SNMR 6.29: "City of Ember"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "City of Ember" (2008, PG, 95 minutes), starring Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Murray, Martin Landau, Mary Kay Place and Toby Jones. The film was directed by Gil Kenan.


PLOY SUMMARY: Some unnamed disaster came upon the world some 200 years ago, forcing the construction of an underground city called the City of Ember, where humankind now lives. Now no one remembers life as it was on the outside and tales of the outside are considered myth and it is against the law to leave the city. However, the generators that power the city are failing and the city itself is crumbling. Most are resigned to their fate that they'll die when the generators finally go out. But the builders of Ember left instructions and a key in a metal box that was sealed for 200 years, when the scientists and engineers guessed it would be safe to leave the city. For 153 years the box was passed down from mayor to mayor, each unknowing of what was inside, until the box was forgotten. As time passed the box eventually opened as programmed. Now two kids, Lina and Doon, have the box and are trying to figure out the secret message before the generator dies. Will they figure out the riddle or die trying?

MY OPINION: I love movies like this where the premise has loads of promise. Stories of survival with a twist of mystery I usually find compelling. This movie is slow in the beginning but once the story comes together flows pretty well to a semi-satisfying but highly predictable conclusion, espcially the very last scene which is totally contrived and unrealistic. The movie's special effecs are decent and director Gil Kenan does an okay job developing the plot and characters. As witrh most novel to film adaptations of this kind, I'm sure the novel by Jeanne Duprau is far better and contains more expository detail of the story.

**½ out of *****