Tuesday, 28 October 2008 00:00 | and posted in Movie Reviews
For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights – underground. Built as a refuge for humanity and powered by a massive generator, the inhabitants believe this city is the only light in never-ending darkness. However, the city has been built to survive 200 years and now Ember is falling into darkness as the generator fails and the dazzling lights begin to flicker and fade.
This is a really fun family adventure movie, with two endearing teenage lead characters and an imaginative and well-paced story. The city itself is wonderfully visualised and is one of the key reasons why this movie was such an enjoyable one to watch. The phrase “family movie” must be highlighted! This is the kind of film that I could imagine sitting down on Christmas Day snuggled up by the fire safe in the knowledge that my Gran will enjoy watching too!
It’s easy to guess what’s going to happen next and the movie can leave you with some nagging questions about the plot (e.g. how was Earth’s history kept secret from all but the mayor? and why would the city choose to allocate careers to teenagers based on chance rather than on gifting?). If these things annoy you in movies, you may want to avoid this one! However, I found the visuals and the characters drew me into the story and I recommend this movie as a good way to spend a light-hearted hour and a half.
3 out of 5.