The Standard

Issue date: 9/15/09 Section: Features

Looks matter. For a movie with a classic story line, looks really matter.

From new director Shane Acker comes "9," the story of a post-apocalyptic world in which the ultimate fate of humanity rests in the hands of nine sock puppets. Although the film is visually stunning, it may leave some disappointed with a very familiar plot.

The main protagonist and hero awakes alone to find the world in ruins. A brilliant scientist has created a "brain" machine that will do anything it is told. It was meant for peace and to create, but, you guessed it, the army gets a hold of it and turns it into a killing machine. Soon it turns on its creators.

Now at war with the machines, man is fighting a losing battle. Before long, there is nothing left but a giant earth-sized junkyard. Except these nine sock puppets that aim to figure out what happened, why they were created and what to do now.

On his quest, "9", the hero (voiced by Elijah Wood) gets help from his fellow puppets: his friend and semi-comic relief "5"(John C. Reilly), protector, "7" (Jennifer Connelly) and the kind hearted old man, "2" (Martin Landau).

Sound like a familiar story line? That's because it is. So many movies tell about the perils of man building super computers and machines that can think. It's old news, but sock puppets are a new flavor of savior.

Visually, this film is stunning. The attention to detail is phenomenal, which isn't unexpected when you know that Acker worked with WETA on Lord of the Rings. The unique look of the film is what carried it.

The movie is also heavy on symbolism, which isn't really surprising considering the storyline. It was a little surprising that there was heavy Nazi Germany symbolism. There were big red banners with symbols in the middle draped behind the dictator and advanced machinery being used to cut down the enemy.

Overall, the main thing to remember with "9" is that not everyone is going to like it, but some people will love it. The classic plot could really throw you off if you're looking for something original. But if you're ok with a used story line and sock puppets, then this could be a film for you.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools