Thanks to Jeff Burton of BURTONIA for this quick review.

Short Review: This story has more leaks than a 200 year old pipe.


City of Ember is a weak adaptation of Jean DuPrau's children's novel of the same title. Set in an underground city built to escape some unnamed apocalypse, two children attempt to escape Ember's inevitable collapse into darkness as the main generator begins to fail. The story is plagued with ridiculous contrivance and numerous loose ends. Its primary failing, however, is a missing connection between the villain and the main conflict. Bill Murray's performance as the machinating mayor is too laid back to menace, and too serious to amuse. The two lead performances are adequate, but I think the delightfully elfin Saoirse Ronan would be better cast as a genuine elf.

In spite of its shortcomings, this production succeeds spectacularly in the visual department. The set design perfectly convinces that Ember has seen two centuries of decay. There is enough detail and visual interest to make us want the camera to slowdown so we can take in more of it.

But then the silliness reasserts itself and we are treated to a tacked-on monster sub-plot, a father-son conflict that goes nowhere, and the final escape sequence, whose geometry much like an Escher drawing in its logic. In sum, it's a mediocrity unworthy of popular kid fiction.




Related Reviews:
Other Adaptations
Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)
Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)


Other Critic's Reviews:
SpoutBlog
Roger Ebert

Labels: adaptation, Bill Murray, guest review, movie review, Tim Robbins