Sci-Fi Movie Review: City of Ember

This movie was one of the best I’ve seen all year.

The plot was great. Mankind is on the verge of destruction—I believe the movie referred to nukes going off. With limited time, scientists set up an underground city, Ember, and insert a chosen group of people to live while the rest of the planet dies off. They set up the ultimate community—a fully functioning city—along with instructions in a time capsule, set to open at a later date.

Fast forward hundreds of years in the future. The City of Ember is now on the verge of destruction itself. The instructions have long been lost, and forgotten, and to make matters worse, the city is falling apart.

The fully functioning City of Ember vastly relies on their generator. It gives them power—lights the empty darkness—and signifies their ability to live.

Problem is, the generator is failing.

I like how this movie focuses on this: The blind faith of a child. Teenagers, mostly, a pair of inhabitants sets out to save the city from its own flaws: themselves.

In such a situation, you’d like there wouldn’t but such corruption, but there is.

In such a situation, you’d think people would act creative—inventive.

They don’t.

Mindless and numb to the realities of the darkness, the people of Ember do nothing.

Sounds familiar, I suppose.

Mankind’s greatest threat is its lack of caring.

Typical.

City of Ember is colorful, and a tale for most ages. It is comical, yet serious. It does not lack action and adventure in any way. It is creative.

I have since read the book, and it’s absolutely amazing, too!

-Vincent Hobbes