9 (2009)
Hollow puppets in a shallow animation.
Summary:
I really don’t remember this film being as bad as I originally thought. A throwback to memory lane, the trailer for this was the coolest thing as a teenager. Rewatching in 2026, I have to say this is completely outdated. The animation is poor compared to Coraline from the same year, looking like a video game cutscene. I don’t like the voice acting especially from Elijah Wood, which isn’t helped by his obnoxious and frustrating character. A manufactured conflict isn’t the worst part of the shallow writing. The story is surprisingly bad even by popcorn standards with clichés and a pointless resolution. The messaging is inconclusive and there is no character arc. The saving grace is that the steampunk universe is still pretty fascinating. Perhaps if this were for children the movie might pass, but it’s definitely marketed toward more developed minds.
Recommendations
Hollow puppets in a shallow animation.