Boston Globe by Wesley Morris

Any optimism in 9, which is bound to try the fortitude of meeker children, feels hard-won. It actually ends in a bittersweet mystery.

Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum

Storyboarded with precision, and enhanced with a resonant score by Deborah Lurie, Acker’s handsome, feature-length 9 is, for all its visual flights of fancy, grounded in an apocalypse-proof message graspable by any schoolchild.

Portland Oregonian by Shawn Levy

At barely an-hour-and-a-quarter in length, it's one of those very rare feature films that you wish were longer.

ReelViews by James Berardinelli

This is post-apocalyptic adventure as imagined for a teen crowd, and what it lacks in depth it makes up for in action. With a slight running time of 80 minutes, 9 doesn't contain an ounce of fat on its animated bones.

Baltimore Sun by Michael Sragow

Not a perfect 10, but its imperfection is what makes it gripping and bewitching.

New York Post by Lou Lumenick

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.

San Francisco Chronicle by Peter Hartlaub

Taking your very small child to this movie is only a slightly better idea than a trip to "The Final Destination." With that warning out of the way, this action adventure is a big treat for more mature animation and science-fiction fans and a triumph for the young director.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Stephen Cole

Watching 9 , we know how 8 feels. Sci-fi fans will find heaven in Shane Acker's feature-film debut.

The A.V. Club by Tasha Robinson

It’s a perfectly functional, fairly scary kids’ film, with plenty of craft and creativity to keep adults occupied. But with a story as sophisticated as its visuals, it could have been much more.

Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert

The best reason to see it is simply because of the creativity of its visuals. They're entrancing.