City of Ember Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

U.S. 2008
Director: Gil Kenan
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray
Release Date: October 10th 2008
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

The Movie Review

City of Ember film still 1


CITY of EMBER
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Something unknown always fascinates people, especially something beneath the soil that we are standing on right now. Several months before, we have watched an underground world in Journey to the Center of the Earth. With City of Ember, there is slight differences, although both movies are based on novels, but City of Ember is not full of fantasy since it's about saving human races by putting them in an underground town.

City of Ember is based on a novel written by Jeanne Duprau. It mainly focuses on Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) and Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) who suspects that there may be a way out of Ember. Why do they want to get out? Because the City of Ember's main source of light and energy comes from the generator which cannot be longer counted on. Lucky for the 12-year-old clever Lina when she finds out about the box that has been passed on from the first mayor to the next until the box is abandoned in Lina's closet.

People of Ember are actually worry of the blackouts which the last one always last longer than the previous one. Lina and Doon try to solve the mystery written on the decaying paper found in the box, but the coward Mayor Cole (Bill Murray), instead of helping the kids, tries to own the box mainly for himself. Now Lina and Doon have to race against clock and Cole's men before the City of Ember endures blackout for good.

One of the reasons I watched City of Ember was because of wanting to see how Saoirse Ronan performs in this fantasy movie. Well this is not her best performance as we saw in Atonement, that I can assure you. However this soon to be 15-year-old actress still gives good performance. The rest of the cast's performances is just mere mediocre to good, since Bill Murray's script arguably limits him for giving his best.

City of Ember actually has top notch premise, it's just that the adventure side is not explored enough. And it's a waste that the concept of an underground city is not portrayed as majestic as posible. I gotta say that the planology of the City of Ember is kinda boring. But when the action kicks in, the fun begins, too bad that none of them are of novelty.

City of Ember film still 2