Despite their roughhewn appearance, the resourceful rag dolls in "9" obviously were crafted with great love and care, both by the scientist who made them in the film and the mastermind behind them in real life, director Shane Acker.
If only as much complex thought had gone into the script.
The animation is so breathtaking in its originality, so weird and wondrous in its detail, you wish there were more meat to the screenplay from Pamela Pettler, who previously wrote "Monster House."
Based on Acker's 2004 animated short of the same name, which was nominated for an Oscar, "9" follows a group of creatures who represent the last vestige of humanity in a post-apocalyptic world. It's set in the future after a war between mankind and machines, but eerily resembles Europe after World War II, with its sepia tones blanketing the devastated surroundings in danger and fear. (Parents, don't be fooled: It may look like a cute and clever cartoon, but "9" is genuinely frightening.)
9 (voiced by Elijah Wood) awakens to find no people are left, but there are a few others like him: tiny, fabric dolls stitched together coarsely but sturdily, with lenses for eyes. (As in "WALL-E," the eyes convey a lot more emotion than you might imagine.)
Each has a number on his or her back signifying who they are and the order in which they were created. They include 1 (Christopher Plummer), the priestly, rigid leader; 2 (Martin Landau), an aging but feisty inventor; 5 (John C. Reilly), who's loyal but afraid of everything; and 7 (Jennifer Connelly), a brave and butt-kicking warrior.
