Don't You Know I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter?

Me too, Cat Face.

The Whole 9 Yards?

These days, it seems every animated film released raises the bar in terms of visual effects. Classic titles like ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘The Lion King’, although fine movies, look decidedly dated when compared with the stunning CGI animation on offer in Shane Acker’s latest feature, 9.

The kind of rapid advances in technology that have paved the way for 9’s incredible graphics are, as it happens, somewhat central to the film’s premise. Set in a reality where super-intelligent machines have turned against and over-powered their human creators, the story warns against the perils of “mankind’s relentless pursuit of technology”.

When doll-like creature 9 (voiced by Elijah Wood) awakens in this post-apocalyptic world, he’s unsure of how or why he has come to be there. However, it's not long before he discovers he's not alone and finds himself caught up in a last-ditch effort to overthrow the menacing machines and restore life to the planet.

9 certainly presents some interesting ideas but its clumsy resolution leaves too many questions unanswered and it’s difficult to shake the notion that the ground-breaking visuals came at the cost of a plot almost as hollow as the barren landscapes the film depicts.

Verdict: Visually stunning but the plot is considerably less impressive. Maybe check out ‘Up’ instead, if you haven't already.

Chuunes

I'm determined for Novemember to be the busiest blog month to date and can think of no better way to kick things off than with an introduction to my current obsession, Muchuu.

Muchuu (pronouced "Moo Chew") are George and Milky, an impossibly cutesy brother and sister combo that produce beautiful, shimmery synth-pop. According to their rather excellently designed web-site, 20-year-old singer Milky "writes lyrics about dreams, things she sees on her adventures, imagination and escapism; appreciating the real things, the little things that make you smile", while 18-year-old George provides the synths and harmonies on a keyboard he bought for £29.

I'd describe their stuff as sounding a bit like Frou Frou crossed with Ellie Goulding but it's probably best you decide for yourself:

Somebody Tell Me



Coral and Shell



Patchwork



Adventure We Go



[Image: Jason Dare]