City of Ember
by Eric Sloss, Writer
“City of Ember” is a dreary and drab fantasy family film. There are no flights of fancy to thrill the kids. There is no interesting story to hold the attention of adults. The set looks like something from “Oliver Twist”. I half expected Oliver and the Artful Dodger to scamper down the road in a scene. The whole production is depressing and hard to look at. It is a shame because there are plenty of talented actors on hand.
The movie starts with a group of people discussing the fate of an underground city. They put secret plans into a briefcase that will open only after 200 years. The first big question is why was this underground city built in the first place? Was there a nuclear war? An ice age? No answers will be coming. The briefcase is supposed to be handed down from mayor to mayor to insure the safety of the city. Somehow the briefcase gets misplaced after the death of one of the mayors.
It is now 200 years since the builders put the plans in the briefcase. The generator that provides power to the city is failing on a consistent basis. Permanent darkness is a fear that permeates throughout the general population. Two youths are growing increasingly concerned about the situation. Doon (Harry Treadaway) wants desperately to work on the generator and save the city. Lina (Saoirse Ronan) is caring for her sick grandmother and her young sister. She is ready for her next step into adulthood.
In the underground city of Ember, they have an Assignment Day. This is where the young people get to find out their chosen vocation. Each person picks a piece of paper out of the hat of the mayor. Bill Murray plays the portly Mayor Cole in the film. Murray must be sporting a fat suit or he has hit the buffet table a bit too much. There is no real joy in Murray’s performance. He seems to be going through the motions and just collecting a paycheck. Where is the complete abandonment he showed as cocky bowler Bill McCracken in “Kingpin” or the self assured weatherman in “Groundhog Day”. It is just a wasted opportunity for the filmmakers.
Doon gets chosen as messenger, while Lina is assigned to be a pipe worker. Doon is determined to work on the generator, so he switches assignments with Lina. Each is concerned about the blackouts. Lina also wants to know what happened with her father. The circumstances surrounding his death are clouded with mystery. Treadway and Ronan both do a credible job as the two leads. The story they are given lets them down though time and time again. You just don’t care about the characters or what happens to the city. It seems like there is a lot missing from the back story that could have livened things up.
Oscar winners Martin Landau and Tim Robbins are also on hand. Once again they are given nothing to do. Landau is a coworker of Doon in the pipeworks. Much of his acting is showing him asleep on the job. Robbins plays Doon’s father Loris. Loris may hold the key to the mystery of the city. Robbins really doesn’t have to do much in the role. He mainly stays in his house with his inventions. It is utterly amazing how much talent is wasted on this piece of work.
Gil Keenan is the director of “City of Ember”. He previously did the fun Oscar nominated animated feature “Monster House”. Keenan doesn’t distinguish himself much with his first live action film. He is hampered by a dull screenplay and a set that looks like a movie set.
Lina and Doon begin to work together to find solutions for the impending doom. Surprises await them as solutions come more clearly into focus. The audience won’t be surprised by anything in the story however. Everything is telegraphed with invisible arrows pointing the way. What was with the strange large hybrid chicken that shows up from time to time? This seems to be from another film altogether. The finale is supposed to inspire awe, but it will only serve to awaken people from a slumber. “City of Ember” could have been a fun little fantasy flick for the whole family. Instead it fails in every conceivable fashion.
Starring:Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Martin Landau, Toby Jones, Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway