9 (2009 animated film)

9 is a 2009 American computer-animated sci fi horror adventure feature film based on Shane Acker's Academy Award-nominated 2005 short film of the same name.


 * Directed by Shane Acker. Screenplay written by Pamela Pettler.

When our world ended, their mission began. (taglines)

The Scientist

 * We had such potential. Such promise. But we squandered our gifts, our intelligence. Our blind pursuit of technology only sped us quicker to our doom. Our world is ending. But life must go on.
 * [9 finds and sees the record message] Greetings, 9. It had such promise, my Great Machine. It was meant to be an instrument of progress. Of creation. That was the agreement our Chancellor failed to honor. Though the fault is hardly his alone to bear. The Machine was born purely of my intellect. Which I now know...was not enough. My creation was hopelessly flawed and indeed dangerous for it lacked the human soul, and could be easily corrupted by those who controlled it. That is why I'm making each of you. ['9 finally learns his origins] You are all that's left of humanity. You...are all the pieces of my soul. Together, you and this device shall protect the future. Look closely and remember what you see.

1

 * No! We have rules! [8 walks in] Our new guest seems confused. [to 9] Perhaps I can help you achieve some clarity.
 * When we woke in this world, it was chaos. Man and machine attacked each other with fire and metal.
 * The gas killed everything. I led us here to sanctuary. And here we waited for the war to end. Slowly the world became silent. The only thing that remains now is the beast. So we stay hidden. And we wait for it, too, to sleep.
 * Sometimes fear is the appropriate response.
 * [Last words] They've left us nothing. Nothing. Why do we have to right their wrongs? Sometimes, one must be sacrificed.

2

 * Wait! I'm a friend.
 * Some things in this world are...are better left where they lie. But if you know where to look, these ruins are full of riches.
 * [to the Cat Beast] Here, kitty, kitty. Why don't you finish what you started... with me?
 * [Last words; trying to stop 9 from unwittingly reactivating the Fabrication Machine] Wait! What are you doing?! We don't know what it is!

5

 * You know, you're just like him. You forget to remember to be scared.
 * Help me put it down!
 * We'll need a full barrel.

6

 * Go back to the source

7

 * I never left. You finally decided to join the fight.
 * What? Go back to 1? So he can lock us away while this nightmare awakens? Never.
 * Let me try that again.

9

 * [To 7, 4, 3 and 1 about their origins] I now know the truth! The Scientist! The Scientist; he's the source! He gave us his soul. We are him.
 * [To 7 about loss of 2, 5, 6 and 8] They all died because of me. I started this and now I need to finish it.

Dialogue

 * [In a flashback, 1 describes how the State's never-ending war against another nation saw the introduction of self-piloted war machines. These machines ended up turning on humanity, ending the war with massive artillery barrages of poison gas shells.]
 * 1: The gas killed everything. I led us here... to Sanctuary. Here, we waited for the war to end. Slowly the world become silent. The only thing that remains now... is the beast. So we stay hidden, and we wait for it, too, to sleep.
 * 9: But where did it come from? Why is it hunting us?
 * 1: Questions like that are pointless! We need to protect ourselves. Keep ourselves out of danger. Too many of us have already been lost.
 * 9: But he isn't lost. [1 scoffs and walks away] Why aren't you listening to me?
 * 1: 2 chose his own path! I suggest you avoid making the same mistake. [to 5] Go to the watchtower, and take our guest with you.


 * 5: This was the first thing we built together.
 * 9: We can still go after him.
 * 5: Us? But, he could be anywhere out there.
 * 9: (looks around and gasps) That's where it took him [points to the factory]'' Out towards those three tall shapes.
 * 5: [looks into the factory with a telescope] Oh, no. We can't, not there. [jumps down, reminding 9] We have rules.
 * 9: Why do you listen to 1?
 * 5: A group must have a leader.
 * 9: But what if he's wrong? [5 looks confused] Come with me. I can't do it alone.
 * 5: I... [sighs] I... I can't.
 * 9: But, wouldn't he have come for you?
 * 5: I... [changes his mind] Wait. We're going to need a map.


 * 5: 2 would be impressed.
 * 9: We'll find him.
 * [9 and 5 travel to the factory, searching for 2]
 * 5: You know, you're just like him. You forget to remember to be scared.


 * [After a figure decapitated the Cat Beast, revealing herself as 7]
 * 5: 7?!
 * 2: I don't believe it! [hugs 7]
 * 5: You've come back!
 * 7: I never left. You finally decided to join the fight.
 * 9: You dropped this.
 * 7: Where've you been hiding?
 * 2: Rusty, hacked-together, shoddy pile of...


 * [After escaping the reawakened Fabrication Machine]
 * 5: [sobbing for loss of 2] I knew we shouldn't have come! Why?![grabs 9 by his shoulders] Why did you do that?!
 * 9: I didn't know! I'm sorry! I'm sorry...
 * 7: What were you thinking?
 * 5: What is it going to do?
 * 7: I know where we can find answers.


 * [The trio entered the library to find answers]
 * 9: Is this what it was like?
 * 7: Keep up!
 * [They meet 3 and 4]
 * 5: Oh! They've been here? The whole time?
 * 9: Twins!
 * 7: They've been hiding here. Lost in the past. Looking for answers.
 * '' [the twins run over to 9, studying him]
 * 9: Oh!
 * [5 and 7 laugh]
 * 7: They're cataloging.
 * ''[ 4 unzips 9's zipper]
 * 9: Whoa!
 * ''[9 smiles shows the twins his staff, 3 unscrews it and starts cataloging it]
 * 7: We need your help. We awakened something-
 * 9: No. I awakened something. Something terrible. [The twins pages a book to find what has awakened; 9 finds the Fabrication Machine] That's it!
 * [The twins shows the trio various floors, finding the Fabrication Machine's origins. 4 plays a record clip]
 * Announcer #1: Today, the Chancellor presented the latest advancement of technological wizardry to the public.
 * Ferdinand: Comrades, today dawns a new era. Let us praise this new technology. Welcome to the age of the Machine! It will create new machines in its own image! Machines of peace that will usher in a glorious new era of wealth and prosperity for the state!
 * [A newspaper says WAR DECLARED!, showing various scenes of war with walking machines aiding their side's soldiers; later the headline is shown: MACHINES TURN AGAINST US!, and the War Machines are seen killing humans as Humans fight back for survival.]
 * Announcer #2: Residents are advised to pause for a public address.
 * Ferdinand: Science has turned its sinister hands against us! People of our mighty state, join me in repelling the iron fist of the Machine!
 * [4 ends the record clip]
 * 9: But, the thing that woke it. It was round and imprinted with strange shapes. [The Twins don't know what he means. 9 draws.] The shapes corresponded. It fit perfectly into the Machine. As if it were made for it.
 * 5: That's what 6 always draws!
 * 9: 6?
 * 5: 2 collected his drawings. He's always studying them.
 * 9: I have to see them.
 * 7: What? Go back to 1? So, he can lock us away while this nightmare awakens? Never.


 * [At the cathedral]
 * 1: You awakened WHAT?! You fools! I warned you!
 * 8: He warned you.
 * 1: Now, it'll us all in unimaginable peril. And may I ask; did you manage to save 2? Of course not! By following this witless folly, you've endangered everything we work for!
 * 9: Why was 2 sent out to begin with?!
 * 1: I sent him to scout.
 * 9: That doesn't make any sense. You don't send the oldest out to... Look, we need to figure out what's going on.
 * 6: [interrupting; showing his drawings to 9.] The source, the source... Go back to the source.
 * 9: This is it. This is what awakened the Machine. What do you know about this?
 * [6 tries to answer, but 1 angrily interrupts]
 * 1: Ah, You can't be trusted. I won't allow you to endanger us further. Subjugate them!
 * 8: [confused] Sub... What?
 * 1: [annoyed] You illiterate cretin! Take their belongings!
 * [8 smiles and takes 6's drawing from him and tries to take 5's backpack]
 * 9: Hey![tries to stop him but gets pushed back] You're nothing but a coward.
 * ''[8 smiles and goes to confront him while cracking his knuckles, 9 prepares to fight by raising his staff but 1 clashes his cane with 9's staff before they could fight leading to a intense stare down between the two]
 * 1: How dare you challenge me?! I, who kept everyone safe, all these years! Ever since you got here, everything has been unraveling! You're a curse!, A fool! Guided by pointless queries!
 * 9: And you are a blind man, guided by fear!
 * ''[9 angrily pulls his staff away]
 * [A shadow darkens the room as something flies by the church window]
 * 1: Sometimes, fear... is the appropriate response...


 * 9: What? What is it?
 * 6: The source.
 * 9: The thing that woke the Machine.
 * 6: Go back. Go back.
 * 9: Back to where?
 * 1: Dark science. What good does this useless rubbish do us? Forget it!
 * 9: You know something. What do you know?
 * 1: I know enough to leave their ancient evils to molder. Look what they've left us with. Leave it be, I say! But you, always asking questions. So many pointless questions. Probing, pushing like 2! He always had to know! (rips the page off the book) Too much!
 * 9: I was right. You did send him out to die!
 * 1: He was old! He was WEAK! (5 gasps and 7 glares at him) Sometimes, one must be sacrificed for the good of many.
 * 7: YOU COWARD!! ''[pins 1 to the wall with her staff]
 * 9: 7! (7 storms off.)
 * 1: Your path takes us to catastrophe.
 * 9: We have to go back.
 * 5: Back? Where?
 * 9: To the first room. Where I woke.


 * (After the Seamstress took 7 and 8.)
 * 9: We have to go after them!
 * 1: What? 8? Where- Where's 8?
 * 9: That thing has them! It's taking them back to the Machine!
 * 1: Then it's too late. We... We have to get out of here. W-W-We must try to find another safe place.
 * 9: No more hiding! We're going after them! All of us.
 * 1: Need I remind you of the outcome of your last heroic venture?
 * (3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 gather at 2's lifeless body and hold a funeral for him)
 * 9: I can't let this happen to them.


 * 6: GO BACK! To the first room! He'll show you! The source!
 * (''The Fabrication Machine absorbs 6's soul.)
 * 1: It must be destroyed.
 * 9: No. No, we can't! Didn't you hear him? They're trapped inside. We can still save them.
 * 7: What? How?
 * 9: We have to find the source. It holds the answer.
 * 7: We need to destroy it.
 * 9: But, there's still a chance!
 * 1: We're out of time.
 * 7: 9, they're gone.
 * 9: You're wrong. (9 leaves to find the source of how to stop the Fabrication Machine.)
 * 7: 9...
 * 1: Let him go.


 * [After all the machines are defeated and the factory destroyed, it slowly begins to rain. This has not happened in a very long time.]
 * 7: What happens next?
 * 9: I'm not sure, exactly. But this world is ours now. It's what we make of it.

About

 * The world is made up of little pieces of things left over, so how do you recombine those in a creative way, to create these characters and creatures? And then we'd take trips out to these junkyards here in LA, and go and get bags and bags of junk, and take them back to the studio and look at them, and use that to inspire us, and find little ideas in that.
 * Shane Acker in "Interview Shane Acker Talks 9", by Michael Leader, Den of Geek, Oct 26, 2009

Taglines

 * (1) To Protect Us...
 * (2) To Inspire Us...
 * (3) To Define Us...
 * (4) To Teach Us...
 * (5) To Guide Us...
 * (6) To Lead Us...
 * (7) To Defend Us...
 * (8) To Guard Us...
 * (9) To Save Us.
 * When our world ended, their mission began.

Cast

 * Elijah Wood - 9
 * Fred Tatasciore - 8 / Radio announcer
 * Jennifer Connelly - 7
 * Crispin Glover - 6
 * John C. Reilly - 5
 * Martin Landau - 2
 * Christopher Plummer - 1
 * Alan Oppenheimer - The Scientist
 * Tom Kane - The Chancellor