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City of Ember

2008

Gil Kenan

Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Saoirse Ronan, Mackenzie Crook ...

5.5

7,143

Adventure. Fantasy

Adventure. Fantasy

For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing ... and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker. Now, two teenagers in a race against time, must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, and help the citizens escape before the lights go out forever.

	Media	Author	Review
		Stephen Holden The New York Times	"A powerful performance needs an equivalent screenplay. In “City of Ember,” Saoirse Ronan has nothing to work with."
		Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"'City of Ember' would probably entertain younger viewers, if they haven't already been hopelessly corrupted by high-powered sci-fi on TV and video. It's innocent and sometimes kind of charming(...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"
		Mick LaSalle SFgate	"An impressive and imaginative fantasy."
		Elizabeth Weitzman New York Daily News	"Though the film ultimately falls short of its considerable promise, there's more than enough here to keep thoughtful moviegoers - of any age - intrigued."
		Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle	"An impressive and imaginative fantasy."
		Peter Travers Rolling Stone	"This sci-fi fantasy aimed at kids feels wan and warmed over. (...) a puzzle of plots and subplots with pieces that never fit together (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"
		Neely Tucker The Washington Post	"It's not an entirely convincing trip, but it is the sort of satisfying movie you wished they would make more often."
		Kyle Smith New York Post	"For a kiddie adventure, the movie, based on the Jeanne DuPrau book, has a pleasingly moody, eerie quality."
		Nathan Rabin AV Club	"Ember is seldom riveting, but it's consistently compelling, and its uncompromising literal and metaphorical darkness renders its climax enormously satisfying."
		TV Guide	"A fun and moving family film with a subtly dark feel rarely seen in kids' movies since the '80s"
		Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune	"If older kids and adults seek out this picture, which 20th Century Fox and Walden Media clearly aren't sure how to sell, they may well find themselves drawn into a subterranean world of considerable imagination."
		James Berardinelli ReelViews	"'City of Ember' has almost anything one could want from a science fiction-based family adventure film: likeable characters, an imaginative setting, and a fast pace. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Dan Jolin Empire	"With Ember's hydro-electro-punk charms, Kenan's convinced us he's one of Hollywood's most exciting (and excited!) visualists. But on the evidence of this, his storytelling skills still need honing."

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