"9" Film Review by: Matthew R. Reis
When will it be over! (Now on DVD) 2 Stars As featured in: The Ithacan Shane Acker’s first feature- length film, “9,” is a flawed, post- apocalyptic vision of the not-so- distant future. Based on a short film, also named “9,” the film has some thrilling moments but should have never been adapted for the big screen. The film, set in a time of economic upheaval, depicts a dictator known only as the Chancellor who enlists the help of a team of scientists to develop technologies that will allow the state to prosper. The smartest scientist develops a ma- chine so ingenious, fittingly called The Brain, that it regrettably starts thinking for itself. Though the creator insists The Brain isn’t fully operational, it is put to use anyway by the Chancellor. The machine eventually turns its back on its creator, ensuring the inevitable destruction of the world. “9’s” fairly simple story line prevents the film from becoming a great, dark fantasy in the vein of Tim Burton’s “The Nightma...