Number 9, number 9, number 9

Today indie-friendly Focus Features continues its David vs. Goliath challenge to Pixar with its second animated feature film, 9, a daring dystopian vision of a post-apocalyptic future. This is only the second PG-13 animated film ever released, and with its violence and dark themes, it’s easy to see that this film, produced by Tim Burton, was designed for teens and adults and not for the little ones. Kind of a cross between Terminator and Pinocchio, 9 stars Elijah Wood as a small robot who convinces his burlap-sacked brethren that hiding won’t do them any good, but standing up and fighting an evil synthetic brain out to destroy the earth just might. Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau and Christopher Plummer also lend their voices to the film. (Image courtesy Focus Features)