Featured Audience Ratings

• Dead A

  
  It's a weird movie. But wasn't boring. Watchable.

• Drake T

  
  This movie has so much promise for its demographic. The themes, the visuals, the actors... but none of it comes together in a truly compelling manner that would move an older audience. In the end it's a coming-of-age movie full of obvious metaphors, allegory, themes and a cast… More
  This movie has so much promise for its demographic. The themes, the visuals, the actors... but none of it comes together in a truly compelling manner that would move an older audience. In the end it's a coming-of-age movie full of obvious metaphors, allegory, themes and a cast of two dimensional characters that represent them. It's not bad, a pretty decent entry-level into the SciFi genre for younger generations. But I suppose the inaccessibility of the movie for us "old" folks brought about its own demise.

• Emil K

  
  A soaring and very impressive fantasy-film that proves director Gil Kenan as a huge talent to watch in future. City of Ember has wonderful idea and very good actors to make this into something completely unique. While Kenan's previous effort, which was animated Monster House, was… More
  A soaring and very impressive fantasy-film that proves director Gil Kenan as a huge talent to watch in future. City of Ember has wonderful idea and very good actors to make this into something completely unique. While Kenan's previous effort, which was animated Monster House, was not that promising, he here shows fantastic eye for details and atmosphere. This is no wannabe fantasy like those lame Jean-Pierre Jeunet films or Harry Potter franchise. City of Ember finds the perfect balance between darker and lighter material. Kenan also doesn't ruin his film with lenght. He keeps it moving and wraps it up neatly into 90-minutes. This is one of those rare examples about films that works for children and adult audiences. It does not underestimate viewer and always has surprise or two in it's sleeve for audience. This is the kind of fantasy they should be making in Hollywood instead of those Potters or Lord of the Rings. This is a film with message and idea. It is also beautiful example of wonderful production design and perfectly nuanced pacing. This is very recommended for all the fans of dark fantasy.

• Eliza N

  
  Well, it's been a long time since I had watched this but I remember that I was some kind of disappointed of the young actors and also from the whole direction.

• Michael E

  
  Very, very weird, but in a good way

• Manu G

  
  It's kinda of a boring story and there's really no action till the end. Still it was interesting and i enjoyed it. Watch it once and that will be enough. The Futuristic Story Tale of in September 14, 2088 A.D of the Future., A Nuclear War. The builders of Ember left… More
  It's kinda of a boring story and there's really no action till the end. Still it was interesting and i enjoyed it. Watch it once and that will be enough. The Futuristic Story Tale of in September 14, 2088 A.D of the Future., A Nuclear War. The builders of Ember left instructions to the mayors in a box that would open by itself. Unfortunately, one of the mayors died without telling someone what the box was and it got tossed into a closet, where it was forgotten for generations. The year is September 18, 2416 A.D of the Future. After the War. Lina Mayfleet, and Doon Harrow are two children in Ember who find themselves on a mission to save their dying city. The city's lights are beginning to flicker and food supplies are running out. Doon lands a job at the Pipeworks where he wants to try to repair the failing generator. Lina's job is simple - she is a messenger, but she soon finds herself in over her head when she discovers the box of instructions left by the builders so long ago. Doon and she find themselves on a wild adventure when they discover the way out of Ember, but corrupt officials and a treacherous mayor stand against their wish to save the city. With courage and heart they brave the darkness - all to help their fellow citizens escape the dying city.

• Sanjaya &

  
  A pretty good movie based on a novel about the civilization of human race that been moved into an underground city named Ember to protect their race from extinction... I must say that the author of the novel was really smart person for creating a novel that have a great story... The… More
  A pretty good movie based on a novel about the civilization of human race that been moved into an underground city named Ember to protect their race from extinction... I must say that the author of the novel was really smart person for creating a novel that have a great story... The visual effects in this movie was stunning I think, because they build a city that different from another city and of course it looks rusty because this city is build over 200 years ago... Saoirse Ronan and Harry Treadaway did a really great job as the main character of this movie, while the appearance of Tim Robbins and Bill Murray for their small role in this movie helps a little... With the open ending they have here, I hope for another sequel 'People of Sparks', but with the failure from this movie in box office ladder, I doubt they will plan a sequel for this movie...

• Thomas J

  
  Kind of a futuristic movie for kids. An ok way to kill 1.5 hours if there is nothing else to watch or do.

• Mark W

  
  Is it really possible that a kids adventure film can be dull and uneventful? Well..."City of Ember" is proof that, yes, it can be. Based on the novel by Jeanne Duprau, it tells the story of Lina (Ronan) and Doon (Treadaway) who live in an underground city named… More
  Is it really possible that a kids adventure film can be dull and uneventful? Well..."City of Ember" is proof that, yes, it can be. Based on the novel by Jeanne Duprau, it tells the story of Lina (Ronan) and Doon (Treadaway) who live in an underground city named 'Ember'. It is lit only by electric lamps, whose inhabitants have no light sources. The darkness beyond their city hold unknown things and possible salvation, so they decide to find a way out, as 'Ember' is falling to pieces and what little power supply they have left, is running out. There is next to nothing to recommend here, with the one exception being a nice and almost unrecognisable appearance from Martin Landau. What the hell Tim Robbins and Bill Murray where thinking of by getting involved in this stinker, I'll never know. They are way above this tedious nonsense. One for definite avoidance unless your suffering a bout of insomnia.

• Jens S

  
  This lovely adventure movie for older kids and young adults works mostly thanks to the excellent set design, creating a unique, atmospheric underground city with lots of fun gadgets, where survivors of mankind are waiting for the return to the surface of earth. While the mayor… More
  This lovely adventure movie for older kids and young adults works mostly thanks to the excellent set design, creating a unique, atmospheric underground city with lots of fun gadgets, where survivors of mankind are waiting for the return to the surface of earth. While the mayor (excellent: Bill Murray) seems to have his own plans, two kids are actively seeking for a way up. The film is fast-paced, with likable characters and a fun showdown with hidden doors, water rides and secret maps. The last scene is particularly beautiful. Oddly and undeservedly, this film remained somewhat unnoticed, although a lot more people could have fun with this.

• Dean M

  
  I never knew this is based on the children's novel with thrilling sci-fi and adventure, it is a solid family film that most audiences should enjoy regardless of age, gender or anything else; good entertainment, and a wonderful story to remember at that. The design of the film is… More
  I never knew this is based on the children's novel with thrilling sci-fi and adventure, it is a solid family film that most audiences should enjoy regardless of age, gender or anything else; good entertainment, and a wonderful story to remember at that. The design of the film is great, but as in design, the beauty is found in the details. For the most part, the casting is on target; Saoirse Ronan seems a lot more engaging and appealing here than she did just in <i>Atonement</i>, and Harry Treadway, although looking like a refugee from <i>High School Musical</i>, is just as impressive. Tim Robbins is excellent in a small, but pivotal role, as is Martin Landau (whatever became of him?) as the requisite old-guy-who-sort-of-knows-stuff. The only puzzling casting is that of Bill Murray as the town's jovial mayor; he seems glib and cheerful enough, but it almost feels like he's being ironic, rather than being a part of the story. Often, this sort of approach makes for a hammy performance, but Murray's too subtle here for pure hamminess; he's more like a square peg in a round hole.

• Bruce B

  
  Hard to decide who this movie was made for, Kids or adults, had few enjoyable moments. Special effects all throughout. 3 1/2 stars

• paul s

  
  a film designed for kids from 8-14, there's enough "message" to get through, although it's of the "hit you over the head" variety. Still, it's this in combination with a terrific set (but lousy cgi towards the end)that get this one over the top as… More
  a film designed for kids from 8-14, there's enough "message" to get through, although it's of the "hit you over the head" variety. Still, it's this in combination with a terrific set (but lousy cgi towards the end)that get this one over the top as a cautionary tale - where too much belief in authority (or a "savior") ends up with entropy and decay. I found Bill Murray to be delightful as the corrupt mayor, and Tim Robbins to have this type of charactor (the everyman with a wink in his eye that tells you he knows more than he's letting on) down to a science. As far as fantasies go, this on is at least on par with most of the rest I've seen in the past several years, and while not standing head and shoulders above the swill, it at least doesn't wallow with them.

• Jani H

  
  "On the day the world ended, the fate of mankind was carried in a small metal box." The fantasy genre is one of my favourite genres. In that genre, the viewer gets a chance to leave the world of today and experience something else. Something different. 'City of… More
  "On the day the world ended, the fate of mankind was carried in a small metal box." The fantasy genre is one of my favourite genres. In that genre, the viewer gets a chance to leave the world of today and experience something else. Something different. 'City of Ember' exceeded all of my expectations, I thoroughly enjoyed it, flaws and all. The city of Ember was built as a refuge place for humanity and it is powered by a massive generator. But the problem is that it will only sustain for 200 years. Now Ember is falling into darkness as the generator is failing. A metal box is found in the darkest corner of a house whose residents are the descendants of past city mayors. Lina, a young girl and her grandmother are sure that the content of the box is important and may bring a solution to the inevitable end of the city... and humanity? 'City of Ember' has an original script that was truly entertaining. It starts of interesting and doesn't have any pacing problems of any sort. But when the movie ends, I got this feeling of "That's it? What now?". Of course this is a good thing in a way, leaving the viewer to imagine the future of the characters and the described world. The cast does an amazing job. Saoirse Ronan and Harry Treadaway are two young actors that may have a bright future ahead of 'em. Bill Murray continues his stranger-than-we've-used-to roles and manages to pull it of, once again. Maybe he should've left comedy a bit earlier than what he did? And see what Martin Landau managed to do? A very enjoyable performance and proof of him being very much "in the game". The visual image of the film is very good. I enjoyed the feeling that they managed to get in to the movie. Haven't really seen anything like this before. Does remind me a bit of different movies but still it looks very original. 'City of Ember' is a film that didn't succeed at the box office. But I can say that far more worse films are out there. This film may not be for everyone though. Some may say that it's boring or that it doesn't have enough content to be a good feature film. I say that it is a good fantasy film for the elderly teens and the mature audience. For something different, 'City of Ember' may be a good choice for you.

• Gordon A

  
  Adequate but unspectacular fantasy which can't decide its audience: complex setup and some scary characters but simplistic set pieces and script. Worst of all Bill Murray is wasted.

• Steve K

  
  I'm giving this half a star more than I should because of how impressed I was with the set design. It's clean enough fun for all ages, but in my opinion it slipped by telegraphing the outcome of the story at the very beginning of the film. The screenplay starts out… More
  I'm giving this half a star more than I should because of how impressed I was with the set design. It's clean enough fun for all ages, but in my opinion it slipped by telegraphing the outcome of the story at the very beginning of the film. The screenplay starts out engaging enough, but it gets more muddled and generic as the film moves forward. Decent, in ways worthwhile, but also a bit disappointing. I may read the books now just to get a few of my questions answered.

• Corey W

  
  Stay away! Beware!

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Discover The Secret"</i> 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… More
  <i>"Discover The Secret"</i> 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 destruction of a mass-scale disaster couldn't reach it. Equipped with a massive generator and vast supplies, the people of Ember have thrived happily for generations -- but the city wasn't meant to be lived in forever. The generator is breaking down and the supplies are running out, but two centuries in isolation have robbed the Emberites of their knowledge -- nobody knows how the electric lights work anymore, and nobody understands that there's something beyond the city besides darkness. Nobody, that is, besides Lina (Saoirse Ronan) and Doon (Harry Treadaway), two teenagers who still have the hope that everyone else has lost to ignorance and apathy -- not to mention a sheet of instructions left by the Builders themselves explaining how to leave the city. But the 200-year-old paper is falling apart, and pieces are missing. So with the lights threatening to flicker out for the last time and leave Ember in darkness forever, Lina and Doon set out on an adventure through the streets, sewers, and dark caverns of Ember to put the pieces back together. To solve the mystery, they'll have to get inside the Builders' heads, and avoid the grasp of corrupt Mayor Cole (Bill Murray), who wants to keep Ember the way it is -- no matter what the cost. <b><u>Review</u></b> The film is a delightful, if contrived, fairytale littered with predictable characters and an easily anticipated ending. A naive freshness runs through the story, with high-level corruption limited to stealing sardines. One sees many metaphor opportunities that the director opted to imply rather than explore. A number of pointless action scenes would have been better left on the editing floor. This is a sweet film with unrealized narrative potential. One wishes the director had banged the script through the keyboard a few more times and moved the irrelevant mole to a different film. (This is not a Bill Murray comedy.) If one enjoys fairy tales, this film is worth a view.

• Curtis L

  
  At first I was like, "oh no. It's a kids movie." It sort of is, but in the good way that Baron Munchaussen is. It stars kids, and while they do plenty of STUPID things that only kids would do, this film is still worth your time. I mean hell, it has Bill Murray in it.… More
  At first I was like, "oh no. It's a kids movie." It sort of is, but in the good way that Baron Munchaussen is. It stars kids, and while they do plenty of STUPID things that only kids would do, this film is still worth your time. I mean hell, it has Bill Murray in it. Problems? Oh yeah, some big plot holes. I won't give them away, but once you shake your head at them you can shrug them off okay.

• Mike S

  
  As far as post-apocalyptic films go, this is probably the most family-friendly you could ever come across. I wish I could say that was a good thing, but as someone who prefer movies like <i>Mad Max</i> and <i>Twelve Monkeys</i>, where the atmosphere is more… More
  As far as post-apocalyptic films go, this is probably the most family-friendly you could ever come across. I wish I could say that was a good thing, but as someone who prefer movies like <i>Mad Max</i> and <i>Twelve Monkeys</i>, where the atmosphere is more dark and gritty, this ended up being a little bit too Disney-ish for my taste. I'll admit I was very intrigued by the story at first (which is why I decided to watch this to begin with), but as the plot went on, it quickly became very transparent and predictable. I was hoping it would at least have a nice and furfilling ending to make up for that, but it sadly never came. Another thing that bothered me was all the plot holes. I have no trouble suspending my disbelief enough to believe in the concept of an underground city, but there were too many things that I had a hard time getting past. I'm not gonna give any spoilers here, but let's just say it became too much of a downside. On a positive note, however, there was one thing I really liked about the film and that was its settings, which (despite having a very studio-like feel to them), were pretty cool overall. Even more so as they reminded me a lot of the game <i>Bioshock</i>, which I happen to be a big fan of. So what's my final verdict? Well, for all the parents out there, this is certainly not a bad film to take your kids to, as I'm sure they'll love it. But to the rest of us, all I can say is: don't get your hopes up, because this is little more than a family flick of very mediocre and hackneyed nature.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings