in the dark, and joyous when the characters celebrate. Obviously, Acker spent a lot of time getting the sounds right, and it’s a gift to the ears, especially when most of the summer blockbusters relied on heavy explosions or intrusive sound tracks.

The film’s story line has to move quickly in the 79-minute running time. Rarely do the characters talk longer than five minutes before a mechanical cat skeleton or a scrap heap bat bursts in and sends the sack people running. However, Acker doesn’t push the film too far, and it finishes before the viewer runs out of patience.

The film, originally a dialouge-less short, was nominated for an Oscar in 2006, and I can’t help but wish it had remained silent. The voice cast is loaded and includes the talents of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, and John C. Reilly, but when these impressive actors are forced to spew out trite phrases like, “I started this, and now I have to finish to it,” one can’t help but cheer for a machine’s return.

The movie also suffers from having a plot like a puddle: It’s shallow, murky and quickly evaporates. There is something about the death of the human race, the creation of the sack people and the war between the machines, but the story does not progress beyond that. There are also some skimpy themes of destiny and redemption in “9,” but the viewer would be better off pretending these distractions aren’t there. Danger is the only thing that ever truly comes into focus throughout the film, as machines continue to kill off 9’s friends.

The film can also get confusing, as it seems Acker couldn’t decide whether it was geared toward children and adults, thus he often flounders in between. While a cheap shock might surprise children who don’t know any better, an adult will be unmoved. Conversely, a scene where a dead mother clutches her dead child seems a bit too much for younger audiences, but just right to establish a sense of dread for adults. The movie has a few of these moments when the viewer feels as though he or she is in the wrong movie, but they quickly pass.

Treat yourself to “9” if you’re in the mood for some ingenious visual and auditory tidbits. Acker pours pounds of creativity into the film, and your right brain will thank you, even if your left brain howls in indignation.

‘9’
Now Playing
PG-13
3 out of 5 stars