9 for a Lost God
9, expanded from a short film, is an animated post-apocalyptic tale featuring "stitchpunk" characters that look like little rag dolls brought to life-which is essentially what they are. In the first few minutes, we see the creation of 9, our hero. There are eight other numerically named characters, all with distinct personalities (except for the twins). They live in a desolate wasteland and battle giant steampunk beasties.
9 looks fantastic. Everything is so crisp and clear that there were certain objects that looked real and sometimes I thought that the characters could have been claymation, they were so tangible. Yet they move very fluidly. The character designs, both for the heroes and the beasties, are a treat to watch and examine. The sound design is also great.
The characters that are supposed to be likable are, but 1 is a bit too stereotypical in his characterization. The twins are a hoot. And the most badass character is the only female character (Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 will KICK YOUR ASS).
Most of 9 is an exciting adventure, but the real meat of it is a slight disappointment. For all the originality in the look of everything, the reason for the apocalypse is the same old thing, and the scenes explaining it are unintentionally amusing. I was more pleased with the answer to the major question the viewer has throughout the movie: Why were these creatures made? Why are they alive? What is their purpose? I thought it was a nice idea, although it then led to a rather strange ending. There were many questions inherent in the premise that I thought the movie would explore that it didn't, although they were touched on a little.
It's visually spectacular and very entertaining, but I wish the story were a little more satisfying. Regardless, it's very cool and worth seeing.
9 looks fantastic. Everything is so crisp and clear that there were certain objects that looked real and sometimes I thought that the characters could have been claymation, they were so tangible. Yet they move very fluidly. The character designs, both for the heroes and the beasties, are a treat to watch and examine. The sound design is also great.
The characters that are supposed to be likable are, but 1 is a bit too stereotypical in his characterization. The twins are a hoot. And the most badass character is the only female character (Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 will KICK YOUR ASS).
Most of 9 is an exciting adventure, but the real meat of it is a slight disappointment. For all the originality in the look of everything, the reason for the apocalypse is the same old thing, and the scenes explaining it are unintentionally amusing. I was more pleased with the answer to the major question the viewer has throughout the movie: Why were these creatures made? Why are they alive? What is their purpose? I thought it was a nice idea, although it then led to a rather strange ending. There were many questions inherent in the premise that I thought the movie would explore that it didn't, although they were touched on a little.
It's visually spectacular and very entertaining, but I wish the story were a little more satisfying. Regardless, it's very cool and worth seeing.