“We had such potential. Such promise. But we squandered our gifts, our intelligence. Our blind pursuit of technology only sped us quicker to our doom. Our world is ending. But life must go on. ”
It’s been a week, my feisty little film fiends, and I’m in the mood for something a little different. Delving into the philosophical, the 2009 post-apocalyptic stop motion 
animation film 9 was a smidge out of the grasp of most kids I’ve met, but to an adult watcher it was a soulful look into a hauntingly beautiful dystopia.
Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover and Christopher Plummer lent their voices to the soul imbued ragdolls set in this dark imagined future, where they are only known by numbers, #9 holds the heavy key to humanity’s salvation.
Though Produced by Tim Burton, it lacks any of his signature gothic whimsy, which accounts for its lack of mass merchandising and widespread appeal. though what it lacks in playfulness, it gains in depth, and makes me glad that his hand stopped at production. I still wonder what could have been, if Burton had gone the way of Sleepy Hollow with Dark Shadows, instead of making Austin Powers with werewolves. Direction was in the hands of Shane Acker. Acker penned the script, along with Pamela Pettler, and created a completely engrossing film. As a viewer I was humbled with their ability to create such a strong emotional connection between myself and a ball of clay & rag. Acker has gone on to work in visual effects on movies like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King & Oz: The Great and Powerful.
I have a soft spot for stop motion animation, and this Fiendish Flick is a shining example that nudges at this goth girl’s little black heart. Action, adventure, violence, fear, and hope, it’s got all the elements required for a memorable movie experience. A good pick after a week of existential crisis, along with a bowl of popcorn, accompanied by copious amounts of chocolate,and maybe a couple of tissues for good measure. -Ruby
