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9
(Watched on BD from Netflix - NB)
Some films are better remaining has highly-regarded shorts than feature-length productions. Usually, the premise for a short is piled on with other formulaic elements rather than being teased out for the potential it holds (cf. District 9 to see how this is handled correctly). 9, the feature-film debut from creator/director Shane Acker falls into this camp. The inclusion of the award-winning short on the disc only serves to highlight the disparity between the short and the feature film.
The story features the titular 9, an animated ragdoll of sorts who “comes to†in a post-apocalyptic world. He quickly encounters other ragdolls who, menaced by some kind of evil, soul-sucking robot, have retreated to safe harbor. 9 embodies the spirit of risk and exploration, though, and soon all but a few of the remaining seemingly innocent and well-meaning ragdolls are disposed of. It's up to 9 to figure out how to release them and destroy the bad robot.
Now, clearly, you've got some heavy-handed themes here about societal order, repression, expression, rebellion, survival and hope. Here, though, the heavy hands are really ham-fists, unable to articulate much beyond the pretty scenes - and, to be fair, the film looks great, especially on BD. But a nice picture does not make a good picture and the sloppy execution and follow-through on display here makes the film passable/watchable but not lasting.
Rating: C-
