I'm really rather impressed by the almost universal misunderstanding of "9".
9 - Rotten Tomatoes
Even the reviewers that liked the movie seem to find the plot uninspired, or the characters lacking in, well, character. Comparisons to Terminator 3 abound (apparently no one's able to find any other post-apocalyptic reference point), and there's more than a few references to the movie's inappropriateness for younger viewers. (A stunningly insightful remark, he said, with only the faintest whiff of ironic condescention.)
As far as I'm concerned, nearly every one of them is missing the point here. 9 was never intended to be yet another kid-friendly CGI romp in the park. The themes are dark and the content arguably adult in nature (fascism, the end of the world, death and loss and destruction, etc.). The movie is allegorical… a fairy tale similar in nature to Watership Down (or, for the more eclectic amongst us, The Cockroaches of Stay More).
The characters in 9 are intended to be archetypal, the situations hearkening back to universal themes. To complain about plot contrivances and lack of character development is to miss the point, and miss out on the best parts of the movie. It is visually stunning, as has been acknowledged by even it's most ardent detractors. But there is an equally interesting and intelligent story here as well… you just have to be open to the experience.
9 - Rotten Tomatoes
Even the reviewers that liked the movie seem to find the plot uninspired, or the characters lacking in, well, character. Comparisons to Terminator 3 abound (apparently no one's able to find any other post-apocalyptic reference point), and there's more than a few references to the movie's inappropriateness for younger viewers. (A stunningly insightful remark, he said, with only the faintest whiff of ironic condescention.)
As far as I'm concerned, nearly every one of them is missing the point here. 9 was never intended to be yet another kid-friendly CGI romp in the park. The themes are dark and the content arguably adult in nature (fascism, the end of the world, death and loss and destruction, etc.). The movie is allegorical… a fairy tale similar in nature to Watership Down (or, for the more eclectic amongst us, The Cockroaches of Stay More).
The characters in 9 are intended to be archetypal, the situations hearkening back to universal themes. To complain about plot contrivances and lack of character development is to miss the point, and miss out on the best parts of the movie. It is visually stunning, as has been acknowledged by even it's most ardent detractors. But there is an equally interesting and intelligent story here as well… you just have to be open to the experience.
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