My dark heart reflexively gives Tim Burton credit for turning Alice in Wonderland into a rich dystopian tale — one that favors weird over wonder, and changes the imaginary land’s name from Wonderland to Underland. It’s a typical Burton-ian film in a lot of ways. Fans of the wayward-haired director can enjoyably curl up to the familiar fraught palette and dreary sensibility, while welcoming Burton mainstays, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. But allow me to crush any optimism that Burton has conjured some sort of dark magic this time around in what is manifestly an underwhelming Underland. I imagine Lewis Carroll, author of the original Alice in Wonderland (1865), rests comfortably in his grave knowing Burton’s take is at best loosely inspired by his original tale.

A scorched, post-apocalyptic Earth has been the setting for many an epic blockbuster, but rarely an animated feature. Director, Shane Acker , carves a lonely rumbled path in his computer-generated debut film, 9 — a hauntingly magical yarn, spun more for adults and those with darker dispositions than innocent ankle-biters. The grunge patina and creepy cloth creatures (known as Stitchpunks) should be your first clue that 9 isn’t a happy tale to curl up with at night. While Acker’s plot is manifestly stitched together from other well-worn stories, his visual treatment is as pure and creative as they come.