9 (2009/I)

Director:

Shane Acker

Writers:

Pamela Pettler (screenplay)
Shane Acker (story)

Release Date:

9 September 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

(7) To Defend Us...

Plot:

A rag doll that awakens in a post-apocalyptic future holds the key to humanity's salvation.

Plot Keywords:

Machine | Rag Doll | Beast | Coward | Key

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

Christopher Plummer	...	#1 (voice)
Martin Landau	...	#2 (voice)
John C. Reilly	...	#5 (voice)
Crispin Glover	...	#6 (voice)
Jennifer Connelly	...	#7 (voice)
Fred Tatasciore	...	#8 / Radio Announcer (voice)
Elijah Wood	...	#9 (voice)
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Scientist (voice)
Tom Kane	...	Dictator (voice)
Helen Wilson	...	News Caster (voice)

Directed by
Shane Acker

Writing credits
Pamela Pettler		(screenplay)
Shane Acker		(story)

Produced by
Timur Bekmambetov	....	producer
Tim Burton	....	producer
Lilian Eche	....	associate producer
Dana Ginsburg	....	producer
Jinko Gotoh	....	co-producer
Jim Lemley	....	producer
Marci Levine	....	co-producer
Graham Moloy	....	associate producer
Pierre Urbain	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Deborah Lurie

Cinematography by
Kevin R. Adams

Film Editing by
Nick Kenway

Casting by
Mindy Marin

Production Design by
Robert St. Pierre
Fred Warter

Art Direction by
Kevin R. Adams
Christophe Vacher

Production Management
Nadir Benhassaine	....	assistant production manager
Mary Bills	....	assistant production manager
Solenn Colas	....	post-production manager
Chris DiGiovanni	....	production manager
Allison Gardner	....	assistant production manager
David Gerson	....	executive in charge of production
Lisa Griffin	....	assistant production manager
Alexandra Gunter	....	production manager
Gregor Hutchison	....	post-production supervisor
Catherine A. Jones	....	production manager
Tracy Lefler	....	assistant production manager
Jason McKenzie	....	assistant production manager
Lisa M. Poole	....	production manager
Susan Reichert Sullivan	....	assistant production manager (as Susan Reichert)
Charlie Sweitzer	....	story department manager
Matthew Voynovich	....	assistant production manager

Art Department
Tohru Patrick Awa	....	concept designer
Cal Brunker	....	storyboard artist (as Callan Brunker)
Kevin Chen	....	concept artist
Nathan Chew	....	storyboard artist
Jung-Soo Choi	....	prop artist
David Chow	....	3D set designer
Aaron Clark	....	storyboard artist
Aldina Dias	....	property designer
Jun Falkenstein	....	storyboard artist
Jim Feeley	....	character ortho artist
Stephan Franck	....	storyboard artist
Alex Hill	....	storyboard artist (as Alex Hillkurtz)
George Hull	....	visual development artist
Shih-Ting Hung	....	production intern
Warren Leonhardt	....	storyboard artist
Angelo Libutti	....	storyboard artist
Pierre Lorenzi	....	artist
Franck Louis-Marie	....	2-D set designer
Mark Nelson	....	look development artist
Troy Quane	....	storyboard artist
Stephen Schirle	....	painter
Michael Verano	....	art coordinator
Ricardo F. Delgado	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Eric Hanson	....	3D set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Marco Alicea	....	digital transferer
Jeremy Bowker	....	supervising sound assistant
John Countryman	....	digital transferer
Luke Dunn Gielmuda	....	sound effects editor (as Luke Dunn-Gielmuda)
Sean England	....	adr recordist
Sean England	....	foley mixer
Sean England	....	foley recordist
Will Files	....	sound designer (as William Files)
Will Files	....	sound re-recording mixer (as William Files)
Will Files	....	supervising sound editor (as William Files)
Pascal Garneau	....	foley editor
Pascal Garneau	....	sound effects editor
Pete Horner	....	sound effects editor
Jessica Lemes da Silva	....	foley recordist
David Peacock	....	dialogue recordist
Jill Purdy	....	dialogue editor
Trent Richmond	....	assistant dialogue editor
Gary Rizzo	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Gary A. Rizzo)
Ronald G. Roumas	....	sound recordist
Clint Smith	....	sound recordist
Carlos Sotolongo	....	original dialogue mixer
Daniel Sperry	....	dolby film sound consultant
Larry Winer	....	original dialogue mixer
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Jana Vance	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Belma Abdicevic	....	lead compositing artist
Belma Abdicevic	....	lead lighting artist
Ran Avigad	....	technical director
Imran Awan	....	lead final layout artist
Jeff Bell	....	visual effects supervisor: Starz Animation
Nadir Benhassaine	....	assistant visual effects production manager: effects animation
Herve Bizira	....	technical director
Dean Blaser	....	effects animator
Dean Blaser	....	visual effects artist
Mark Bodanis	....	lighting technical director
Mark Bodanis	....	technical supervisor
Kenneth Brain	....	visual effects research and development
Yiqun Chen	....	effects animator
Yiqun Chen	....	visual effects
Brian Cooper	....	additional lighting and compositing artist
Gregory Culp	....	lead final layout artist
Robert Dale	....	lighting and compositing artist
Luke De Souza	....	lighting and compositing artist
James Deschenes	....	lighting technical director
Paul Dobson	....	lighting and compositing artist
Sean Eckols	....	digital artist
Alexander Feigin	....	effects animator
Alexander Feigin	....	lead visual effects artist
Jos'h RL Fuller	....	technical director: lighting and compositing
Simon Fung	....	lead lighter & compositor
Heather Gagnier-Souliere	....	surfacing lead (as Heather Gagnier)
Laurent Gapaillard	....	digital artist
Thierry Grizard	....	supervisor
Ali Hamdan	....	lighting technical director: Attitude studio
Jennifer Hendrich	....	rigger
Daniel Hornick	....	surfacing
Inna Itkin	....	lighter & compositor
Avi Katz	....	shot prep and finaling supervisor
Alan Kennedy	....	post production supervisor: Starz Animation
Min Young Kim	....	effects animator
Tibor Kovacs	....	additional lighting and compositing artist
Keren Kurtz	....	lighting and compositing artist
Warren Lawtey	....	effects supervisor
Kang Sub Lee	....	lighting and compositing artist
So Hyeon Lee	....	lighting and compositing artist (as So Hyeon 'Soh' Lee)
Joe Levac	....	render wrangler
Jing Jing Liu	....	lighting and compositing
Pierre Lorenzi	....	digital artist
Zachary V. Lowe	....	surfacing lead
Juliana Machado	....	effects animator
Juliana Machado	....	visual effects artist: Starz Animation
Norbert Maier	....	digital artist
Benoit Maillochon	....	digital artist
Hubert Maston	....	CG supervisor
Hubert Maston	....	generalist td
Eric Mauhourat	....	character rigger
Jason McKenzie	....	assistant visual effects production manager: lighting and compositing
Iain McLuckie	....	rigging supervisor
Bahador Mehrpouya	....	effects animator
Bahador Mehrpouya	....	visual effects artist
Jamie Minett	....	lighting and compositing artist
David Mitrovic	....	lighting and compositing artist
Sean Montgomery	....	lighting lead
Daniel A. Murray	....	lighting technical director
Mark Neysmith	....	modeling supervisor
Edwin Ng	....	lead rigger
Markus Ng	....	technical director
Ken Nielsen	....	lighting lead
Patrick Pautler	....	rigger
Zebulon Pike	....	lighting and compositing artist
Christel Pougeoise	....	character animator
Ryan Quaglia	....	lighting and compositing artist
Jenny Riutta	....	additional modeling
Ruben Salazar	....	digital compositor
Ruben Salazar	....	lighting artist
Gourdal Sebastien	....	digital artist
Ralph Sevazlian	....	effects animator
Laurent Solignac	....	lighting and compositing artist
Marc Souliere	....	modeler
Ian Spriggs	....	modeler
Anja Stitic	....	lead lighter & compositor
Paul Stodolny	....	lighting lead
Marie-Eve Tetrault	....	final layout artist
Ben Tillmann	....	lighting and compositing artist
Damian Upton	....	senior systems administrator
Anne Wagner-Lopez	....	lead compositing artist
Anne Wagner-Lopez	....	lead lighting artist
Kyung Hoon Woo	....	lighting and compositing artist (as Kyung Hoon 'Ian' Woo)
Andrew Woodhouse	....	lead matte painter
Dan Wrightsell	....	effects animator
Neil Yamamoto	....	visual effects technical director
Boogab Youn	....	lighting and compositing artist
Eugene Yue	....	senior surfacing artist
Bryan Luren	....	lighting and compositing artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Giles Keyte	....	still photographer

Animation Department
Drew Adams	....	animator
Kevin Altieri	....	story artist
David Baas	....	animation department head
Marc-André Baron	....	animator
Nev Bezaire	....	animator
Gaëtan Brizzi	....	story artist
Paul Brizzi	....	story artist
Sebastien Bruneau	....	animator
Regis Camargo	....	story artist
Laurent Caneiro	....	character animator: Attitude Studio Paris
Aaron Clark	....	story artist
Gerald Clevy	....	lead animator (as Gérald Clévy)
Regina Conroy	....	story artist
Romain Côte	....	facial shapes modeler: Attitude studio
Mike Dharney	....	animator
Ken Duncan	....	supervising animator
Alexandre Espigares	....	senior animator
Rob Gennings	....	animator
Carlo Giesa	....	lead rigging td
Patrick Giusiano	....	animator
Ben Gluck	....	head of story
Derek Gowland	....	animator
Daryl Graham	....	supervising animator
George Hull	....	artist
Scott Johnston	....	animator
Tom Judd	....	animator
Jung Hun Kim	....	character finaler
Aaron Kirby	....	animator
Michael Kitchen	....	animator (as Mike Kitchen)
Paul Kohut	....	layout artist
Joe Ksander	....	animation director
Kevin Labanowich	....	animator
Alexander K. Lee	....	animator
Justin Lewis	....	animator
Jesse Lickman	....	animator
Jean Lin	....	animator
Joel MacDonald	....	production coordinator: animation
Jennifer Mackie	....	rough layout artist
Stephane Mangin	....	animator
Armen Melkonian	....	layout artist
Ho Moon	....	animator
Eric Murray	....	layout artist
Guido Muzzarelli	....	animator
Praveen Nadaraju	....	animator
Ryan O'Loughlin	....	story artist
Jeff Panko	....	senior animator
Evan Potkonjak	....	final layout artist
Aurélien Predal	....	animator
Darcy Reno	....	project manager: technology
Alan Rogers	....	animator
Arfaoui Salem	....	animator
Fabrice Senia	....	animator
Sue Hyunsook Shim	....	animator
Rob Silvestri	....	animator
Kristin Solid	....	supervising animator
Benjamin Su	....	animator
Dave Sullivan	....	software developer: Starz
Danny Testani	....	animator
Oskar Urretabizkaia	....	animator
Christophe Vacher	....	art director: animation
Emmanuel Vergne	....	lead animator
Archie Villaverde	....	animator
Ed Wou	....	animator
Boogab Youn	....	lighter/compositor
Sébastien Ebzant	....	animator (uncredited)
Samy Fecih	....	animator: Attitude Studio Lux (uncredited)
Loïc Miermont	....	animator (uncredited)
Jane Wu	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Casting Department
Terri Douglas	....	additional voice casting
Kara Lipson	....	casting associate
Russell Scott	....	casting associate

Editorial Department
Peter Armstrong	....	digital intermediate producer: Deluxe Toronto
Gilad Carmel	....	first assistant editor
Hal Cohen	....	digital intermediate producer: EFilm
Adam Garner	....	first assistant editor
Michael Hatzer	....	digital intermediate colorist: Efilm
Lynn Hobson	....	additional editor
Mhairi Kerr	....	assistant editor
Marc Lulkin	....	assistant digital intermediate colorist: EFilm
Marc Lulkin	....	digital color assist
Cam McLauchlin	....	digital intermediate assistant: Deluxe Toronto
Harry Muller	....	color timer
Dave Muscat	....	digital intermediate editor
Harold Parker	....	assistant editor
Robert E. Phillips	....	digital intermediate assistant producer: EFILM
Lorraine Samuel	....	post-production coordinator
Rosanna Server	....	editorial coordinator
Matvey Shatz	....	post production consultant
William M. Steinberg	....	first assistant editor (as Bill Steinberg)
Yon Van Kline	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Bill Abbott	....	additional music editor
Dallas Aimer	....	additional orchestrator
Carlos José Alvarez	....	additional music arranger
Carlos José Alvarez	....	score coordinator
Chris Barrett	....	score recordist
Christine Bergren	....	music legal and clearance
Thomas Bowes	....	orchestra leader
Minjee Chung	....	music preparation
Danny Elfman	....	composer: music themes
Gavin Greenaway	....	conductor
Benoit Grey	....	additional orchestrator
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Todd Haberman	....	additional musical score arrangements
Philip Klein	....	additional orchestrator
Penka Kouneva	....	lead orchestrator
JJ Lee	....	orchestrator
Matt Lewkowicz	....	additional arrangements (as Matthew Lewkowicz)
T.J. Lindgren	....	additional musical score arrangements
Gerard K. Marino	....	additional music arranger (as Gerard Marino)
Charlotte Matthews	....	assistant orchestra contractor
Jenny O'Grady	....	choirmaster
Shie Rozow	....	music editor
Casey Stone	....	music scoring mixer
Junko Tamura	....	copyist
Thanh Tran	....	music librarian
Thanh Tran	....	music preparation

Other crew
Tod Raymond Baudais	....	CG Software Supervisor
Armelle Berck	....	assistant: Mr. Acker
Musa Brooker	....	production intern
Jessica M. Broughton	....	story coordinator
Rob Burton	....	head of technology
Jennifer M. Byrne	....	assistant production accountant
Simon Chang	....	senior systems administrator
May Chiu	....	production coordinator
Sofie Dejus	....	assistant to producer
Gareth Elliott	....	project manager: production staff
Ekaterina Ermakova	....	legal advisor: promotion video team
D.R. Farquharson	....	project manager: Deluxe Digital Cinema
Derek Frey	....	assistant: Mr. Burton
Joshua Lou Friedman	....	production assistant: pre-production
Ambroise Gayet	....	location manager
Sara Geimer	....	story production assistant
Jeff Goessinger	....	post production assistant
Sergei Gratchev	....	legal advisor: promotion video team
Adam Iscove	....	assistant: Mr. Acker
Patricia Kavanaugh	....	production intern
Yuriy Korchuganov	....	legal advisor: promotion video team
Mike Lane	....	client services
Lance LeFort	....	senior recruitment manager
Daisy Yu-Chuan Lin	....	production intern
Michelle Lopes	....	production intern
Bridget McManus	....	assistant: Mr. Lemley
Carlos Mena	....	production assistant
Jessica Meunier	....	production coordinator
Marie Michel	....	story production assistant (as Kristen Blevins)
Josh Morgan	....	technical coordinator (as Joshua J. Morgan)
Geneva Peschka	....	department coordinator
Vincent Philbert	....	production team: Attitude Studio
Emily Rice	....	production accountant
Dan St. Pierre	....	production consultant
David J. Steinberg	....	head of studio: Starz Animation (as David Steinberg)
Kathleen Switzer	....	assistant: Mr. Bekmambetov (as Kathy Switzer)
Matthew Teevan	....	head of production: Starz Animation
Ben Urquhart	....	post production executive
Phillip Williams	....	recruiting
Jeff Young	....	head of finance: Starz Animation
Glen Yu	....	systems administrator

Production Companies

• Focus Features (presents)
• Relativity Media (in association with)
• Arc Productions
• Starz Animation
• Tim Burton Productions

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2009) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• SND (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2009) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2009) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Showtime (2009) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2009) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2009) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Madman Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (all media)
• Odeon (2009) (Greece) (all media)
• PVR Pictures (2010) (India) (all media)
• Panasia Films (2010) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• PlayArte Filmes (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Iberia (2010) (Spain) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Starz Animation (animation produced at) (as Starz Animation, Toronto)

Other Companies

• Air Lyndhurst Studios  music recorded at (as Air Studios, London, England)
• DeLuxe Toronto  digital intermediate
• E1 Entertainment  soundtrack
• EFilm  digital intermediate
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• London Session Orchestra, The  orchestra (uncredited)
• Metro Voices  choir
• Oncore Productions  continuity script
• Rice Gorton Pictures Ltd.  production accounting
• Skywalker Sound  post-production sound services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and scary images

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45249) | France:U | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Ireland:12A | Finland:K-11 | UK:12A | Netherlands:9 | Australia:M | Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Mexico:A | New Zealand:M | Sweden:11 | Denmark:11 | Japan:G | Argentina:13 | Peru:PT | Malaysia:U | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Canada:14+ (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Attitude Studios, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

Being a Tim Burton production, some of his trademarks have made it into the film. The themes of outsiders or the alienated triumphing over adversity. Some of his design schemes are present like stripes. The funeral scene looks very similar to the one in Burton's Batman Returns (1992). And people who've worked with Burton helped make the film, like Martin Landau. The film was also co-composed by Burton's frequent composer Danny Elfman.

Goofs:

Plot holes: Before the Seamstress is attacking, there was a quick shot of 8. His mouth was sewed so he couldn't scream for help. Why didn't the Seamstress sew 1's mouth closed?

Quotes:

[first lines]
Scientist: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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Get a Life! (2012) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Over the Rainbow

Beautiful animation; undeveloped, incomplete story

This movie feels like it starts in the middle. I don't instinctively identify with robot rag dolls. So, for most of the movie I didn't care much about what happened to them because their plight, purpose, and origin are not explained at all until the movie is almost over. At that point, I felt like "Oh, okay, if they had explained that in the FIRST 15 minutes of the movie, I might have cared what happens". But they didn't explain it, and I didn't care what happened.

I won't even go into the conclusion of the "story", except to say that it makes no sense at all and is riddled with holes and ambiguity.

Yes, the animation is very nice. Yes, there are some decent action scenes. Those are the strongest points of the movie. But, honestly, beyond the unique look and style of the artwork, it's the same stuff, the same action, that you see in every other animated movie. Ho hum.

Summary: nice animation, cliché action, underdeveloped plot, and very little story to pull the (over age 16) viewer in.