9 (2009 film)

9
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Shane Acker
Produced by	Tim Burton Timur Bekmambetov Jim Lemley Dana Ginsburg Jinko Gotoh
Screenplay by	Pamela Pettler
Story by	Shane Acker
Based on	9  by Shane Acker
Starring	Elijah Wood John C. Reilly Jennifer Connelly Christopher Plummer Crispin Glover Martin Landau
Music by	Deborah Lurie
Cinematography	Kevin R. Adams
Editing by	Nick Kenway
Studio	Relativity Media Starz Animation Tim Burton Productions Bazelevs Animation
Distributed by	Focus Features
Release date(s)	September 9, 2009 (2009-09-09)
Running time	79 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$30 million
Box office	$48,428,063

9 is a 2009 American computer-animated science fiction adventure film directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov. The film stars the voices of Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, Martin Landau and Christopher Plummer. It is based on Acker's Academy Award-nominated 2005 short film of the same name. The screenplay for the film was written by Pamela Pettler, with casting by Mindy Marin, production design by Robert St. Pierre and Fred Warter, and art direction by Christophe Vacher.

Plot

Prior to the events of film, a scientist is ordered by his dictator to create a machine in the apparent name of progress. The Scientist uses his own intellect to create the B.R.A.I.N., a thinking robot. However, the dictator quickly seizes it and integrates it into the Fabrication Machine, an armature that can construct an army of war machines to destroy the dictator's enemies. Lacking a soul, the Fabrication Machine is corrupted and exterminates all organic life using toxic gas. In desperation, the Scientist uses alchemy to create nine homunculus-like rag dolls known as Stitchpunks using portions of his own soul via a talisman, but dies as a result.

Sometime later, the last doll, 9, awakens in the Scientist's workshop. Taking the talisman with him, 9 ventures out into the devastated city and meets 2, a frail inventor who gives him a voice box and is surprised when 9 reveals the talisman. The last surviving machine, the Cat-Beast, attacks the pair and kidnaps 2 and the talisman. 9 collapses, but awakens in Sanctuary, a cathedral that is home to the other dolls, including the dogmatic leader 1, his large bodyguard 8, the one-eyed engineer 5, and the mentally unstable oracle 6. 1 immediately labels 2 as dead, but 9 and 5 decide to rescue him. They both track the Cat-Beast to a factory where they find 2. 7, the only female of the dolls, arrives and kills the Cat-Beast, but 9 puts the talisman into the previously derelict Fabrication Machine, causing 2's soul to be absorbed by the machine, reviving it and killing him in the process; 9, 7, and 5 manage to escape the factory.

7 takes 9 and 5 to the library, where the silent scholar twins, 3 and 4, show 9 the Fabrication Machine's origins. 5 realizes the talisman's symbols match the clairvoyant drawings of 6. 9 and 5 return to Sanctuary to investigate, but 1 confronts and chastises them. The Fabrication Machine starts constructing new machines, one of which, the bird-like Winged Beast, attacks Sanctuary and almost kills the punks, but sets fire to the cathedral from a fire pot, and later gets killed by a plane's propeller. Retreating to the library with 1 saddened by the loss of his home, 6, 3, and 4 cryptically explain the talisman's origins, but 1 once again chastises the group. As 9 found out that 1 sent 2 to die, 7 tries to attack 1 but 9 stopped her and so 7 runs away. The Fabrication Machine meanwhile has made many Spiderbots, small spider-like robots, and Seekers, hot-air balloon-like robots. The Fabrication Machine, angered at the loss of the Winged Beast, finds 2's corpse and uses it as a hypnotic lure for another robot, the Seamstress. The Seamstress attacks the library and 7 and 8 are captured in the resulting battle, but the body of 2 is safely recovered and given a funeral by the others. The others then run to the factory to destroy the machines. 9 goes inside alone, kills the Seamstress, and rescues 7, but is too late to save 8, as the Fabrication Machine already absorbed his soul. Afterwards, 9 and 7 escape while the others destroy the factory by pushing an oil barrel with a flaming rag fuse into a puddle of oil.

The dolls celebrate but the Fabrication Machine appears, quickly killing 5 and then 6, but not before 6 tells 9 that the others are trapped within the machine and to return to the "first room" (the Scientist's workshop) to gain answers. 9 follows his instructions, finding a recorded message from his creator, who explains the talisman can be used against the Fabrication Machine and free the dolls' souls trapped in it. 9 reunites with the other dolls, willing to sacrifice himself so 7 can get the talisman. However, 1, having had a change of heart, puts himself in the way and is killed instead allowing 9 to remove the talisman and destroy the Fabrication Machine, freeing the trapped souls. 9, 7, 3, and 4 free the souls of 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8 from the talisman, who fly up into the sky causing it to rain. The final image shows that the raindrops contain small flecks of glowing bacteria, bringing life back to the world.

Creations

9 as he appears in the film.

• 9 (Elijah Wood) is the youngest of the group that represents the Scientist's humanity, bigheartedness, thoughtfulness, and sincerity and is the main protagonist. He is very intelligent, but he can make mistakes due to his curiosity. He seeks the truth in the history of his creation, and wishes to know the meaning of life. He has a strong brotherly bond with 5. An incarnation of him from the 2005 film is the light bulb staff which is made from 2's staff and hat. His skin is fastened by a zipper and his appearance is very similar to 5's and have a strong brotherly bond with each other. Along with 3,4, and 7, he is a survivor.
• 8 (Fred Tatasciore) is the brutish ruffian from the Scientist's personality. He wields the one half of a scissor and a knife as his weapons. He is a master of his weapons, but is the least intelligent of the group. He is the largest of the group. The reason of his creation is to be the protector of the entire group but becomes 1's bodyguard because he is very gullible. He is prone to harassing the group but 6 is mostly the bullied one. He has an affinity for magnets which is why he barely speaks. His skin is made of two fabrics which are fastened with metal fasteners. He is the second to die.
• 7 (Jennifer Connelly) is the fighter part of the Scientist's personality and is (possibly) the only female of the group. A rebel and a loner, she is willing to take many risks for the good of her people. She is the first to rebel 1's orders. As a hardened warrior, she never lets anyone enter her heart but is softened by 9. Her skin is fastened together by stitching and a green button on her chest and a round button on her wrist as a shield. She wears a bird's skull as a helmet and two feathers to cover her scarred number. She wields a knife tied to a stick. Along with 3,4, and 9, she is a survivor.
• 6 (Crispin Glover) is the artistic portion of the Scientist's personality. He sees things what the others in the group don't see. 6's fingers are made of ink pen nibs, which he uses to draw. He keeps saying, "Go back to the source." but no one understands him so he's often ignored. 9, however, wants to know things about the talisman. He is very childish and unstable and is the shortest member. His skin is striped and ink-stained. He has strings on top of his head. He is the fourth to die.
• 5 (John C. Reilly) is the Healer part of the Scientist's personality. 5 is caring, nurturing, and the loyal, bighearted "common man" who always tries to play the peacemaker. He is 9's second friend. He one eye is an incarnation from the 2005 film. His skin is fastened with two buttons. He wields a crossbow with needles and a grappling hook. He is the third to die.
• 3 and 4 are twins, and the Historians of the group. They are unable to speak, instead using flickering lights in their eyes to communicate with each other and 4 can project images from his/her eyes for the other members of the group. They also use their eyes to catalog objects before projecting images of them. They are very intelligent and energetic. They were hoods and their skins are blue with multicolored stripes. Along with 9 and 7 they are survivors
• 2 (Martin Landau) is the creative portion of the Scientist's personality. He is a kind, delicate old inventor. He is fascinated by garbage and scrap, and loves to explore the wastelands and look for parts for his inventions. He is 9's first friend and is the first member he met. He is frail and old despite being the second eldest. His skin is fastened with parts from a shoe and wears a candle holder as a hat and eyeglass to see in the dark and see better. He is the first to die.
• 1 (Christopher Plummer) is the cowardly, arrogant portion of the Scientist's personality. He is the oldest of the group and the leader.

Humans

• The Scientist (Alan Oppenheimer) invented the nine creations in an attempt to thwart the corrupt and warlike B.R.A.I.N., hoping that they would continue the spark of life. Each of his creations contains a portion of his human soul, embodying both his qualities and flaws. He used the talisman to transfer his soul and supply each with life.
• The Chancellor (Tom Kane) was responsible for causing the Fabrication Machine to turn against humanity.
• Radio announcer (Fred Tatasciore)
• Newscaster (Helen Wilson)

Machines

• The Cat Beast is the first machine that 9 encounters, and the main antagonist of the original short film 9. It was the last active machine in the world until the reactivation of the Fabrication Machine. With a gait somewhere between a lion and a monkey, it has spines on its back, a cat skull for a head, a red mechanical eye in its left socket and a light bulb in its right, which it uses to see in the dark. It kidnapped 2, but was destroyed by 7.

• The Fabrication Machine/B.R.A.I.N. (Binary Reactive Artificially Intelligent Neurocircuit) is the machine that built all the machines. It was designed by the Scientist as an A.I. for use by the Chancellor, but the latter enslaved it as the control unit for weapons manufacture, causing it to go rogue and wipe out humanity. It fell dormant at some point, but was reactivated (accidentally) by 9, at which point it began building machines to hunt down the last remaining lifesigns on the planet. After the group destroys its factory, it manages to emerge and continue the battle. It killed 2, 8, 5, 6, and 1, but it was destroyed by 9 with the help of the talisman. It has several arms which are mostly claws because it is was designed to build, three giant legs to support it and a red eye.

• The Winged Beast is a pterodactyl-like machine constructed by the Fabrication Machine to hunt down the creations. It has knives and scissors for a mouth, four small red eyes around its "head", a tarp or flag for its bat-like wings, and a harpoon on the end of its tail. Several human bones appear to be integrated in its structure. It can fly through a combination of its wings and an electric fan in its body. In battle, it uses the blades on its head, the claws on its wings, or its harpoon tail, which can be fired and retracted at will. It attacks the group in their cathedral base, setting it on fire in the process. It is knocked out of the air by 8, but manages to counter 7's attack and impale her leg with its harpoon. 8 severs the weapon when it tries to reel in its prey, causing the string to be caught in an old airplane propeller. As the Winged Beast attempts to attack 1, 5 and 6 manage to reactivate the propeller, destroying the mechanical monster when it collides with the spinning blades.

• The Seamstress is a cobra-like robot designed by the Fabrication Machine to capture the Scientist's other creations, it is also its most formidable warrior. Its serpentine body bears numerous spindly metal limbs that end in a variety of claws, scissors, needles and blades. Spools of red thread are attached to its back, and 2's lifeless body is attached to its tail. Its head is a mixture of a skull and a broken doll mask with a requisite red mechanical eye hidden by the black fabric of its body, surrounded by smaller limbs that can spread the fabric to reveal its face. It flashes light through 2's eyes to hypnotize its victims, immobilizes them with its thread, and binds them in its own body to take back to the Fabrication Machine. It kidnaps 7 and 8 in this way, and the others follow it to the main factory of the Fabrication Machine. It is eventually destroyed by 9 after being tricked into attacking a decoy.

• Seekers are large hot air balloon-like machines with searchlights and alarms similar to air-raid sirens to scout around the factory.

• Spiderbots are small tarantula-like robots that are made by the Fabrication Machine to repopulate the humanless world. They chase 9 and 7 as they escape the factory.

• Steel Behemoths are large, two-legged machines built by the Fabrication Machine as autonomous weapons. They formed the bulk of the Chancellor's army during the new war; a decision that backfired on humanity when the Fabrication Machine went rogue, as its behemoths were already spread across the world to begin their mass extermination of all life. They are visually similar to the tripods from "The War of the Worlds". They are fast for their size, and use powerful machine guns that can penetrate concrete. They can also launch capsules that excrete toxic gas. As said by 1, the gas kills all life, including bacteria.

Production

9 was directed by Shane Acker, who also wrote the story based on his previous short film by the same title. Pamela Pettler and Ben Gluck wrote the script. Shane Acker, a young director, was influenced by Tim Burton to work with him on this animated feature. It was produced in part by Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov and Jim Lemley, and released on September 9, 2009. Animation began in Luxembourg at Attitude Studio, but subsequently moved to Starz Animation in Toronto, Canada. The film was released by Focus Features. Originally, TriStar Pictures was supposed to release the film with Focus Features but dropped out to distribute Planet 51.^{[citation needed]} FastTrack Schedule was the software product used to create and manage the movie schedule.

Music

9: The Original Motion Soundtrack
Film score by Danny Elfman Deborah Lurie
Released	September 9, 2009 (2009-09-09)
Label	Reprise
Danny Elfman Deborah Lurie chronology
Terminator Salvation (2009) 9 (2009)

While the surviving creations are celebrating, "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland plays on a 78rpm gramophone record.

"Welcome Home" by Coheed and Cambria plays in the trailer for the film, with minor censoring. The trailer also features an excerpt from "The Captain" by The Knife.

It released the soundtrack CD which was only available on iTunes before the movie was released. It includes the themes created by Danny Elfman, Deborah Lurie's score and "Welcome Home".

Track listing

All music composed by Danny Elfman and Deborah Lurie with soundtrack, except "Welcome Home" (lyrics by Claudio Sanchez, music by Coheed and Cambria).

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Introduction"	1:42
2.	"Finding Answers"	1:48
3.	"Sanctuary"	2:12
4.	"Winged Beast"	4:28
5.	"Reunion/Searching For Two"	2:12
6.	"The Machines"	0:58
7.	"Out There"	2:42
8.	"Twins"	1:36
9.	"Slaying the Beast"	1:21
10.	"Return of the Machines"	2:47
11.	"Burial"	1:24
12.	"Reawakening"	3:10
13.	"The Aftermath"	1:41
14.	"Confrontation"	1:53
15.	"The Seamstress"	2:05
16.	"Return to the Workshop"	1:54
17.	"The Purpose"	5:20
18.	"Release"	4:00
19.	"Welcome Home" (performed by Coheed and Cambria)	6:15

Marketing

On December 25, 2008, a trailer was released on Apple.com, featuring The Knife's "The Captain" and Coheed and Cambria's "Welcome Home".

The trailer featured several machines up against the protagonists: the Cat Beast, a cat-like ambush predator that appeared in the original short film; The Winged Beast, a pterodactyl-like machine with movable blades in its mouth; the Seamstress, a hypnotic serpent; Steel Behemoths, large two-legged machines armed with a machine gun and poison gas missiles which can kill in a matter of seconds; the Fabrication Machine, a cyclopic, spider-like machine with many multi-jointed arms; and Seekers, aerial machines with searchlights. Later trailers also reveal the existence of several small spider-like machines.

Part of the film's marketing strategy was its release date of September 9, 2009 ("9/9/09").

9 is the second animated feature film to be released by Focus Features, the first being Coraline, written & directed by Henry Selick and based on the book by Neil Gaiman. The trailer for 9 preceded Coraline when it was shown in theaters and released on DVD.

A second trailer for 9 first appeared on G4's Attack of the Show and was later shown before Land of the Lost. It is an extensive trailer which includes a bit of the background story behind the existence of the creations.

In April 2009, the film's "Scientist" began making journal entries on a Facebook page called "9 Scientist", including essays about each of his nine creations. The "9 Scientist" Facebook page seemingly references events leading up to the release of the film.

A viral campaign promotional website for 9 was launched. It shed some light upon the background of the 9 world.

Since the work of The Scientist is ultimately responsible for the destruction of mankind, it is of some note that the actor who plays this role, Alan Oppenheimer is the cousin of scientist Robert Oppenheimer, the "Father of the Atomic Bomb".^{[citation needed]}

The film was rated PG-13 for "violence and scary images".

NECA Toys released collectible action figures of 9 and 1.

Video game

Shortly before the film's release, SkyZone released a mobile game adaptation entitled 9: The Mobile Game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The plot is similar to the movie's plot, with minor differences. It received mixed reviews.

Reception

Critical reaction

9 has received mixed reviews, with critics highly praising its visuals, but criticizing its average voice acting, character development and pacing. Based on 174 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an overall "Rotten" approval rating of 57% from critics. On Metacritic, it currently holds a score of 60 out of 100 indicating mixed or average reviews. Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, saying it is "beautifully animated and intriguingly unwholesome...nevertheless worth seeing". The general sentiment by critics is that the film is "long on imaginative design but less substantial in narrative." Variety's Todd McCarthy says "In the end, the picture's impact derives mostly from its design and assured execution."

Box office

Its opening weekend landed it at #2 behind I Can Do Bad All By Myself with approximately $10,740,446 and $15,160,926 for its 5-day opening. As of November 29, 2009, the film has grossed US$48,428,063 worldwide.

Awards and nominations

• Honored with the Winsor McCay Award [for career achievement] (producer Tim Burton)

Awards

Award	Category	Recipient(s)	Outcome
Annie Awards
	Best Animated Effects in a Feature Production	Alexander Feigin	Nominated
	Best Production Design in a Feature Production	Christophe Vacher	Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards	Producer of the Year in Animated Motion Picture		Nominated
Visual Effects Society Awards	Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture	Ken Duncan, Jinko Gotoh, Daryl Graham, Joe Ksander	Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association	Best Animated Film		Nominated
Motion Picture Sound Editors
	Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in an Animation Feature Film	Shie Rozow, Pascal Garneau, Denise Thorpe, Jana Vance, Will Files, Jeremy Bowker, Luke Dunn Gielmuda, Jill Purdy (Skywalker Sound)	Nominated
	Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects, Foley, Music, Dialogue and ADR Animation in a Feature Film		Nominated

Home release

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 29, 2009, just three-and-a-half months after the film's theatrical release. The DVD and Blu-ray contained special features such as the director Shane Acker's original 2005 short film of the same name, cast interviews, and commentary by the filmmakers.

Sequel

"I think there is definitely room. I mean, the way we end the film, there is a slight suggestion that it may be a new beginning. And I think we could continue the journey from where we left off and see how these creatures are existing in a world in which the natural environment is coming back and perhaps even threatening them in some way. Do they make the decision to not affect it, or do they try to affect it in some way? And do they still try to hold on to that humanity within them or do they recognize themselves at being machines too and go off on a different trajectory? So there's lots of idea that I think that we could play with and make another story out of."

— Director Shane Acker in an interview with Joblo.com.

Currently no plans for a sequel have been made, but possibilities have been mentioned via the film's DVD commentary. Shane Acker has also mentioned the possibility of a sequel being made because of the lack of darker animated films, claiming that everything is G and PG rated with little to no dark elements. He has said that he will continue to make darker animated films, either doing so with a sequel to 9 or original ideas for future films. Before the theatrical release of the film, director Shane Acker and producer Tim Burton stated they were open for a sequel, depending on how well the film was received. Since the film's release onto DVD, there have been no further mentions of a sequel, with Acker focusing on his latest project Deep.

See also

• List of American films of 2009
• 9 (2005 film) – The original short film on which 9 is based.
• Homunculus
• Rag doll

External links

• Official website
• 9 at the Internet Movie Database
• 9 at Box Office Mojo
• 9 at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Scientist's Laboratory
• 9 picture gallery
• Shane Acker's official website
• 9 wiki