City of Ember (2008)

Film Title: City of Ember
Released: October 10, 2008
Directed by: Gil Kenan

Written by: Caroline Thompson based on the book by Jeanne DuPrau

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Tim Robbins & Bill Murray

Plot: In the majestic underground city of Ember, the great generator that has illuminated the darkness for generations has stared to fail. Two teenagers task themselves with finding a solution.

IMDb: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 53/100
My Score: 3/5

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

City of Ember is a 2008 family adventure film from Tom Hanks' production company Playtone distributed by Walden Media. Directed by Gil Kenan from a script by frequent Tim Burton collaborator Caroline Thompson, it is based on the 2003 novel by Jeanne DuPrau and was released just two months after the final book in the series, The Diamond of Darkhold, hit store shelves. In the opening sequence, it is revealed that the city of Ember was built underground in order to preserve humanity following a global catastrophe. A mechanical box containing the instructions for reemergence on the surface, with a 200 year timer, is passed from mayor to mayor. This plot point is pretty cleverly conveyed by the box passing from one set of hands to another with the timer winding down to show the passage of years. When one mayor dies before imparting the importance of the box to a successor, it is placed in a closet and forgotten with 47 years left on the timer. The years pass, the box opens and no one notices. Now in the year 241, the ancient generator that provides light and energy for the city is failing. Having been running several decades beyond its intended use, blackouts are becoming commonplace and taking longer to resolve. Not only that, but the storehouses of food supplies are also running low. Into this scenario is introduced plucky teenager Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan), an orphan and descendant of the mayor who died in office, living with her dying, senile grandmother and much younger sister. On Assignment Day, a day where those who are of age chose the occupation they will perform for the rest of their lives by pulling job titles out of a burlap bag, Ronan is given the occupation of pipeworks laborer, much to her dismay. Another teen, Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) pulls out "messenger" but asks Ronan to switch with him. Working in the pipeworks will get him close to the generator, which he believes he will be able to fix if given the chance. She readily agrees, as messenger was the job she was hoping for in the first place. Ronan ends up coming across the long-forgotten box in the closet it was scuttled into but the papers inside are damaged. She enlists the help of Treadaway in solving the riddle and the duo uncover a conspiracy involving Mayor Cole (Bill Murray), his loyal henchman (Toby Jones, who looks like denizen of Whoville), a storeroom clerk named Looper (Mackenzie Crook) and a room full of hoarded food supplies. The kids realize that the contents of the box may be the one thing that can save Ember and chase the mystery voraciously, dodging Murray and company as well as giant, mutant moles that roam the ancient tunnels surrounding the city in the process. They are aided to various degrees in their pursuit by Treadaway's father (Tim Robbins), seasoned narcoleptic pipeworker Sul (Martin Landau) and an old friend of Ronan's family, greenhouse farmer Clary (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). In the grand tradition of child protagonists taking on entrenched and often corrupt adult authority, and usually saving the world in the process, City of Ember boasts some really incredible looking set design that has a post-apocalyptic-meets-steam-punk feel. We're treated to stand out performances from Ronan, who brings a quiet intelligence and hopefulness to Lina, and Robbins as a disheartened revolutionary whose spark is reignited by his son. Unfortunately, Murray as the corrupt mayor is a major let down as it seems he's sleepwalking through the film with Jones and Crook providing all the menace. The decent and sometimes impressive effects through the film end on a low note with a badly animated sequence of the heroes traveling through a series of underground water tunnels in what appears to be an homage to Splash Mountain. A brisk 95 minute run time glosses over much backstory and doesn't give you a chance to really explore this gorgeous and fascinating world. Also co-starring Mary Kay Place, City of Ember is a flawed but entertaining film that was nominated at the 2009 Irish Film and Television Awards (Best Actress in a Lead Role in a Film: Soairse Ronan) and the 2008 Satellite Awards (Best Art Direction & Production Design: Jon Billington, Martin Laing and Best Costume Design: Ruth Myers).