Media

Home Theater Movie Renter's Guide - January, 2010

"9" (Blu-ray) - Reviewed by Stephen Hornbrook

Synopsis

9 takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where sentient machines have turned against man and destroyed all life.. almost. Still alive are a group of "sack dolls" that were created by an old scientist before he died. 9 was his last creation.  It isn't very long after 9 comes to life that he discovers there are others like him, all named after the order they were created in.  They have survived by laying low and hiding from any of the leftover machines.  9 feels its his destiny to find a way to live freely and without fear.  In his efforts to destroy the machines, he instead awakens the brain, or creator machine. It's up to him and his new friends to save civilization!

Commentary

The movie is beautiful to watch and at only 79 minutes, doesn't take too much of your time.  It's worth it though.  Original visuals, good music and sound effects make this a fun ride.  Like many other reviewers, I did find the plot a bit weak and wanted more depth and back story.  Some things just didn't feel fully explained to me..

Technical

Flawless image quality that really shows off the detail and textures in the movie.  Audio was spacious and filled my home theater room with tons of atmosphere. The bass track is dynamic and floor-shaking. Excellent disc!

Extras

Audio Commentary with director Shane Acker, writer Ryan O'Laughlin, animation director Joe Ksander, and editor Nick Kenway.  "The Original Short" is exactly that.  Shane Acker created a short piece as his thesis for film school.  "The Long and Short of it" is a short making-of featurette.  "On Tour with Shane Aker" is a very quick look at the teams that made the movie.  "the Look of 9" deals with the film's visual style.  "Acting Out" looks at the animation department and how they recreate the actor's emotion. "Deleted Scenes" show some storyboards.

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