This Week's PCR Movie Review

	"9" Movie review by: Michael A. Smith Movies are rated 0 to 4 stars

MOVIE REVIEW "9"  by Mike Smith
RETRORAMA A Day in the Life of an Astro-Zombie  by ED Tucker
GROWING UP FANBOY Buck Rogers in the 25th Century  by Chris Woods
THE ASIAN APERTURE Linda, Linda, Linda  by Jason Fetters
STATE OF THE NATION Disrespectful Outcry...missing The Point .... Bye,bye Van Jones .... .... .... .... .... .... Acorn Outted...child Prostitution  by Brandon Jones
SPORTS TALK We’re Here!!!!! .... John Madden Can’t Stay Away .... Emmitt Smith Downs The ‘boys .... Ah, The Good Life .... .... .... ....  by Chris Munger
MIKE'S RANT have We Forgotten? .... Number Nine...number Nine .... Passing On .... .... .... .... .... .... My Favorite Films, Part 2...  by Mike Smith
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Focus Features     
Starring: The Voices of Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly and Martin Landau
Directed by: Shane Acker
Rated: PG 13
Running Time: 1 hour 19 mins

Before “Batman.” Before “Ed Wood.” Before “Sweeny Todd,” Tim Burton worked in the Walt Disney Company animation department. He has used his fame, and his eye for first rate talent, to introduce fans to new filmmakers like Henry Selick (“The Nightmare Before Christmas”) and Mike Johnson (“Corpse Bride”). Now he brings us Shane Acker, who has adapted his Academy Award nominated short into the new feature film, “9.”

It is the future. The world as you and I know it has been destroyed by a massive war. All that survives are a series of robots. A number on their back denotes their manufacturing. The lower the number, the more primitive their design is. Where a large button holds the front of earlier models together, the one designated as 9 (Wood) sports a nice shiny zipper. 9 has discovered a talisman that he thinks will help out his fellow numbered pals. However he learns that, if used incorrectly, it could mean the end for all of them.

A visually stunning achievement, “9” has taken computer animation to a whole new level. Where some recent films, like “Polar Express,” have tried to capture human expressions and come up short, “9” delivers in spades. From the earliest scenes, where the camera lingers on the worn hands of a scientist, the detail is astonishing. If only the same detail had been put into the story, which even at 79 minutes seems drawn out. This tale is very similar to that of “The Terminator.” A machine is invented to help mankind, only it falls into the wrong hands and soon is used to build other machines that help to enslave the human race. A long and destructive war follows, leaving only remnants of the machines and the tiny fighters left behind. In this version, 9 is John Connor, joining forces with the others to save the world. These figures are the face and, more importantly, the soul of the future. One that proves itself quite ready to save. On a scale of zero to four I give “9”