Not quite a "9" out of ten

Many people have been really excited about the release of the new animated movie "9." Like anything Tim Burton is attached to, there is an instant curiosity and fanbase. So with this buzz, some great actors providing their voices and a movie that looks like it's going to be unique and beautiful, it seemed like "9" was a safe bet. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite live up to the hype.

The voice acting is truly great. Elijah Woods puts forth his top tier performance as the titular character of the production. At no point is there ever a feel of these are actors just wanting an easy paycheck, so they show up to do some voice overs in the jammies. John C. Reilly especially shines as 5 and gives possibly the most memorable performance in the entire movie.

Visually, this movie is very appealing. Though maybe nothing too special by today's ever raising standards, the movie had no harm done by the computer effects. The world is very stylized and had a great World War 1 kind of feel to it. Each of the characters, while all animated rag dolls, have distinct looks and behaviors which is a true credit to the visual designers and the animators. There is never a point where you're getting the characters confused in all the action.

What this movie really comes down to is being a good movie with sadly nothing really special to offer the viewer. The story, while creative in it's characters, falls short of being anything original. It's standard sci-fi/fantasy fare with creature turning on creator and creator trying to atone for his creation. This easily could have been a plot to a Terminator movie if you removed the ragdolls. Also, there is very little change to this world through out the course of the movie. Without getting too much into spoilers, your mind might start to wonder "Would this world have been better off if 9 had just never woke up?" Then by the end of it, the world is only a slightly better place, if it's even better off at all. There are some creepy "bad guys," but clever character design is not a proper substitute for an original and engaging story.

I'm not sure if the people working at the studio thought that too much plot would confuse people or if this version of the movie truly is Shane Acker's vision, but it just seems like there should be a lot more plot meat on this story bone. There was actually a point that really seemed like a natural end to the movie, but it then insists on saying "NO! WAIT! There's more here! Look! More stuff needs to happen to these characters you only moderately care about!"

Overall, I would say it's a 2.5 out of 5. It's not bad, it's not great. The general opinion of the group of people I saw it with was it's just missing something. It was only a few steps away from being special, but it will likely be forgotten in it's current form. It seems to be a clear rental.

Music Worth Listening To Vol. 5

Another week, and another MWLT. This segment has pretty much turned into a weekly thing, so why fight it especially since there are video games on the line. This week, I again decided to dedicate to a single act rather than two complimenting acts.

This week I decided to talk about The Apples in Stereo. Many people, including myself were first introduced to this band through the music videos that Cartoon Network used to show back in the day that were dubbed "Groovies." Their particular video featured the The Powerpuff Girls, which I am not ashamed to say I used to not only watch but very much enjoy. Anyways, I digress. I was younger and I was immediately intrigued by this kind of British Invasion sounding type of band. Though being young, I promptly forgot about them till a few years later when I accidentally stumbled on them again

"Let's Go(Signal in the Sky)" Cartoon Network Groovie

on the internet. My interest piqued, I dug more and more into their music only to have my hard drive crash and loose all my music. It was until recently that I again got back into their music, this time with the aid of Zune pass I was able to download complete albums.

"Tidal Wave" From Fun Trick Noisemaker

They have released six full length albums, my personal favourite being The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone. The Rainbow, a track off that album, actually made appearances on multiple commercials and television shows. It's quite ironic that a band that has never reach a huge traditional commercial success has had such such success on getting their music into commercials. They have had their music featured in ads for Cell Phones and chain retailers. They even had a bright moment when they were featured by Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report. They later even preformed live on the

show to promote their album. Though Colbert's affection for this band is very apparent, it's not the only time that they catch the eye of someone famous in the entertainment business.

After ten years with the soon to be defunct spinART label, which host such bands as the The Pixies, they signed with Simian Records which was founded by no other than Elijah "Don't Call Me Frodo" Woods. Elijah Woods actually even directs the video for their first single off of their latest album New Magnetic Wonder, which is also their first album with their new lineup which has the band sans Hilarie Sidney their long time drummer and vocalist. Though her contributions as the only female vocalist in the band are missed, I think the overall sound of the album is much better than their 2002 release

"Energy" from New Magnetic Wonder directed by Elijiah Woods

Velocity of Sound, which had a very hard edge and bite to it compared to the lighter melodies of earlier albums.

Frankly, this band is a must listen in my opinion. Especially their work in the 90's which I think is their best work. And good news, unlike last weeks band, these guys are still touring and making albums!

Official Site : Myspace