#9 - DVD

Movie: Actually, it should be assumed that an animated film based on an Oscar-nominated short and boasting two big-name producers in acclaimed directors like Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov ("Wanted") is a sure hit. But unfortunately, the gloomy end-times fairy tale "#9" wasn't a huge success at the international box office, which is why the film was released in cinemas here without much publicity and with very few copies, only to disappear again shortly afterwards. Now, however, the film is finally coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc.

The story is set in a future where humans have wiped themselves out. In a completely destroyed world, there seems to be no hope at all. Only a small doll, wearing the number 9 on its back, fights its way alone through this post-apocalypse, where it meets eight other beings of its kind a short time later. Together, the small troop tries to give the world something like hope back. But they are hunted mercilessly by dangerous machine monsters whose goal is much crueler than Number 9 and his companions can imagine.

"#9" struggles with two fundamental problems. First, despite its fairly short running time, it is apparent to the film that the story is based on a short film. The world Shane Acker has carved out for his feature-length debut unfortunately doesn't carry 80 minutes. There are some noticeable hangs, especially in the middle, that even the engaging end-times animations can't make up for. Much more seriously, however, another problem impacts the film's ultimate failure: "#9" is simply not a children's movie. Sure, there may be kids who can both grasp the complexity of the story and not be put off by the dark and occasionally quite gruesome scenes. But for a wider audience that prefers more family-friendly animated films like "Ice Age 3", the ambitious work is simply too depressing and bleak to be truly enthusiastically received - not to mention the lack of a 3-D effect.

It's a shame that this makes it almost impossible for the film to get the attention it deserves. Because despite all its flaws, "#9" is a wonderful fairy tale, a great animated film that requires a certain intelligence from its viewers and at the end of which there is a very beautiful and hopeful message. In the end, there is only the appeal to all those who appreciate more sophisticated animated films: Despite minor weaknesses definitely worth seeing!!

Picture + Sound: The gloomy look of the film comes across on the DVD crystal clear and clean. True, the animations aren't really on par with those of, say, Pixar or Dreamworks Animation. Still, the picture quality is on a very high level. Colors are greatly reduced and the rather dark picture can definitely convince in terms of sharpness due to the good contrasts. The sound is decent over long stretches and is dominated by the atmospheric ambient sounds and the soundtrack. In the occasional action sequences, some good sound effects create pleasantly spatial effects. Overall: Very good!

Extras: The DVD has some worth seeing and hearing extras to offer. In addition to an audio commentary by director Shane Acker that is worth listening to, he has recorded it together with his animation director Joe Ksander, Head of Story Rayan O`Loughlin and Nick Kenway who is responsible for the editing. The enjoyable commentary offers a good insight into the director`s imagination and the genesis of the ambitious project.

Continue with a handful of cut scenes, which are in animated raw form. The nearly 16-minute making of follows the journey from short to feature film, while other short documentaries look at the work of the animation studio, the look of the film and the CGI team. The best extra, however, is the short film (about 10 min.), which can be watched with an optional audio commentary. This short alone makes the bonus section of the DVD absolutely worth recommending!

Conclusion: "#9" is an ambitious animated film for a slightly older audience, which may not be convincing over its entire length, but is absolutely worth watching due to its great look and the very nice story at its core. The DVD is technically well realized, in the bonus material particularly pleases the whimsical audio commentary and the short film on which "#9" is based. For lovers of more sophisticated animation absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp