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5.09.08 # 21:33 # Review # 21 CommentsEarly City Of Ember Review (Bill Murray’s Latest) By Pete Tyler
Release Date: 10th October
Cast: Bill Murray, Toby Jones, Saoirse Ronan, Tim Robbins, Martin Landau, Mackenzie Crook
Director: Gil Kenan
The Good: Bill Murray. Saoirse Ronan. Production design.
The Bad: Sloppy, soulless mess. Disneyland ride with end credits.
*** HUGE PLOT SPOILERS FOLLOW ***
City Of Ember is not a good film. The whole story is about the mystery of Ember – who they are, why they’re there, what’s happening to the light, etc. And, in the DAMN TRAILER they say “an underground city to save humanity!” This is tantamount to saying, “in a future earth where the president of the NRA finds the statue of liberty and cries in the sand” or “where Bruce Willis is out-acted for 90 minutes only to find out he’s a ghost.” WTF.
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The movie starts strong – the production design is breathtaking. It’s not just “pretty” like many child fantasy films (Narnia) it’s gritty and steam-punky and rickety and real while seeming fantastical. It’s perfect. I thought I was going to love the film in the first ten minutes.
The other strong point is the lead actress, Saoirse Ronan, who is sweet and nuanced – whenever something bad happens you are genuinely frightened she’ll get hurt … if not from the painful dialog then from the incompetent filmmakers who might drop a light on her head.
Ok, so, the worst things about City Of Ember are the dialog and plot. Pure exposition spouted out, not during heart-pounding tension, but during dinner table conversations. I mean, the trailer is a total lie, there is little to no action in this film. They talk and talk and talk.
The key action and plot point revolves around an old, locked door “hidden” deep in a mine. When the kids learn this door hides the key to the mystery of Ember they try to get it open not once, not twice, but THREE times in the middle of the movie. Each attempt is hedged with mindless dialog and characters scratching their heads about what to do, until the third time they find the door OPEN, all by itself!
When the kids finally find the “secret” to Ember (a full 90 minutes into a two hour movie), it basically amounts to “oh wow, I turned this valve and it turns out we live in a giant Rube Goldberg contraption, let’s go for a ride!” Closets turn into boats, and the kids escape on a giant Splash Mountain ride. All because, for 200 years, no one thought to turn a giant valve that was sticking randomly out of a wall. I’m not even joking.
Another misfire is City Of Ember’s damn monster. Apparently nothing like this happens in the book, which means the producers conjured this out of their own minds.
You’re scared at first. They hear is banging thunderously from behind thick cement walls. Then it approaches and enters frame …
And it’s a…
GIANT MOLE.
And not just a mole, one of those star nosed moles. One of those things you see in a nature book and laugh at. Basically the producers decided they needed a monster, decided to take a regular animal and make it huge, and then went to the VFX crew and said, “find me the clown of nature and make it scary.”
Not only is it laughably stupid, it also seems to have super powers. Even though it’s so big and strong it can knock chunks out of cement walls just by walking, when it chases the girls into a room it can apparently move around silently just three feet away so it can pop out from around a corner and say BOO!
City Of Ember is pointless, stupid. When the kids finally make it to the surface, they look into a hole and see the city shining below. So, for 200 years, no one bothered to look UP! My jaw dropped at the absolute sloppiness of the story.
God help the world of logic if it turns into a franchise. Although. I’d be down watching Bill Murray as the creepy leader of an underground city in any film besides this one.
Our Rating: C
Leave your own City Of Ember review in the comments.
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Harsh Pete, harsh. I keep wanting to see Bill Murray in a big budget film again, ala Ghostbusters, but I guess I’ll just have to live with Broken Flowers cause this sounds like one to skip.
Pete you need to slow down bro or your going to blow a valve.
I agree that a giant mole is ridiculous. You have to consider yourself in the situation of the people that were born in ember, and don’t know anything different. Why would they turn a valve randomly, such as the one that lets them out? Also, If they are to look up, they would not see the outside since they would be blinded by the lights. When the lights are out, it is also dark on earths surface. You made some good points, but you jumped to a few too many conclusions without thinking about the situation thoroughly.
Y’know, I might actually agree with this review if it were not for one small detail…
I’ve seen the movie, and it is GREAT.
This guy seems pissed off because it was obvious at the beginning that the whole city was a bomb shelter, but that was never the point of the movie. Sure, it was a bomb shelter. Hell, they told us flat out in the very first scene that it was.
The point of the movie is that these kids were stuck in it, knew that there was something wrong with the way they lived, but didn’t know what- and had to go up against the entire society to get out. It was, basically, a children’s action-drama adventure story.
And as it happens, it was a damned good one. It was well-acted, well-scripted, and I LIKED it, and this reviewer was being unfair. Oh, and as for the valve on the wall- the whole point of THAT was that the society had become so ossified that it no longer even ocurred to anyone else to try to use it. That is not a flaw, it is a PLOT-POINT.
And as for the giant mole, well, what were you expecting- Giger’s Alien? What would you expect to survive a post-nuclear holocaust?
I read the book, and watched the movie, and loved both! Sure, the movie left out things that might clear up some of the plot holes that some people have mentioned. But I thought it was a well-done adaptation of the book, with excellent cinematography and computer effects. I wish more of the character development was included in the movie that you get from the book, but otherwise, no complaints. I’ve recommended this movie to others, and heard good things from those that watched it. I recommend it to anyone reading this who hasn’t watched it yet.
Most of the problems that are described in this review could have been solved if the producers followed the book. The door doesn’t open on its own, they have to figure out the damaged instructions to find the key. There is no giant valve on the wall. There is no giant mole. The hole they look down on ember from is down a tunnel, so no light would get though anyways (they have to use a candle to find their way).
Such a simple and effective story didn’t need to be changed for a screenplay.
I saw the movie to. You have to remember that this is a pg film geared towards kids, so you can’t can’t take an adult view of it and apply your review. In that case, then yes, a C would be appropriate. BUT, if you are a young adult like say 6 or 7, then this would be a great movie to watch. I enjoyed it.
I thought for one the movie was awesome. I don’t
think the reviewer had no idea what he was talking about. The movie was well played out and greatly acted. Sure maybe the giant mole was a bit too far fetched but that was the only glitch in the story. The rest of the part I remember in the book also, so technically the plot of the movie was the same as the book. I thought that was a very weird and creative choice for a plot. Anyone who read the book MUST WATCH THE MOVIE.
I havent seen this movie before but i have read the book and the book is not full of action so its not required the movie be action packed. If the movie stays on topic (which most movies dont) then dont critcize the movie for being bad. Judge the book. look at the movie as just a movie. Forget that its based on the book. Oh and pete, i hope you go blind and fall in a ditch. Take that! SEE THE MOVIE!!!!!!
Just watched the video. My daughter had read the book and was excited to see the movie. I had no pre-conceived ideas (i.e.negative movie reviews) and all I can say is…great job! We both loved it! Definately one we would recommend and will buy!
I liked this movie for it’s inclusion of so many science fictional elements into what is basically a children’s story about the survival of human civilisation.
The plot involves a post apocalyptic dystopia; presenting a subterranean city that acts as a safe haven for humanity. This is reminiscent of the city of Zion in The Matrix, however unlike The Matrix this story is more steam punk than cyber punk.
Interesting touches include the fact that they do not have battery packs, which makes exploration outside the city pretty difficult. Within this movie there are two enemies, time and darkness. The second enemy is kept at bay by power generation, however the first enemy is working everything down to zero; pointed out in the movie as ‘Doomsday’.
The heat death of the universe has been encapsulated within the 200 year old universe known as Ember. However global decay gave rise to the city, and now city-power decay is giving rise to its abandonement. It almost has a climate change moral, with the realisation that their world has a set amount of resources and the only way out is to innovate or escape.
The movie would be perfect for helping youngsters to engage with the idea that we are the key agents in the functioning of our created world and that sometimes us adults don’t maintain the curiosity or passion needed to take humanity forwards.
This is a kid’s movie that can capture the imagination of both the young and the old. Okay to watch; even better to ponder.
ok listen, the giant mole is the movie’s biggest flaw. But they needed some sort of monster, and otherwise the movie would be boring. Besides, if you get to the end, you’ll see that the mole has one purpose: to eat the mayor. I think the idea is that starnge creatures have fromed over the years. So you can give up on the mole. Did you expect an alien?
I LOVED City of Ember. The setting was amazing, and it actually looked underground. Oh, and you wouldn’t be able to see the giant hole with lights covering everyhting above you. And at night you can’t see anything.
What you said about the locked door made no sense because if no one was in the room, of course it would be locked. Then the mayor was in the room, so they needn’t lock it. Duh. And they don’t just go for a ride. The builders built this path on the water so they could easily escape. It’s dangerous, but it’s a movie, it has to be. As for the valve, no one’s going to bother turning it if it’s in the PIPEWORKS. There’s so much random stuff in the pipeworks, no one’s going to care about one valve.
Of course it’s about the mystery of Ember! And you can’t plunge right into the action without introducing the city and the characters first. and that’s the idea of the book too: how the people of Ember have always lived with just streetlamps, and have lived on canned food. The part with the box is explained at the beginning. But the rest constantly keeps you wandering. And then these two kids find the box and deciphere the instructions. And the whole story has that question: what do you do when the whole human race is in danger? Jeanne Duprau could have launched them into space, but that wouldn’ve been boring. I think that it’s a good twist.
One more thing: this movie isn’t supposed to be about action. It’s supposed to be about mystery, and figuring things out. There is action, yes, but it’s a really smart movie, and your mind has to understand it. If you don’t like stuff like that, then why did you watch it? If you’re looking for constant blowing-up actio, I’s suggest you go for a Bruce Willis movie.
Last thing: have you read this book? Because you must, because you won’t understand the movie. I suggest you work out trying to understand the movie a little more, and maybe use your brain. Because you actaully have to think about certain things, and not just let the movie explain things. Theorise a little.
In short, this movie is to smart for you, and you didn’t understand it. But yes, you were right, the design was really good. About the only good thing you said in this review. Tip: stop reviewing movies, if you’re just going to slam them, ’cause some people are just going to slam you back.
man i wish doon and lina would have KISSED! that would have been great!!! i read the book and saw the movie and LOVED it!!!
you gave it a “c” you got to be kidding, did you even watch the movie? i would give it a “b+” and you jumped to a lot of conclusions…… did you even read the book? its good how they did the movie, so we are able to make some sense out of it. and we where able to get to know the characters more….. i think the movie was GREAT
Well I didn’t like it much either. Especially since I read the books. I really didn’t get why they had a 24 (25?) year old act as what was supposed to be a 12 year old. (But you could be leniant and make them 14, but still, he’s 24!!!!!) It really didn’t make any sense to me at all. The girl was sweet though (and looks alot like my friend, so I instantly loved her) and really in character. But seriously, half the suspense was cut, and it just didn’t feel well written at all.