9

First of all, the little sack dolls of Shane Acker’s 9 were designed well before Little Big Planet’s Sackboy. In fact they first appeared in 2005, in the directors short film of the same name from which 9 has been expanded. The story begins with doll number 9 waking up to discover a world bereft of humans, but full of nasty looking machines. He then embarks on an adventure that involves meeting various other numbered sack dolls and their battle to avoid being attacked by the robotic beasts. A post apocalyptical world in which computers have destroyed mankind is hardly an original background, but Acker’s film makes up for this with some superb animation, including an outstanding sequence where a number of the dolls are attacked by a pterodactyl like creature. Speaking of this scene it’s no surprise this film has picked up a 12A certificate in the UK as there are a number of scenes that would give children nightmares for weeks (hardly surprisingly when you consider that Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov are the producers). In addition, despite being made of burlap, Acker does succeed in making us engage emotionally with the protagonists. This is crucial, especially towards the end of the film where the storyline becomes seriously stretched and somewhat confusing. Overall, this is much like one of its sack dolls. Good to look at, but a little frayed around the edges.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
Not much originality, but some stunning animated scenes, coupled with a bit of heart, make for a breezy and enjoyable 80 minutes. Rating: 7/10.