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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 3211
Released: January 20, 2009 |
| Our Price: $12.72 |
| Used Price: $1.83 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG
Release Date: 20-JAN-2009
Media Type: DVD
Description of City of Ember:
Light bulbs speckle the sky instead of stars in City of Ember, a fantasy in which a secret city has been built to preserve mankind from worldwide disaster. But over time, the purpose of the city is lost--and the city gradually decays. As power failures threaten to bring on the collapse of everything, young messenger Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan, Atonement) discovers damaged instructions for leaving the city. Her friend, pipeworker Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway, Brothers of the Head), helps her find the hidden mechanisms that will let everyone escape...but the city's corrupt Mayor (Bill Murray) is more interested in personal gain and tries to stop Lina. City of Ember begins marvelously; the story unfolds smoothly, the production design is rich and engaging, the young leads are charming (Ronan is particularly good), and Murray is as superb as ever. Unfortunately, the movie starts to stumble; some plot turns are baffling (there seems to be some connective tissue left on the cutting room floor) and what should be an action climax flounders with subpar special effects. But even when the movie loses its sure-footedness, there are delightful moments and visual wonders. The strong supporting cast includes Tim Robbins, Mary Kay Place (Sweet Home Alabama), Mackenzie Crook (The Office), Toby Jones (Infamous), and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies). --Bret Fetzer
City of Ember Reviews:
One of the best indie films this decade. 
2009-12-09 - Okay, for starters, i know this film (which has gone largely-marketed) looks like at-a-glance a weird fantasy flick, but let me tell you: This movie is absolutely fantastic. This movie is everything "A series of unfortunate events" tried to be (although the plot is nothing similar). This movie should have been one of the top movies of '08, if it wasn't for the whole "oh, we're not going to spend any marketing dollars on this" decision. In other words, SEE THIS MOVIE.
Why, do you ask? Well first of all, if your looking for another no-brain, run-of-the-mill, big studio flick (think: any buddy cop movie), this movie is not for you. Otherwise, You'll love it. This movie has it all: It is set in a place that brings not only wonder, but make you think... it has an antagonist that goes from bumbling to evil so artfully (really, the way only Murray can), it has the two young protagonists that you cant help but root for the whole way, it is chock with witty and sharp dialogue, and more then anything, its a movie that inspires emotion. Within the last 20 minutes, you _want_ them to win. You want to see the happy ending, and in the end, what more can you ask of any movie?
P.S.: Fun (and appropriate) for kids, but definitely not a "Kids" movie. This movie is a "must-see" no matter who you are, but the younger ones may not get the message behind the story. Just FYI.
-J
Fun, Adventurous, and best of all... TOTALLY CLEAN!
2009-12-02 - We are very picky when it comes to movies. We like modesty in our movies too. This movie is remarkably clean and it is still adventurous! What a find! Great family movie!
GREAT family Movie
2009-10-26 - When I ordered this movie I had no idea what to expect... so far in the month & a half I've owned it either by myself or one of my family members (including my sisters children) it has been viewed at least a doz times or more.
Great product, Great movie! One of few any more that you don't have to screen before your children watch it... the only even questionable part would be one that the girl delievers a message and the word "sexy" is used but other than that ... WONDERFUL!!!
Check this one out!
2009-10-11 - I don't typically review movies I watch (if I did that I'd be posting about 4 reviews per day) but I came across one that I feel has been severely under-appreciated. I have occasionally come across City of Ember on Netflix and finally got around to watching it. I had my brother watch it with me, and even he turned to me and said, "They advertise the wrong movies." We both agreed it was an incredibly unique and enjoyable movie, and of much higher quality than most movies that have come out recently!
The movie is about a city called Ember that was created when the world was ending. The greatest minds of the time gathered and decided the city would be cut off from the rest of the world for 200 years, hopefully enough time for any radioactivity or whatever else to diminish. At the end of the 200 years, a box was to open that would lead them out of Ember and back to the surface. Unfortunately, the box was lost and when the 200 years were up, the citizens of Ember were left in the dark, literally. The generator that had been supplying them for 200 years was dying, and the lights that supplied their city started blacking out more and more often. Two young citizens of Ember decided they needed to act, and find a way out of Ember. After finding the box, they worked to discover the way out. A fantastic adventure unravels which shows you the ingenuity of the "builders" (the men who created Ember) in their plan to release the citizens from Ember.
The quality of the movie is great (they obviously spared no expense) and the acting isn't bad either! There are many familiar faces, such as Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Mary Kay Place, Martin Landau, Simon Kunz and Mackenzie Crook. There are also some new faces, such as the two main characters. The movie is a fantastic family movie, with no harsh language or crude humor. This is easily a movie for kids, however we're adults, and we loved it! My only wish is that the movie had given a bit more at the end to show what happens next. Oh well!
From what I've read, those who have read the book judge the movie very harshly (That's nothing new in book/film adaptations). They feel as though much of the symbolism of the book has been left out. I haven't read the book, however, I can't say I watch movies to find the symbolism behind every detail. I watch a movie for enjoyment, not necesarily enlightenment. So, if you're just watching this movie to have a light and enjoyable evening, I highly recommend it!
An underacheiving great film
2009-10-03 - This movie did quite poorly in the theatres. It never got very high in the rankings, and left the theatres soon after it got there.
Yet the initial reviews were good, and so I bought it. Didn't look at it for over a year, but sat down tonight and thought it was a pleasant night's 5-star entertainment -- about 90 minutes of movie.
Others have described the plot, I'll try my hand at it. Something happens on earth, a global war or cataclysm, or something. So some people build a city far underground, built to last for 200 years, which is the length of time that the earth's surface will take to be livable again. They start a timer so people will know when to come back to the earth's surface. But things go "terribly wrong", the timer is lost, and the city systems (electricity, water, food) start deteriorating. Nobody will survive unless...
Well, THAT's why you need to see the movie. Four 1/2 stars, but I bumped it to 5 because of good special effects.
