Video/DVD Review: City of Ember
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this fantasy based on the popular
middle-grade novel
of the same name doesn't have much to worry about in the way of
sexual content, language, drinking, or strong violence. But its
constant tension and often-dark mood -- it's about a decaying
underground city founded to make sure humanity survived the end
of the world -- make it too intense for the youngest viewers.
The teenage main characters face challenges ranging from
corrupt officials to a ravenous giant mole; they navigate these
problems with persistence and resourcefulness.
Families can talk about why so many of the grown-ups in Ember
were afraid or unwilling to accept what was happening to the
city. Why were Lina and Doon different? Do you think that's a
realistic reflection of the differences between adults and
kids? Assuming the city's resources hadn't started failing, do
you think Ember could have survived indefinitely? Is it
possible to set up an ordered society? Families who've read the
book can also discuss how the movie is similar and different.
Which do you like better? Why?
It's been more than 200 years since the CITY OF EMBER was founded deep underground to protect a small segment of humanity from an impending doomsday on Earth's surface. During that time, the secret to leaving the city when the time was right got lost; now, the town's massive generator is failing, supplies are running low, and no one wants to think about what lies in the darkness beyond the city limits. No one, that is, except curious teens Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) and Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway), who are determined to find a way out of Ember before it's too late. To succeed, they must puzzle out an ancient document, navigate the city's crumbling pipeworks, and dodge everything from an enormous mole to the city's overconfident mayor ( Bill Murray).
Based on Jeanne DuPrau's best-selling novel, City of Ember has an original premise and a fast pace -- both of which are sure to entertain tween fantasy fans. The sets and costumes are great; in a nice departure from the tech-heavy dystopias so popular in other post-apocalyptic stories, Ember is a Dickensian landscape of grimy streets and scruffy urchins. Even with all of the lights hanging above, it's a dark, dirty place.
The teen actors are also good -- particularly Ronan, who was so memorable in Atonement -- even though the movie doesn't give them too much to do besides race from place to place and suddenly come up with "aha!" ideas when the situation calls for it. That may be City of Ember's biggest flaw: In the effort to keep young viewers' attention by moving the action along briskly, it sacrifices some storytelling logic. But chances are the kids who want to see it will remember it more for the made-to-be-turned-into-a-theme-park-ride sequence in which Lina and Doon navigate a roiling river than anything else, anyway.
DuPrau's bookZathura
The Goonies
WALL-E
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