City of Ember

Saoirse Ronan stars as Lina – an inquisitive girl who lives in the City of Ember. Founded hundreds of years ago and built far beneath the surface of the planet to keep humanity safe, Ember is a dying city. Its massive generator is failing, supplies are running out and people are starting to worry that the end is near. Hoping to discover what might be going on and help save Ember, Doon (Harry Treadaway), wants to get to the generator, and, little does he know, his pal Lina might be the key to it all.

Can Ember be saved?

Is there something out there?

City of Ember is one of those rare movies that should have been longer. Just as director Gil Kenan is getting the action going, the film ends abruptly (with the promise of a sequel because no movie gets made these days without the possibility of a sequel). Leading up to this premature climax, Kenan and writer Caroline Thompson (based on the novel by Jeanne Duprau) try to build mystery and intrigue by hinting at the more epic portions of the story, while making Ember a dark, dank, depressing place in the spirit or Dickens, complete with little rays of hope and light just when needed.

I just wish they dedicated more time to digging deeper into the mystery instead of saving it for a future sequel, or never delving into the topic at all. Maybe the attempt is made to ensure City of Ember is not overly detailed and complicated for kids, but you never see the Harry Potter team worried about this issue, and how’s it working out for them?

While it might take too long to start rocking, City of Ember will capture your attention with its set design and contraptions that look like they are direct from the ACME catalog. And, you have to like Bill Murray as Ember’s kind of slimy and smarmy Mayor.

City of Ember is rated PG for mild peril and some thematic elements