Review of the Short Film 9

Greetings Loyal Viewers! In honor of the new school year, I'm posting a review of my favorite short film of all time (Ironically enough, it also inspired my favorite animated movie of all time: 9). I credit this film as being the inspiration for much of my work from last year, including my Character Animation. You can find the short itself on this website.

The project itself was an animation final created by college student Shane Acker. There are many examples of advanced animation techniques, most notably, when 5 unfolds his spear, or when 9 and 5 pull the light bulb from the old lamp. Each of these examples looks amazing and flows like the animation of a professional.

9 tells the story of a group of rag doll creatures working to stop a machine that is hunting them down and stealing their souls. The premise seems strange at first, but you leave feeling emotionally invested in the story and characters. I feel like the biggest thing I can take away from this animation is the aesthetic and sense of mystery that the animation creates. The creator did a really good job of keeping tension high the entire time, leaving you constantly wondering what will happen next. However, the sense of wonder extends a little too far, leaving you with too many unanswered questions.

In the end, I believe 9 is a great short film, and an even better full length movie. Shane did many things well but left some to be desired. 9 still ranks as one of my favorite films of all time and Shane, wherever you are, good job.