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"9" (2009) (voices of Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons None Mild Extreme Extreme Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Mild Heavy None None Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence None None None Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Sci-fi: In a post-apocalyptic world where all humans are now dead, a number of living rag dolls must contend with a monstrous mechanical beast that wants to kill them after it's accidentally reactivated. PLOT: Following a war between humans and machines, the world is now in full post-apocalyptic mode, with all humans dead and only one mechanical beast still operating. It's intent on hunting down and killing a number of animated rag doll type figures that scurry about through the wreckage. The last to come alive is #9 (voice of ELIJA WOOD), who doesn't know who or where he is, and hopes to find answers from #2 (voice of MARTIN LANDAU), a similar rag doll. Yet, the four-legged beast comes after them and leaves with #2 in its mouth after also trying to get #9 who's then rescued by #5 (voice of JOHN C. REILLY), yet another doll, this time a scaredy cat who returns #9 to the figures' hideout. Their leader, #1 (voice of CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER), isn't pleased by this development, and makes sure his enforcer, the hulking #8 (voice of FRED TATASCIORE), gets that point across. That's all while #6 (voice of CRISPIN GLOVER) comes off like a deranged artist, repeatedly painting the same strange symbols time and again. Even so, with #9 certain that #2 was still alive when he was carried off, the latest numbered one sets off with #5 on a rescue mission, eventually teaming up with ninja-type warrior #7 (voice of JENNIFER CONNELLY) and later mute twins, #3 and #4 who catalogue everything they come into contact with. But #9 then makes a horrible mistake by placing a small device -- that he first found when he came to life -- into what looks like the appropriate slot, not realizing the ramifications of doing so. Just then, a monstrous-sized, spider-like mechanical beast is reactivated, and not only tries to kill the numbered figures, but also manufactures other mechanical creatures to do the same. From that point on, the numbered figures try to avoid harm -- including having their souls sucked from their bodies -- while attempting to defeat their latest nemeses. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? While younger kids might be drawn by the strange, animated characters, this is decidedly not for them. Some teens might be interested, however, in the post-apocalyptic story and/or the cool-looking animation. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For violence and scary images. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: It's debatable whether kids view non-human, animated characters as role models, but here's a quick look at the major characteristics of the main characters: #9 (voiced by ELIJA WOOD) is a small rag doll of sorts that comes to life in a post apocalyptic world, tries to figure out what's happening, and then tries to right the wrongs he's accidentally caused, including reactivating the main machine that's intent on killing all of them. #1 (voiced by CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER) is the leader of the rag team group of rag dolls who isn't happy with the arrival of #9, especially after the above reactivation. He's very rigid and dictator-like in his approach. #2 (voiced by MARTIN LANDAU) is the old inventor of the bunch who helps #9 acclimate to this new world, but must contend with the ramifications of doing so. #5 (voiced by JOHN C. REILLY) is the one-eyed worker of the bunch who befriends #9 and sets off with him on a rescue mission despite being nervous about doing so. #6 (voiced by CRISPIN GLOVER) is something of a seemingly deranged artist who keeps painting the same three symbols time and again. #7 (voiced by JENNIFER CONNELLY) is only female in the group, a ninja who wears an old bird mask and is easily capable of holding her own as well as dispatching the enemy machines. #8 (voiced by FRED TATASCIORE) is a hulking and seemingly somewhat dimwitted brute who serves as #1's enforcer. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this sci-fi flick that's been rated PG-13. There's no profanity and only a few colorful phrases, while no sexual content is present. Violence consists of various mechanical monsters chasing after, attacking and killing (zapping and sucking their souls from them until they go limp) various animated rag doll characters, while some of those creations are also destroyed and property damage occurs. Some brief flashback scenes show a battle between machines and humans, resulting in all of the latter being killed worldwide. That material, moments of peril and some potentially scary looking creatures and the sight of a few dead humans (including a mother and child) might be unsettling, suspenseful and/or scary to younger viewers. Bad attitudes are present, as is some behavior that might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Thematic elements (including the post-apocalyptic setting and related material) also occur. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there are some brief, partial strobe effects as images are projected, film-like in one scene. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some camera movement in the film, but nothing too extreme. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE None. BLOOD/GORE We see the dead scientist's body on the floor (no blood or decomposition, but perhaps some withering). Wandering through the bombed-out city, #9 discovers the bodies of a dead mother and child in a car (no blood or decomposition, but perhaps some withering). The huge, spider-like machine picks up a human skeleton and cuts it in half. We see a severed human hand but then realize it's a stone one from a statue. We see the others sending a dead rag doll floating away on a funeral barge of sorts. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE In a flashback, we learn that a chancellor took a scientist's benign and useful machine creation to use for military and battle purposes. The various machines are quite intent on killing all of the rag doll characters. #1 is not happy that #9 has joined their group, and makes his displeasure obvious. #1 admits that he sent out #2 as a sacrifice. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. The same holds true for the sights of the various mechanical monsters that come after the much smaller rag doll characters. We see the dead scientist's body on the floor (no blood or decomposition, but perhaps some withering). Wandering through the bombed-out city, #9 discovers the bodies of a dead mother and child in a car (no blood or decomposition, but perhaps some withering). We hear monster sounds, #9 is nervous, and we then see a monstrous, robotic/skeletal, four-legged beast (cat-like in appearance) behind him and #2. It claws at them, with #2 jabbing his spear at it, but it knocks him back into something quite hard. #9 hides in a can with a hole in it, and the beast claws at him through the opening, and then reaches in, nearly getting him. It then retreats and bites down into #2 who goes limp in its mouth and is then carried off that way. #5 and #9 go on a rescue mission to find #2, but a storm suddenly blows in, they lose their map, and #5 nearly falls through some outdoor surface (with a long fall below if he doesn't hold on). #9 rescues #5 and the two then head into a tunnel, following a monster's footprints on the ground. They then spot #2, seemingly dead in a cage, but he's alive. They then spot the robotic/skeletal, four-legged cat beast (with one glowing red eye and the other serving as a spotlight of sorts) and it comes at #5 and #9, chasing them around the cage as they free #2. The chase continues, with close calls and the beast swiping them aside, with #7 then coming down on the beast, beheading it. #9 has a small device, puts it into a spot on some motionless machinery, and thus unintentionally activates "the machine," a huge, mechanical spider-like monster. It shoots out an electrical charge that zaps #2 for several seconds, sucking the soul from him into the machine, and leaving his body limp and dead. It then chases after the others, with #7 falling and dangling, while others briefly end up on some sort of conveyor belt. The chase continues, with some in the group hiding and then all of them fleeing in a tunnel that turns out to be a pipe of which the monster swipes away part of it, nearly getting them. #8 grabs #5 and then knocks #9 aside and nearly off a ledge. A large (compared to the rag dolls) pterodactyl sort of mechanical beast (with multiple beaks that spread out in all directions) comes after the numbered ones. #8 tries to defend them by attacking it, but it knocks him aside. The numbered ones then end up separated, and #8 manages to use a pair of scissors to sever part of the beast, but it then circles around and comes back at him, with its barbed tail ready to kill him. #9, however, blinds it with some light, and its tail barely misses #8. It then continues the attack and there are various hard falls, while #7 is knocked aside when she tries to kill it, while it impales one rag doll's leg and starts to drag him away via the attached cable or similar item. Various characters then end up dangling on the line, with the pterodactyl beast hanging at the bottom. It then starts crawling up that line toward them, with #9 convincing #1 to remove his cape. He does, and the beast falls a long way down into some blades that destroy it. As the numbered ones leave, we see the library or similar building burning. #8 slowly walks along outside, having heard something, and we see spider-like mechanical legs walking along in the foreground of the shot (that #8 doesn't see). We then see a mechanical monster in front of him, and then a snake-like mechanical being, with a doll's head up top, sewing up #8. That's followed by a rescue attempt of #1, where #7 is grabbed and nearly hit by a blade, but #5 throws something that hits the snake being in the eye, while #9 is nearly hit during that failed rescue attempt where the snake being takes #7 and #8. The group tries another rescue attempt, but #8 is held and zapped, with his soul going into the machine and his body going limp (dead). #9, however, cuts down through the snake machine, opening it and then catching #7 when she falls out. That monster is then pulled into some gears and destroyed. Many smaller spider-like mechanical beings chase after #7 and #9 as they flee out through a tunnel. As they do so, they must avoid a large burning barrel careening past them, as well as some sort of mechanical flying machine. The barrel then ignites and explodes, with the fireball coming their way. The main mechanical spider monster emerges from a destroyed area and chases after #5, grabbing and then sucking the soul out of his body like those before him (body going limp upon death). It then chases the remaining ones, including over an old metal bridge that then collapses and falls away from its weight. But it has #6 in its grip and then zaps and kills him, dropping his limp, dead body. The main mechanical spider monster is about to zap #9 and remove his soul, but #1 knocks #9 aside and takes his place (and then gets zapped, with the usual results), while #9 barely avoids a mechanical claw that comes at him. #9 then uses a small power piece to blast the main mechanical spider monster, causing it to explode, with #9 ending up briefly knocked out (some may worry he's dead, but he comes to). GUNS/WEAPONS Machine guns/Bombs/Artillery Gun/Spears/Knife: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. We hear the sounds of a war (machine guns firing and bombs exploding) and later see the completely bombed-out landscape (buildings, etc.). #9 picks up a large bullet casing and nearly slams it down (not knowing what it is), with #2 stopping him. #2 carries a makeshift spear. #8 carries a large knife. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You fools" and "Let go, you fool." Some of the action might be enticing for some kids to imitate. JUMP SCENES A monster's claws suddenly come around a corner at #9. #8 is suddenly behind #9 and #5. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of suspenseful, ominous and heavily dramatic music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY None. SEX/NUDITY None. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES None. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The comment that humans' blind pursuit of technology led to their doom. Whether robots will ever evolve to the point of being dangerous to humans. The Nazi type imagery seen in the flashbacks of the humans. SPOILER ALERT: The fact that all 9 figures are pieces of a former human scientist's soul. VIOLENCE We hear the sounds of a war (machine guns firing and bombs exploding) and later see the completely bombed-out landscape (buildings, etc.). Hearing a noise and scared, #9 grabs a piece of metal and swings it when a figure comes around the corner, knocking #2 to the ground. We hear monster sounds, #9 is nervous, and we then see a monstrous, robotic/skeletal, four-legged beast (cat-like in appearance) behind him and #2. It claws at them, with #2 jabbing his spear at it, but it knocks him back into something quite hard. #9 hides in a can with a hole in it, and the beast claws at him through the opening, and then reaches in, nearly getting him. It then retreats and bites down into #2 who goes limp in its mouth and is then carried off that way. #8 shoves #9. We see a flashback to the war between humans and robots, with explosions and such. A human throws a fire bomb up at a large walking robot pod that then fires a massive machine gun back at him. We don't see the impact, but do see a partial view of that man falling to the ground, presumably dead. During all of that, the small creations try to avoid being hit, with some nearly stepped on and #5 end up losing one of his robotic eyes. We see then a gas canister deployed, and the narrator mentions that the gas killed everything. #5 and #9 spot #2, seemingly dead in a cage, but he's alive. They then spot the robotic/skeletal, four-legged cat beast (with one glowing red eye and the other serving as a spotlight of sorts) and it comes at #5 and #9, chasing them around the cage as they free #2. The chase continues, with close calls and the beast swiping them aside, with #7 then coming down on the beast, beheading it. #9 has a small device, puts it into a spot on some motionless machinery, and thus unintentionally activates "the machine," a huge, mechanical spider-like monster. It shoots out an electrical charge that zaps #2 for several seconds, sucking the soul from him into the machine, and leaving his body limp and dead. It then chases after the others, with #7 falling and dangling, while others briefly end up on some sort of conveyor belt. The chase continues, with some in the group hiding and then all of them fleeing in a tunnel that turns out to be a pipe of which the monster swipes away part of it, nearly getting them. We see a series of still images showing the war between the humans and machines, including machine guns and the view of a human hand. #8 grabs #5 and then knocks #9 aside and nearly off a ledge. A large (compared to the rag dolls) pterodactyl sort of mechanical beast (with multiple beaks that spread out in all directions) comes after the numbered ones. #8 tries to defend them by attacking it, but it knocks him aside. The numbered ones then end up separated, and #8 manages to use a pair of scissors to sever part of the beast, but it then circles around and comes back at him, with its barbed tail ready to kill him. #9, however, blinds it with some light, and its tail barely misses #8. It then continues the attack and there are various hard falls, while #7 is knocked aside when she tries to kill it, while it impales one rag doll's leg and starts to drag him away via the attached cable or similar item. Various characters then end up dangling on the line, with the pterodactyl beast hanging at the bottom. It then starts crawling up that line toward them, with #9 convincing #1 to remove his cape. He does, and the beast falls a long way down into some blades that destroy it. As the numbered ones leave, we see the library or similar building burning. #1 admits that he sent out #2 as a sacrifice, prompting #7 to hold a blade to his neck, but no harm occurs. #8 slowly walks along outside, having heard something, and we see spider-like mechanical legs walking along in the foreground of the shot (that #8 doesn't see). We then see a mechanical monster in front of him, and then a snake-like mechanical being, with a doll's head up top, sewing up #8. That's followed by a rescue attempt of #1, where #7 is grabbed and nearly hit by a blade, but #5 throws something that hits the snake being in the eye, while #9 is nearly hit during that failed rescue attempt where the snake being takes #7 and #8. The group tries another rescue attempt, but #8 is held and zapped, with his soul going into the machine and his body going limp (dead). #9, however, cuts down through the snake machine, opening it and then catching #7 when she falls out. That monster is then pulled into some gears and destroyed. Many smaller spider-like mechanical beings chase after #7 and #9 as they flee out through a tunnel. As they do so, they must avoid a large burning barrel careening past them, as well as some sort of mechanical flying machine. The barrel then ignites and explodes, with the fireball coming their way. The main mechanical spider monster emerges from a destroyed area and chases after #5, grabbing and then sucking the soul out of his body like those before him (body going limp upon death). It then chases the remaining ones, including over an old metal bridge that then collapses and falls away from its weight. But it has #6 in its grip and then zaps and kills him, dropping his limp, dead body. In old footage, we see Nazi type figures grabbing a scientist. We see a flashback to a human scientist dying and falling to the floor after transferring the last remnant of his soul into #9. The remaining figures fire a full-sized artillery gun at the main mechanical spider monster, and then again, hitting and damaging but not destroying it. They then barely avoid being hit by that gun when the monster swipes it in their direction. It then fires flames at them, resulting in an explosion that knocks them aside. The main mechanical spider monster is about to zap #9 and remove his soul, but #1 knocks #9 aside and takes his place (and then gets zapped, with the usual results), while #9 barely avoids a mechanical claw that comes at him. #9 then uses a small power piece to blast the main mechanical spider monster, causing it to explode, with #9 ending up briefly knocked out (some may worry he's dead, but he comes to). Reviewed September 1, 2009 / Posted September 9, 2009

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