City of Ember

2008 "Escape is the only option"
6.4| 1h30m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 07 October 2008 Released
Producted By: Playtone
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.cityofember.com/
Synopsis

For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker. Now, two teenagers, in a race against time, must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, before the the lights go out forever.

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Reviews

Karry Best movie of this year hands down!
UnowPriceless hyped garbage
InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
mat-fletcher As the story unfolds and the scene is set, my attention was grabbed by the detail of the environments and the characters.This is a movie that provokes that same feeling of wonder, exploration and adventure that reminds my of classics like Goonies or Lord of the rings.The pacing is great and the story moves on at just the right pace although a part of me wishes that the film was longer so as to focus more on some of the other characters but this is a real, good quality rainy Sunday afternoon film.I gave it 8 out of 10, I was surprised that it has such a low average score on here.A equal of equal quality in which we discover more and hopefully see Bill Murray back would actually enrich this first movie and open it up even more.
Imdbidia City of Ember, the film, has an entertaining story, a deluxe cast, fantastic production design, music and atmosphere, and it is certainly a good family movie.I expect, and it's understandable, that some changes are to be made to adapt any book to the big screen, as a book narrative and pace aren't always good for a film. However, I expect those changes to be respectful with the original and within the spirit of the original. Well, the script does just the contrary, killing anything good that the story had for the sake of nothing, including unnecessary bizarre modifications and characters that add nothing to the story, and transform a multi-layered novel into a simplistic action/escape film.One of the most exciting things in the book is discovering the mystery as the same pace the main characters do: discovering that Ember is an underground city, discovering that the message in the box is from the Builders themselves, and so on. Well, the first five minutes of the film reveal just that upfront to you, so part of the mystery is destroyed on purpose at the beginning. What was the scriptwriter thinking?!!!! If this wasn't enough, the novel is remarkably metaphorical; think about the Plato's Cave allegory, think of the underground as the land of the subconscious, think of a cave as the motherly womb, and so on. I understand that metaphors of this sort do not translate well into a family fun film, but producing a less simplistic film would have shown viewers that the story is not all what it seems and that there is more for them to uncover.Finally, the actors'talent is wasted mostly because it's impossible to do wonders with the material or direction they've been given. One of the most remarkable exceptions is Martin Landau as Sul, who is great despite his character being very secondary and having barely any line in the film.Overall, this is an enjoyable movie, but has little to do with the original in message and meaning. Just the surface of the story has been scratched, and not always in a respectful way.
Leofwine_draca CITY OF EMBER spends a whole lot of time creating a post-apocalyptic future, where survivors live in a huge cavern filled with steam-punk style technology. Sadly, that's the limit of the imagination, because the film's narrative is virtually non-existent. You can't make a movie with a good setting alone, and the flaws are all too apparent once you begin watching.Attempts to make Bill Murray's comedy mayor into some kind of villain are undone from the outset by Murray's comic acting, while further attempts to bring gravitas via the casting of experienced actors like Tim Robbins and Toby Jones are similarly misplaced. The central plot, about the two kids searching for a way out, is dull beyond belief, and sleep-inducing. There's absolutely nothing new here.My only comments are that Saoirse Ronan is a very poor and overrated actress, limited to a single expression for a great deal of the time, and that the film's sole saving grace is the presence of old-timer Martin Landau, who is by far the best thing in it.
SnoopyStyle Due to an unspecified danger, engineers built underground City of Ember. The people are supposed to be left there for 200 years. The mayor is given a case that counts down the 200 years. At the end of the count, the case opens revealing instructions to exit the city. The case was supposed to be passed from one mayor to the next. However, it was lost when one of the mayors unexpectedly died. Now it's well pass 200 years, the city is crumbling, supplies are dwindling, and no one knows that they're suppose to leave.Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) and Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) are two young people ready to pick jobs on Assignment Day. However they are sure that the generator is breaking down, and they must escape the City. But they just don't know how.The underground world is absolutely fascinating. I love the style and visual of the City of Ember. The mystery of the exit isn't that compelling, but I love the search around this world. The two young actors are very good. The movie works very well until they start searching for the exit. The quest for the exit isn't as exciting as it needs to be. It has great possibilities with the giant moles and beetles. It should have been thrilling, but it's feels more like solving a puzzle. It's a good movie. With a more exciting third act, it could have been a great movie.