MOONLIGHT RONIN: "This isn't your little brother's animated movie!" 9 movie ads

"9" film review

'This isn't your little brothers animated movie.....", this line from one of the promos for this movie is true to form when describing this wonderfully animated film from the writer/director Shane Acker. This brilliantly animated film also has some great voice work from some well known actors which include: Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, and Martin Landau. The film was produced by Tim Burton, Timur Bekamembetov, Jim Lemley and Dana ginsburg with the basic premise of the film centering around the films main character 9 (Elijah Wood)-a stiched up doll that that I will refer to as a stitch doll and as he awakens and goes out into the world he discovers the world has become a wasteland do to destruction of the fictional animated world we are presented with. It is also evident to the viewer that some major war or battle has occurred that has left the world in its present state.

As our main character 9 walks around he discovers a talisman which unbeknownst to 9 will be a crucial item throughout the entirety of the film. Our man character 9 discovers 2 (Martin Landau) another stitch doll and 2 tells him that there are others like themselves and they're names are 1 (Christopher Plummer), 5 (John C. Reilly), 6(Crispin Glover), 8 (Fred Tatasciore) who have all been hiding, and what they have been hiding from are machine like creatures. The creature are searching for something, this is where the talisman comes into play. It holds the key to something special with a special use to it as well . This talisman will be used for something positive and soulful by the stitchdolls, and for the films villians (the machine creatures) for something negative and controlling.

Throughout the film you are also introduced to some other stitchdolls, 3,4, and 7(Jennifer Connelly) and how they play key roles in the development of the films plot. The films climax allows us to discover who's responsible for the making the stichdolls, the machine creatures, and the cause of the major war that has left the world in its current delapitated state. You also get a resolution to the major conflicts- the inner and outer conflicts.

This animated film had tremendously great action in it and there is even an homage to a scene from one of John Woo's great action films. The film deals with the old issues of man vs machine and the struggle of trying to preserve humanity while also not letting technology take control of it. I thoroughly recommend this film and have to agree that this definitely "Isn't your little brothers animated film" in more ways than one.

Overall grade of the film A-

Randy Watson III,et3