Movie with Abe: 9

9
Directed by Shane Acker
Released September 9, 2009

The recent slate of animated films from Pixar has become increasingly mature, with grown-up themes in “Cars” and serious mediations on life in the future and getting older in “Wall-E” and “Up.” Dating back to its first feature, “Toy Story,” Pixar has always produced animated classics that appeal both to children and adults. Darker, more explicitly mature fare like “Waking Life,” “A Scanner Darkly,” and “Waltz with Bashir” has been released in recent years, which is meant for a different crowd. The new film “9” looks more like the first kind of film but is certainly well-equipped to stand in the second category. It’s an impressive use of animation to convey an altogether intriguing story that wouldn’t have nearly the same effect in a live-action format.

It’s a rather ragtag tale of, well, rag dolls and it’s completely stunning and engaging from start to finish. After humans are annihilated by the robots they created, a scientist brings nine rag dolls to life as the last defense against the machines. The last to awaken, 9, is a spunky and courageous hero determined to leave no rag doll behind. The spirit of community and brotherhood that is so quickly fostered among some of the rag dolls is inspiring, and this film charges ahead through the character of 9 with a childlike curiosity into a terrifying world comparable to that of “The Matrix.” The nine last salvations of humanity aren’t childish or immature at all, and their adult attitude is what helps to separate “9” from traditional animated fare and elevate it to a different kind of filmmaking.

“9” is unusually short, running only an hour and 19 minutes, but there’s plenty of action and suspense packed in there. The film contains unexpectedly astounding scenes, including one set to “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” which are rarely found in animated movies and really showcase its characters as legendary and awe-inspiring. It’s a fully engaging experience that uses all the impressive techniques that the animated form allows while drawing on more adult themes to create an altogether astonishing film. The movie itself seems sort of like wide-eyed protagonist 9, a small film that somehow made it big and triumphed in the most unlikely of circumstances.

B+

Watch the Minute with Abe here.