City of Ember

Rating PG Formats DVD Genre fantasy Starring Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Harry Treadaway, Saoise Ronan, Lucinda Dryze Directed by 20th Century Fox Publisher Gil Kenan

Image a world where the only light is by generated electricity; there is no sun, no skies, no running water. So are the lives of the citizens of the cave-like Embers City. After two centuries this life is all the citizens know only time is running out and the generator won’t last much longer as the citizens fear a life of eternal darkness. Fate is one of the themes in this fantastical movie aimed for the curious and imaginative youth. Young Lina Mayfleet played by the talented Saoise Ronan, (Atonement) and Doon Harrow, (Harry Treadaway) seek to find a solution to the failing generator but they are limited and not allowed outside the edges of Embers City, lest they be arrested. Their quest to fix the problem takes them on an unintended adventure that leads them to a world they never knew existed.

The key to a better life rests inside a small metal box the founders, (the citizens refer to as builders), created over two hundred years ago. The box is to be past down from mayor to mayor until the end of the two hundredth year but the passage gets interrupted when one of the mayors suddenly dies. Enter Lina, an orphan along with baby sister Poppy, who discovers the long forgotten box. She knows from her grandmother that it is important but isn’t sure why. Doon knows something is wrong with the generator as the lights continue to go out for long bits of time. Ignoring advice that says otherwise, he and Lina know time is not on their side. Their curiosity of discovered secrets forces them to set out to find a way out.

Based on the book by the same name, director Gil Kenan takes the audience through a journey of hope and chance. The movie’s beautiful shots will please the young audience the film is aimed for while keeping the older audience entranced with performances by Tim Robbins as Mr. Harrow and Bill Murray as the shady Mayor Cole. Laced with amazing shots, pretty songs and a little bit of suspense, the audience will root for the young heroine and hero of the film. The audience will be pulled in with bits of comedy and lots of wonder. It doesn’t take much to suspend disbelief as Lina, Doon and Poppy takes the audience on an adventure of the unknown.