City of Ember

Monster House director Gil Kenan takes the helm for this children's fantasy about two young heroes who attempt to solve an ancient mystery in time to prevent their underground city from being swallowed by darkness. The City of Ember was built over 200 year ago, deep below the earth, where the ...more

It is rare that a children's movie, even a fantasy flick, begins with the apocalyptic end of society. Set in an underground civilization, City of Ember is children's fare that's equally suitable for adults, thanks to its politically-oriented story. Ember is neither a utopia or dystopia. It's a man-made, tragically failing city that was established when the world upstairs collapsed. Ember's current population is decidedly unaware that the secrets of survival are tucked in a locked box that was ...more

A fun and moving family film with a subtly dark feel rarely seen in kids' movies since the '80s, City of Ember succeeds despite its shortcomings not only because of its fun and inspiring story, but because most of its flaws are things kids won't notice anyway. It opens with a glimpse at the titular city's birth several generations earlier, where the men who created it -- henceforth affectionately known as The Builders -- are constructing the town many miles below the earth, essentially as a vast ...more