Cyberpunk Review » 9

September 13, 2009

9

Movie Review By: Mr. Roboto

Year: 2009

Directed by: Shane Acker

Written by: Pamela Pettler & Shane Acker

IMDB Reference

Degree of Cyberpunk Visuals: High

Correlation to Cyberpunk Themes: High

Key Cast Members:

  • 9: Elijah Wood
  • 1: Christopher Plummer
  • 7: Jennifer Connelly
  • Scientist: Alan Oppenheimer
  • Rating: 7 out of 10


    9-vs-machine.jpg

    “We had such potential. Such promise. But we squandered our gifts. And so, 9, I am creating you. Our world is ending. Life must go on. “

    Overview: Tim Burton sees Shane Acker’s short and helps to make it a feature length move about 9 robotic rag dolls, a.k.a. the “stitchpunks,” who are left to fight the machines that exterminated humanity. Together, the stitchpunks must find a way to pull the plug on the nightmare creations (without John Connor’s help) that have turned their attention to the them.

    The story of 9 may not be the most complex, but the straight-forward approach does work with the CGI effects, though the backstory of how the world got into the sorry shape it is in helps makes the doll’s fight more relevant.

     

    The Story: In an unnamed country, a scientist creates the B.R.A.I.N., an AI that was supposed to help humanity. But the country’s chancellor forces the scientist to install the B.R.A.I.N. in a fabrication machine, which is used to create machines of war. The machine rebels and launches a massive war that exterminates humanity. The scientist, the last human left, creates the 9 “stitchpunks” (Acker’s name for the rag doll-bots) and infuses them with a “life force.” When 9 is complete, the scientist dies, leaving it to find the other stitchpunks in their quest to stop the machines.

     

    A stitchpunk in time saves… 1 through 8. The other stitchpunks he finds are: #1 - the “leader” of the group, who shows much cynicism regarding 9’s plans to rescue #2, the inventor of the group who gets captured early on.

    Numbers 3 and 4 are twins who hide out in a library. Through them, we learn of the machine’s war against humanity.

    5 is a journeyman who was trained by 2. He is missing an eye due an attack during the war.

    6 can probably be best described as an “artist” whose paintings are clues about the machines.

    7 is the only female in the group. An agile warrior who wears a bird’s skull as a helmet.

    8 is a big but dumb brute who acts as 1’s bodyguard. He give a slight clue that the stitchpunks may be robotic when he uses a magnet near his head like a mind-altering drug.

     

    walker-attack.jpg

    But, is it cyberpunk? Some might question if 9 is cyberpunk enough to review here, but from what I’ve seen (and from the definition on this site), there’s enough to make it cyberpunk; The negative impact of technology (the machine revolt), the man-machine fusion (the scientist transferring his life force to the stitchpunks), the underground (stitchpunks), and the visual style (the post-apocalypse scene and darkness occasionally punctured by light). The only things missing are the access to information and the control over society, though the machine threat could cover the control aspect. Can this be called steampunk? Possibly, though no signs of steam-power is immediately seen. Can this be called “stitchpunk?” Only the doll-bots should be called that.

     

    Conclusion: Those looking for a deep storyline are going to be disappointed. Those who prefer bleeding-edge eye-candy will have a ball with 9. Those looking for a good cyberpunk movie, this should hold you… until Surrogates hits the screens next week.

    9-and-fabricator.jpg

    This post has been filed under Dystopic Future Movies, Android Movies, Cyberpunk movies from 2000 - 2009, Movie by Mr. Roboto.

    Comments

    September 14, 2009

    SSJKamui said:

    Interesting. The figures remind me on the game “little big Planet”.

    san said:

    i liked the short film 9 havent watch the 9 movie yet.. will see..

    September 15, 2009

    arabyana said:

    Thank you for the great post.

    TiLK said:

    Thanks for great movie suggestion.

    September 17, 2009

    LMXV said:

    Stitchpunk is just a buzzword. There’s no substance behind it.

    September 21, 2009

    Adam Daub said:

    For those who haven’t seen it yet… here is the 9 short film.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeNbO85m2dM&feature=related

    October 30, 2009

    Katalyst said:

    I’m sorry Mr.Roboto but I feel that this movie can’t quite be called cyberpunk. It is a rather steampunkish style of movie with a (yes, i admit it might be a little cyberpunk) dystopic future. I’m not slamming the movie, but rather requesting a reclassification.
    Keep up the good work!

    February 17, 2010

    jmm1233 said:

    it’s like cyberpunk with a cousin steampunk feel

    March 24, 2012

    Anonymous said:

    Wow, I would totally torrent this if it wasn’t COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE to find a file called “9.” What a terrible name. The movie looks like good eye candy tho…

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