9

Expanded from UCLA student Shane Ackers’ Oscar-nominated short, 9 details the menacing adventures of Number 9, as he meets up with similar coarsely woven stitched creatures, tagged with numbers one through eight. Each is an archetype of different aspects of the id, and as the necessary conflicts are played out they begin to work together to overcome the peril of The Machine, a sprawling mechanical beast that is intent on destroying whatever remaining lifeforms it catches under its blazing eye in the post-apocalyptic ruins of a dead world. As a visual smorgasbord, 9 is some pretty spectacular stuff. Unfortunately, the visuals are about all the film has to offer, as the screenplay doesn’t play out as much more than the cut scenes of a video game. But sometimes it’s nice enough to just turn off the brain and settle back into the seat of a slow-moving roller coaster that is crafted out of atmosphere and attention to detail, to enjoy the efforts of visual artists set loose on a project without the distraction of having to abide by any written rules. Such as a script. Feather River Cinemas, Paradise Cinema 7 and Tinseltown. Rated PG-13