Based on the book by Jeanne Duprau, the story is set in a post-apocalyptic (?) future (?), where humanity (?) has been forced to live in a man-made underground city called Ember as a result of some kind of devastating event (?) on Earth some 200 years prior. (The actual circumstances leading to the creation of, and habitation in, Ember are never explained, save for a brief scene of dour-looking scientists (?) at the film’s outset.) A futuristic lock-box of sorts—with a timer counting down 200 years, one year at a time—is sent down to Ember and is passed from mayor to mayor throughout the decades. When the timer finally clicks to “000,” say the scientists, the people underground will be informed that the Earth has regenerated itself and is once again suitable for living, thereby freeing them from their subterranean suburb.
But someone drops the box along the way and it’s lost… clicking over to “000” all on its own in a dark closet, with no one the wiser. Problem is, the city was only equipped for sustainable living for 200 years, so on day one of year 201, everything begins to slowly fall apart and no one knows why. Young friends Lina (Saoirse Ronan) and Doon (Harry Treadaway) suspect something’s terribly amiss and, when they accidentally discover the mysterious box, set out to find a way to save their fellow residents. Problem is, the city’s current mayor (Bill Murray, in a fun, appropriately Murray-esque turn), appears to have other (?) ideas. Don’t know what they are, but it would seem like his attitude is “every loser for himself!”
As I said, if you’re able to overlook glaring inconsistencies (If they city was built in a futuristic time, why does it look like something out of Dickens? If the futuristic scientists could build a magical digital box, why is there nary a single modern convenience—like phones or TVs—in their underground city? If the city was made to house humanity, why is it so tiny? etc.), you’ll be fine. The young actors are spirited and engaging, and their more-seasoned co-stars (including Murray, Tim Robbins, Toby Jones and Marianne Jean-Baptiste) provide solid grown-up supporting work. There is a distinct sense of urgency to the proceedings, which comes across nicely, and the film clips along at a brisk pace. But its conservative running time might have actually been better served by, say, an extra 20 minutes to fill in some of the numerous blanks in the script. The mayor’s seemingly selfish motives are a complete mystery, for starters, and it might have been nice to know why it seems like he’s either completely clueless or actually wants all his citizens to die.
An adventure-fantasy at the core, complete with enormous creatures, whimsical names and massive, elaborate set pieces, City of Ember is a bit of a mess, storytelling-wise, but entertaining enough nonetheless.
