City of Ember (2008)

City of Ember apparently came out in theaters in October 2008 but I can't remember ever seeing it advertised - anywhere. With a cast including Oscar-winners Tim Robbins and Martin Landau, as well as Oscar-nominees Bill Murray and Saoirse Ronan, I'm not sure why. On top of that, the poster uses the tagline "Escape is the only option." This makes it seem like a horror film unless you're sensitive to things like the typical use of a cool color palette on horror film posters (this one is warm) or have heard of/read the 2003 book on which the film is based.

The real travesty in this poor marketing is that this is actually a pretty darn good children's movie that adults will be able to find interesting as well.

The city of Ember itself is a completely underground community, reminiscent of Eastern Germany right before the Wall fell and built to last 200 years by the aptly named Builders. They also left behind a box containing the instructions on what to do when that time is up, but it's been forgotten. The town's generator is failing and the food supplies are running low as we're introduced to Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) and Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) who've just graduated school and have been assigned the jobs of Messenger and Pipeworks Apprentice respectively. Doon desperately wants to fix the generator while Lina is determined to find a way outside of the city. The two team up but the corrupt Mayor Cole (Bill Murray) isn't going to make it easy.

Director Gil Kenan puts forth a charming film in only his second wide-release effort. There are plenty of questions on how the city really works, but it's visually stunning and still fun to experience.

Rating: 4/5
Recommended for: Everyone looking for a fun adventure but especially kids ages 5 - 11