Acker's film falls short of the year's other animated flicks

2009 has been a pretty incredible year for animated movies. In February, there was Henry Selick's imaginative, fairy-tale-esque "Coraline"; in May, we were treated to Pete Docter and Bob Peterson's heartfelt "Up"; in August, Hayao Miyazaki's gorgeous and charming "Ponyo" finally arrived stateside.

Unfortunately, while first-time director Shane Acker's "9" does offer some creative character designs and art direction, it's not on the level of its immediate predecessors.

From the "Coraline"-inspired opening sequence, in which a human hand creates a ragdoll puppet while a voice-over explains that the "world is ending, but life must go on," it's obvious that "9" is much darker than your typical animated fare. In fact, despite its charming aesthetics, "9" is primarily a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action film, more "Terminator" than "Wall-E."

The plot is familiar to anyone who's ever seen a sci-fi movie. Humanity no longer exists, and machines have taken over a battered Earth. But before all human life is extinguished, a scientist gives life to nine different puppets, known as "stitchpunks," each of which is identified by a number. The scientist's final stitchpunk, 9, awakens after humanity has been completely decimated. He eventually crosses paths with his fellow creations after accidentally re-awakening the Great Machine, which was responsible for the demise of the human race. From then on, it's up to him and his new-found companions to fight and destroy it once and for all.

The major problem of "9" is that its story and characters aren't particularly well-conceived or original. The film tries to be subtle about its message, illustrating the consequences of mankind's obsession with advancing technology, but its story is often either too simplistic or too convoluted. It provides a series of battles that are barely strung together, it dips into a confusing backstory, and it ends with an incredibly abrupt, nebulous resolution.

And the characters are all the usual archetypes: the nervous but well-intentioned friend; the wise yet secretive elder; the well-rounded hero with a heart of gold. The film would have been more interesting if Acker had limited the number of characters and developed their personalities more thoroughly.

Still, "9" is far from a disaster. While it may have its share of shortcomings, the film is engaging, and its many action sequences are tense and well-executed. What "9" lacks in plot, it makes up for in tone and atmosphere. The hostile world the stitchpunks inhabit feels real, and the washed-out color palette adds to the sense of desolation. The voice actors do a commendable job, and the audience gets the sense that director Acker is truly passionate about this movie.

It's obvious that with a little more thought put into its execution, "9" could have been really good. But as it is, it's an interesting, if disappointing, film that feels less like a cohesive whole than it does a collection of undeveloped sketches.

If Acker is able to establish a stronger story for his next film, we can expect great things. Until then, stick with "Akira" for your animated sci-fi action film needs.