#9

Acker's visionary abilities battle with a sub-par script that flutters behind his exuberant imagination, and the result desperately cries out for a more uncompromising dramaturgist whose care would ensure more than just a fully rendered variation on the most recent Terminator. Stretching the original 11 minutes into an hour, not adding a drop of added value to the plot and hoping that "it will somehow carry itself" deserves a slap to the head. Giving these zipped-up bags a chance to show themselves properly on paper would be the most original cartoon far and wide. There is talent is evident here, though. (09.10.2009)

Trotz der perfekten Atmosphäre, den schönen künstlerischen Aspekten sowie den aufgemotzten Action-Aspekten hält der 9 das Gaspedal lediglich auf halber Strecke heruntergedrückt. Überwiegend ist dies bedingt durch die stereotyp aufgebaute Handlung, die außerdem arg auf die Agitations- und Moraisierungsnote setzt. Man hätte sich ja gerne damit abgefunden, wenn zumindest die Darbietung in Anbetracht des zu großen Dranges sowie der nicht gemeisterten Dramaturgie nicht so holprig wäre. Denn selbst die Charaktere sind nichts anderes als originelle und nicht zu merkende Skizzen mit herausragenden Stimmen. Es ist schon ein bisschen ein Problem, wenn der Drehbuchautor ein schwach anmutendes christliches Märchen schreibt und der Regisseur dieses als rohen apokalyptischen Horror wiedergibt. Doch alleine schon um der bizarren Welt willen - an der Grenze zwischen dem Ersten Weltkrieg und Cyberpunk - ist es sehenswert ... Besonders wenn Sie "Bioshock" oder "Fallout" mögen. :o) [70%] (07.09.2009)

The beginning held my attention... for about ten minutes. Then came – apologies to anyone who might be bothered or offended, but I really can't call it anything else – blatant American kitsch. And it didn't hold my attention, or even seem to deserve it. Maybe Shane Acker should have stuck with his 11-minute short from 2005, because he didn't give the world anything new by multiplying the time of the short by seven. Yes, the grim depiction of a post-apocalyptic world was very successful, perhaps I could call it the animated face of Orwell's 1984, but that's just a maybe and a happy accident. Someone wrote here about the gripping action, which I certainly didn't find gripping, rather it made me worry about whether I needed to paint my nails, which I also managed to do, and that just doesn't happen with good fantasy... It would have been a good movie if it could have held my attention. And it doesn’t help that it had been one of my most anticipated films of 2009. (31.01.2010)

Where Wall-E attempts to suggest a depressive post-apocalyptic atmosphere in the first half, 9 fully develops its vision of a world devastated by war and does not care about the moods of the child audience. The visual aspect is amazing and because it usually plays a significant role in my rating, I lean toward a five-star rating, even though I have a problem with the philosophical aspect of the film and consider its outcome unsatisfactory. Where, for example, Avatar has a philosophy that is too primitive, the philosophical dimension of 9 is possibly too complicated and uncertain. 9 depicts the adventures of nine extraordinary beings with a robotic foundation who look like rag dolls combined with the idea of artificial machines from the late 19th century. The retro-stylization, which seems to come from late Jules Verne novels, along with the gloomy visual aspect in shades of brown, is exceptional for an animated film made today and it boldly disrupts the idea of a positively inclined film that parents go to see with their young children. The heroes of the story face monstrous machines, from which hatred and dehumanized evil of technology are evident at first sight, escaping human hands. The creators of the film seem to work with the concerns of today's inhabitants of the developed world, to whom technology seemingly gets on their nerves and they dream of a return to a simple life in harmony with nature. The battle of the dolls with the devilish invention is full of adventurous action and unique effects. The idea that the story should be heading toward is somewhat lost under their fire, but it was still a strong experience for me. Overall impression: 90%. (02.05.2010)

Once I had got comfortable in my seat (seat no. 8, and I ceremoniously sat my backpack on seat no. 9) I was swallowed up by the perfect atmosphere balancing between cyberpunk and the second world war. The war got to me already in that ten minute piece. A gang of numbered figures, each of who is something special (junky no. 8, bossy no. one, etc...), are fighting against machines of genius erm... Machines that have awakened after years of sleep. The atmosphere is (I know I’m repeating myself) perfect, the action full-on + there’s lots of it and the characters are nice. But there is something wrong too. Acker’s vision and theme require a more developed story. Pamela Pettler’s screenplay is literally shoddy and full of plot holes. Everything is explained somehow too briefly and the heroes keep on walking backward and forward staying in the same place. While there’s a whole empty world waiting to be explored. (11.09.2009)

Dreieinhalb Sterne. In #9 ist nämlich die Form besser als der Inhalt, und zwar eindeutig. Der Film ist wirklich schön, die Animation ist eigentlich perfekt, das technische Spielzeug ist bis ins kleinste Detail durchdacht und die postapokalyptische Welt ist herrlich zerstört und tot. Tot ist aber auch das Drehbuch. Ich denke, dass es niemanden überraschen kann. Und wenn doch, dann nur damit, wie langweilig es ist. Das finde ich sehr schade – die Actionszenen wurden schön und einfallsreich aufgenommen, die Stofffiguren sind sympathisch und die Roboter richtig "düster"… Aber die Handlung… (16.06.2010)

Who would have expected the action movie of the year...? Fantastic cinematography, appealing darkness, and the action... Probably the best cartoon I've ever seen. (05.11.2009)

Animated films are usually imagined as those movies that you go to with children because there are a lot of colors, some cute creatures that kids will love, well, and if it's not Pixar, usually a proper story is missing - although it's not a completely true rule. What is the domain of the movie "9" is animation and generally the visual aspect. This animated film is dark, dark in its atmosphere and environment in which it takes place. Let's face it, the story is not completely childish either. Shane Acker came up with a short film called "9" in 2005, which was successful, so Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, and other producers decided to support a feature-length version. This is exactly the kind of movie that could be in the spirit of Tim Burton's style, but it's missing something. Primarily a proper screenplay. In the final form, it's nothing more than a film with a dark side that gradually eliminates a limited number of representatives of good. A little inspiration from kung fu movies, a little effort for cute moments. It's a shame, unfortunately, because this film had the potential for so much more. The presented world is truly dark and unpleasant. It could have almost been a horror film, but it fell short so that the film could be accessible to children. And yet, the film has a PG-13 rating, which means it's not suitable for children. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/05/9-umelec-diktator-nacho-libre-rise.html (19.02.2013)