9

Acker's visionary abilities battle with a sub-par script that flutters behind his exuberant imagination, and the result desperately cries out for a more uncompromising dramaturgist whose care would ensure more than just a fully rendered variation on the most recent Terminator. Stretching the original 11 minutes into an hour, not adding a drop of added value to the plot and hoping that "it will somehow carry itself" deserves a slap to the head. Giving these zipped-up bags a chance to show themselves properly on paper would be the most original cartoon far and wide. There is talent is evident here, though. (10/08/2009)

Once I had got comfortable in my seat (seat no. 8, and I ceremoniously sat my backpack on seat no. 9) I was swallowed up by the perfect atmosphere balancing between cyberpunk and the second world war. The war got to me already in that ten minute piece. A gang of numbered figures, each of who is something special (junky no. 8, bossy no. one, etc...), are fighting against machines of genius erm... Machines that have awakened after years of sleep. The atmosphere is (I know I’m repeating myself) perfect, the action full-on + there’s lots of it and the characters are nice. But there is something wrong too. Acker’s vision and theme require a more developed story. Pamela Pettler’s screenplay is literally shoddy and full of plot holes. Everything is explained somehow too briefly and the heroes keep on walking backward and forward staying in the same place. While there’s a whole empty world waiting to be explored. (09/11/2009)

Animated films are usually imagined as those movies that you go to with children because there are a lot of colors, some cute creatures that kids will love, well, and if it's not Pixar, usually a proper story is missing - although it's not a completely true rule. What is the domain of the movie "9" is animation and generally the visual aspect. This animated film is dark, dark in its atmosphere and environment in which it takes place. Let's face it, the story is not completely childish either. Shane Acker came up with a short film called "9" in 2005, which was successful, so Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, and other producers decided to support a feature-length version. This is exactly the kind of movie that could be in the spirit of Tim Burton's style, but it's missing something. Primarily a proper screenplay. In the final form, it's nothing more than a film with a dark side that gradually eliminates a limited number of representatives of good. A little inspiration from kung fu movies, a little effort for cute moments. It's a shame, unfortunately, because this film had the potential for so much more. The presented world is truly dark and unpleasant. It could have almost been a horror film, but it fell short so that the film could be accessible to children. And yet, the film has a PG-13 rating, which means it's not suitable for children. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/05/9-umelec-diktator-nacho-libre-rise.html (02/19/2013)

Despite the perfect atmosphere, beautiful art aspects and great action, 9 is only about halfway there. Mainly due to a stereotypically constructed story, which also relies on a rather agitating and moralizing tone. One could deal with that if at least the handling had not been so wanting, and dramaturgy was also not done well. Even the characters are shallow and forgettable sketches voiced by stars. It's a bit of an issue when the screenwriter writes a weak Christian fairytale and the director tells the story as a raw apocalyptic horror. However, it is worth seeing for the bizarre world on the edge of World War I and cyberpunk... Especially if you like Bioshock or Fallout. :o) [70%] (09/07/2009)

Three and a half stars. In 9, form triumphs over content, and it does so with ease. The film is really nice to look at, the animation is almost flawless, all the technical toys are well thought out and the post-apocalyptic world is beautifully demolished and dead. But the script is also dead - it likely won't surprise anyone, and if it does, it's only because of how boring it is. That’s really unfortunate - the action scenes are nicely and imaginatively shot, the rag dolls are likeable and the robots appropriately "dark"... But the plot... (06/16/2010)