IF you ask me, Shane Acker’s post-apocalyp tic animated film “9” is better than the live-ac tion flick “District 9.”
Beyond their similar titles, these sci-fi social commentaries are both expanded from shorts under the sponsorship of a world-class director — although in the case of “9,” it’s Tim Burton rather than Peter Jackson for “District 9.”
Set in a devastated world that most immediately recalls “Wall-E,” the new film’s chief protagonist is No. 9, an 8-inch doll-like robot voiced by Elijah Wood, who comes to life decades after his creator, and the rest of humankind, perished in a war.
The late scientist also stitched together No. 9’s eight doll-like predecessors — who are led by the autocratic and pessimistic No. 1 (Christopher Plummer) in mostly evading the enormous mechanical monster, created by the same man, who long ago eliminated the human race.
It’s no surprise that No. 9, who has the most human-like characteristics of the group, has other ideas.
He enlists the help of elderly inventor No. 2 (Martin Landau); the mute, prankish archivists Nos. 3 and 4; the one-eyed engineer No. 5 (John C. Reilly); the artistically inclined No. 6 (Crispin Glover); the strong No. 8 (Fred Tatasciore) — and especially the only female robot, the strong-willed No. 7 (Jennifer Connelly).
The screenplay by Pamela Pettler (“Tim Burton’s The Corpse Bride”) fleshes out the action with some witty dialogue.
But like “District 9,” there’s still a feeling that you’re watching a very long (79 minutes, with lengthy credits) short subject in which the story doesn’t develop much beyond its opening reels.
Where the two films differ are Acker’s intoxicatingly rich visuals for the devastated world of “9,” which draw extensively on the steampunk style.
“9” (which is a tad intense for very young kids) may not be an instant classic like “Wall-E,” but it signals the arrival of Shane Acker as an audacious new talent to watch.