9 is a really great movie. I went with some friends to see the screening the night before it opened, and it was easily the best movie I have seen in a few years. I really liked the plot, actually, even though there wasn't much context for it. Acker did a pretty good job involving the audience, I think, making them care about the fate of his characters and stuff. I actually like that there isn't a lot of explanation and that it is just a post-apocalyptic snapshot of this one day after humanity is finally gone.
Tim Burton is a pretty good producer, actually. He doesn't stick his hands in everything and twist things around to be how he would have made it or tweak it to his own taste or opinion or whatever. So, despite what you think of him as a director, he does some pretty decent production.