Eye Candy #123 - "9"

9: Decidedly not a children’s movie, this animated film by first time director Shane Acker, is about nine rag dolls, alone in a world inhabited by murderous machines created by a fascist regime that turned on their creators. They are the surviving legacy of an inventor who brought the 9 to life by imbuing them with different parts of his soul, the good and the bad. And it is up to the 9 to destroy the remaining machines, including the monstrous Fabrication Machine (not a name that really instills fear) that have driven mankind to extinction (like Skynet, but less shiny). The machines are a horror show of sharp edges and spare parts guaranteed to disturb children. The 9 are voiced by the likes of Elijah Wood (9), Jennifer Connolly (7), Martin Landau (2), Christopher Plummer (1), John C. Reilly (5), and Crispin Glover (6). The world of the non-child animated film is typically a cult one. When you think about those animated films targeted towards adults (“Fritz the Cat”, “Rock and Rule”), they never put up Pixar box office numbers, though they may have dedicated followings. Don’t get me wrong - it’s a great-looking film, technically solid. But this a film aimed towards teens and up (its message of lost humanity and over-mechanization would be lost on a 6 year old), it’s given rise to a new term: “stitch punks”, proving that you CAN slap any word on to “punks” to make it edgy. Like “gravy punks” or “math punks“. It’s all just so punk. I now have visions of all these counter-culture youths pouring over sewing patterns, to fill the rebellious hole in their lives. “No one gets me, so I’m going to knit!” So, to sum up: good looking film. Not for kids. Woodchuck sez, “May be worth your while.”