City of Ember: Review By XJWS79

The movie is from Director Gil Kenan who previously did Monster House from 2006 would be his 2nd movie in his career and also very little different for Kenan since Monster House was an animated film. Adapted from the Caroline Thompson screenplay and is based off the 2003 apocalyptic book by Jeanne DuPrau, of which I have not read.

Also bare in mind I saw this movie a week ago so some events may be out of place.

So I hit up the local theater for a Friday night late show, which is my usual time to go because there usually nobody there. Your characters from the movie comprised of a few big names Martin Landau, Bill Murray and Tim Robbins. For the most part, the casting is on target. I thought very highly of Saoirse Ronan she seemed a lot more engaging and appealing here than she did just last year in Atonement. Treadaway is just as impressive in his role, but I had not much to go on with him has far has a previous role which is Control from 2007. Tim Robbins was excellent in his small but pivotal role has Doon’s Father Loris Harrow who uses a different name through the movie, of which you will find out why later.

I really thought that Robbins would have a larger role, you don't see him for half the movie, his important for the work he does and the history that reveled between him and another characters father (I’ll leave it so that it’s not spoiled). Loris also gives Doon a very important tool, which resembles a Swiss army knife only made out off spare parts.

Bill Murray played the role of Mayor Cole, although his character was jovial and cheerful at times he seems like he doesn’t fit the story, even thought his character was important. I just didn’t care for his acting in the movie. Wish I could descript it better than that.

The movie starts Some 200 years ago the Earth is dying, so the group of builders comprised of in great physicists, inventors, and architects designed and built a huge underground city powered by a gigantic generator. The Builders, though, possess some forethought and, assuming that the surface of the Earth would one day inhabitable again. So they enclosed the instructions inside a metal box and added a 200-year timer which the Builders reasoned, the surface would be habitable. This box was to be passed down from Mayor for 200 years until the timer would run out, however somewhere along the way the chain is broken of pass downs is broken, and now in the present the box sits in a closet.

Our story focuses on two children Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) & Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway). Both children have just been given there assignments for life on assignment day, which at first Mayfleet receives Pipe works, which she quickly seeks out Doon who had received messenger, Doon believes his destiny (what is he a Jedi) lies with something better than a messenger. It's after this that Doon meets Saul (Martin Landau) who is in the role of teacher in the pipe works. Which he helps with sealing pipes with Duck tape of all things, a very funny moment happens after they fix one pipe the same one busts in a different place this is where we learn Saul has the very important map of all the tunnels. Saul appears to have very few lines expect for uttering this phrase “It’s not my job” about most everything expect for a something very important around the end. Of course attempting to leave the city is the only jail able offense which you learn just shortly after the jobs assignments day. Not that they even know where to escape to anyway, but the only man we see attempt to leave comes back with a huge black thing which Lina steals while the man is being arrested for going past the Gardens, she then takes it to Doon, who tells her what it is, it turns out to be a giant beetle leg.

During the course of their duties, the blackouts increase and Doon is determined to get to the Generator. Lina Mayfleet soon discovers the box in Granny (Liz Smith) house while going to check her sister Poppy (Amy & Catherine Quinn) who she finds in the closet snacking on the instructions inside the metal box. Don’t ask me why she was eating the paper, but since they live with Granny the yarn lady, the girl was probably hungry I call her Granny the yarn lady and you’ll see why. Who appears to know about the box but can’t remember what it’s for or whenever it is. Lina takes the box to show it to Doon of whom they team up to decipher the tattered remnants of the box and its purpose of half of a key, they discover that these are instructions on how to exit the dark city. Then Lina is given a very important message from Looper about the Mayor’s ship is in after she also stumbles into the empty storage room.

While a large event in the movie with the Generator, Doon takes Saul map when his sleeping which you’ll notice Saul does a lot, the same map from his pocket which we see earlier and upon examining, Doon searches the one particular area that has been marked off the map. This which leads to a locked door, which Doon brings Lina to the door to show her, which they’re chased into the storage room by the giant mole. Which is where Doon first encountered Looper (Mackenzie Crook from Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3) the warehouse attendant who is trying to hide the fact that City is also running out of food which if you’re paying close attention to Mayor Cole’s big ass belly you’ll get the idea what's going on. Naturally in most movies there has to be adversity, they run into complications with Doon's father and Mayor Cole. Just a bit later Doon and Lina discover what's behind that locked door using that trusty tool that his Father gave him. It was the Mayors secret stash of food. Doon and Lina decide that someone should know what the Mayor has been up to, so she goes to Barton Snode (Toby Jones the Mist 2007) which is one of the Mayors council people, which turns out he two knew already knew about the food. It’s here that Lina is able to secure the other piece of the key from the box, that Cole had this whole time. To protect his secret the Mayor goes so far to leave a reward for their capture

So without to much further and telling you the entire movie, I’ll stop there because I don’t want to ruin the ending of the movie. So overall City of Ember is pretty fascinating and not complex, meaning it grabs you and doesn’t force you to find out things in order to keep up with the plot. The end is worth staying for and you’ll find it satisfying.

I gave it 3.5 a little better than the average because of some good performances, however there was one that brought that number down. The Visuals where great check the last 25 minutes for some awesome action, thought the directer did good with the story but could have used Robbins more.

If you read this and enjoyed it please comment respectively because I would do the same for you. Thanks, XJWS79