DVD Review: 9

From visionary filmmakers Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas), Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and Academy Award -nominated director Shane Acker comes this visually stunning and original epic adventure. In the final days of humanity, a dedicated scientist gives the spark of life to nine of his creations. The world has turned into an unrecognizable landscape of machines and spare parts, but this group of nine finds that if they band together, their small community might just be able to change the course of history. Featuring the voice talents of Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly and Crispin Glover, it’s a thrilling, suspenseful story critics call, “richly imaginative.” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone)

Review:
Saying 9 is a beautiful movie is a huge understatement. It’s visually intense, and the CGI is absolutely seamless. However, this is where my wonderment with the film ceased. The plot is basic, formulaic, and offers little to excite the viewer. One might assume it would be more entertaining for younger viewers – but in my opinion it’s far too violent for that audience.

The film is set in the final days of humanity where a scientist manages to bring to life nine of his creations. These nine creations are easily convinced that if they band together – they can change the course of history and the world that has turned into a bleak place offering little hope.

The dialog is almost insufferable, and the character development is hardly impressive. With Tim Burton being involved, perhaps my expectations were too high going into this. The story could have been interesting with a different script – but it’s far from the epic masterpiece that the dvd case promises you. The only real reason to watch it is for visuals.

There are some decent special features on the Blu-ray including deleted scenes, feature commentary, ‘9 – The Original Short’, and another of other featurettes in Hi-Def that are worth checking out – especially if you enjoyed the visuals of the film.

Review by Emma Loggins

Grade: C
Official site: http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/9/
Buy on Amazon: 9

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