If you rent DVDs through Netflix as I do, you may have come across the somewhat oddly named category “Animation for Grown-ups.” The concept isn’t odd, it’s the use of the word grown-ups that gets me.
There’s something curiously child-like in this descriptor, even when the essence of the term is to elevate the oftentimes-marginalized art of animation to something more serious than “just for kids.” I think, though, it sheds light on an important point. No matter what the subject matter, animated films, by their very nature, will always retain some whiz-bang cool factor that delights simply by being spectacle.
“Animation for Grown-ups” is definitely a hard nut to crack. And I can’t say Shane Acker’s 9 is 100% successful. (Let’s say that the nut is cracked, but there’s one or two little bits of shell that somehow make it into your mouth when you chow down on it.) The pros certainly outweigh the cons, however, making this a more-than-worthy entry into the Netflix category.
9 tells the story of nine rag doll creatures who are gifted with life in a desolate wasteland after a machine uprising. The ninth li’l guy to wake up is voiced by Elijah Wood, probably just to make things easier as he is, basically, Frodo. He must unite then lead the other rag dolls on a dangerous journey to let good conquer evil somehow. Visually, 9 dazzles. Both of the A-list producers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov can safely say they backed the right horse. There is energy, pop and a clever/artful element to every frame. Women who minor in printmaking, knit on the subway and listen to They Might Be Giants will experience such electrifying euphoria, they’ll shatter the lenses in their Lisa Loeb glasses.
Story-wise, well, it would be easy to take a few potshots. As far as played-out memes are concerned, sentient and destruction happy machines are right on the heels of zombies and vampires. 9 wisely doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on the backstory – and when we do get glimpses, it’s via newsreels or Jor-El-esque messages.
The action sequences, of which there are many, are very engaging. This is where Jennifer Connelly's character 7 (you may have seen her with the bird skull helmet) steals the show with a number of high energy and fast paced set pieces. Many of her moves seem rooted in video games, which come off quite dazzling in this context.
The imagery dips its toe into being truly frightening at times. Then it reverts to being adorable. It is, quite frankly, an amazing trick.
As is 9’s look, which at times felt steampunk, and at other times looked straight goth. Then I realized it was something much better: it was unique.
If there were one word for 9 it would be crafty. The character of 2 introduces us to a world where the detritus of a destroyed society can be turned into essential tools. Watching the movie is like exploring one of those cool shops where old 45s are turned into ashtrays. Only a thousand times more inspired than that rote example.
This crafty attitude extends all the way to the story itself– snatching some of the ideas floating from Battlestar Galactica, Terminator Salvation, Wall-E and anything where the babbling insane/artistic guy is actually decoding the equation for victory. (Take a guess which character is voiced by Crispin Glover.)
It takes great skill to combine common elements and to turn them into something you’ve never seen before. It’s what 2 does to survive and it’s what Shane Acker has done with his movie 9. It should never be mass marketed, but for people with a keen eye toward quality, it’s the best ash tray they’ll buy this year.
