9

Potential unexplored: a story left untold

Cool visuals, weak story. The most frustrating aspect is the fact that all the pieces were there for a complete story, they just went unused and underdeveloped. There was a spark of an argument between "9" and "1" (the young idealist who wants to move forward vs. the old religious who would rather hide in fear) but it never really flared up into anything meaningful. Most unusual though is the almost complete lack of a Main Character throughline. We have no idea who "9" is or what emotional baggage he brings to the story, and thus find it difficult to become emotionally involved in anything that happens on-screen. Worth seeing only if you're a fan of animation.