City of Ember

2008, Adventure/Kids & family, 1h 35m

130 Reviews 50,000+ Ratings

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critics consensus

City of Ember is visually arresting, and boasts a superb cast, but is sadly lacking in both action and adventure. Read critic reviews

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City of Ember Photos

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Movie Info

For generations a massive generator has sustained the needs of the underground city of Ember. But the generator was built to last only 200 years, and as its lights start to flicker and fade, it remains to two youths, Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) and Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway), to follow a cryptic series of clues that will restore light to to the place.
  • Rating:
    PG (Some Thematic Elements|Mild Peril)
  • Genre:
    Adventure, Kids & family, Fantasy
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Gil Kenan
  • Producer:
    Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks
  • Writer:
    Caroline Thompson
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     wide
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Box Office (Gross USA):
    $7.9M
  • Runtime:

Cast & Crew

Saoirse Ronan
Lina Mayfleet
Harry Treadaway
Doon Harrow
Bill Murray
Mayor Cole
Tim Robbins
Loris
Martin Landau
Sul
Toby Jones
Barton Snode
Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Clary
Mary Kay Place
Mrs. Murdo
Gil Kenan
Director
Caroline Thompson
Screenwriter
Gary Goetzman
Producer
Tom Hanks
Producer
Ruth Myers
Costume Designer
Martin Laing
Production Design
Xavier Grobet
Cinematographer
Jon Billington
Supervising Art Direction
James Foster
Art Director
Andrew Lockington
Original Music
Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for City of Ember

All Critics (130) | Top Critics (48) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (60)

View All Critic Reviews (130)

Audience Reviews for City of Ember

  • Sep 24, 2011
    This movie has so much promise for its demographic. The themes, the visuals, the actors... but none of it comes together in a truly compelling manner that would move an older audience. In the end it's a coming-of-age movie full of obvious metaphors, allegory, themes and a cast of two dimensional characters that represent them. It's not bad, a pretty decent entry-level into the SciFi genre for younger generations. But I suppose the inaccessibility of the movie for us "old" folks brought about its own demise.
    Drake T Super Reviewer
  • Aug 07, 2011
    The odd casting choices aside, this film feels like a film destined for the 80s but ended up being made too late. I can normally see where a film failed and this one lies on the shoulders of the director. The transitioning from animation to live action has resulted in a mixed bag and I'm puzzled how this choice was made. The lead actor looks much too old against the other younger actors, this type of casting is everywhere. I'm not sure what type of film they set out to make but it feels like producers had a heavy hand in the post production. There was a lot of potential here and the possible franchise had early death here. Hopefully the book series is worth a look to finish the storyline. 10-11-2017.
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • Feb 18, 2011
    Viewers not already familiar with Jeanne Duprau's 2003 novel will probably not care about the characters in the film nor believe its outlandish plot.
    Dillon L Super Reviewer
  • Jan 01, 2011
    Very, very weird, but in a good way
    Michael E Super Reviewer
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