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"9" a harrowing view of machines, after man is no longer on Earth… |
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Written by Stan Robinson
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Tuesday, 08 September 2009 |
 Technology is all around us and has become a necessity to sustain our very existence as well as our luxuries. I’m reminded of sci-fi writer and scientist Isaac Asimov statements on robots and machines and why they should never be made in the exact image of man because we’ll relate to them as more human than as machines. His second point is to never let machines fix or design other machines because we’ll loose the knowledge of what is being created by them. The sci-fi movie “I, Robot” (2004) starring Will Smith, presented the scenario of robots because of the aspect of intellectual reasoning, began to realize they were so much more than man and should be in control. In “WALL-E” (2008), machines were the only survivors after man leaves Earth after the planet becomes unlivable from waste materials.
 In 9, the theme of machines rising to survive is again explored. In the past, The Great Machine, created by man to supervise the other machines, turned on man. As the end came, a small group of machines is given the spark of life; in essence a soul of sorts, by a scientist as man’s end came. It’s now the present, and the group of machines with numbers as names, are set to launch an all out assault against the Great Machine they have dubbed The Beast. It’s the last stand as the “numbers” machines, instilled with the essence of man and his will to survive and led by #9 who was instilled with the essence of the scientist, set out to defeat The Beast.
 9 is an intriguing and unnerving thought about the possibility of loosing control of the machines around us. The voice actors bring to life the number machines, which endears us to each of them. The number machines are: #1 (Christopher Plummer) a domineering war veteran and the group’s longtime leader; #2 (Martin Landau) a kindly but now-frail inventor; #3 and #4, are scholarly twins who communicate nonverbally and mostly with each other; #5 (John C. Reilly) is a stalwart and nurturing engineer; #6 (Crispin Glover) is an erratic artist with visions; #7 (Jennifer Connelly) is a brave and self-sufficient warrior; #8 (Fred Tatasciore) is the none-too-bright muscle and enforcer for #1; and #9 (Elijah Wood) rallies the number machines to band together while exploring the will to live, the power of community, and how one soul can change the world they now inherit.
9, based on the 2005 Oscar® nominated Best Short Film for Animation by Shane Acker; Directed by Shane Acker; written by Pamela Pettler; Rating: PG-13 for violence and scary images; Focus Features release; Runtime: 79 minutes. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 September 2009 )
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