Movie Review
City of Ember
Director: Gil Keenan
Writer(s): Caroline Thompson, based on the book by Jeanne Duprau
Tagline: Discover the Secret
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Overall Score: B+
The world has ended. Deep underground, a group of scientists and engineers have built a city to house the lucky few that survive. They are ruled in a largely feudalistic fashion by a Mayor, although the rest of the power structure isn't really hinted at. It would seem the even the powerful don't carry that much power, and most people do what they want to.
The power source of the city is a giant multi-story generator, in sorry disrepair. In fact, the entire city is falling apart. It would appear that disaster is looming, and indeed, the original founders wished the methods to escape the city to be found 200 years after it was sealed off. That time has come and past. No one knows how to escape, and in fact everyone fears the darkness around Ember, the aptly named hint of light in a vast underground cavern.
Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet are the two main characters. Both just out of school and assigned their jobs. They are both bright kids, but squashed down by their elders who insist they carry on as they always have, trusting to the Builders of the City to return to save them.
The cast has your usual corrupt politicians, toadies, inventors, and religious nuts. Overall the casting is very good and the characters fairly genuine. I think they could have gone without throwing Bill Murray a bone and making him mayor, but he is a pretty good buffoon when given the chance.
Long story short, after many misadventures, the children find a way out, and heroically escape. They even find a way to relay a message back underground to tell everyone else how to get out.
And oddly enough, whatever caused the otherwise complete extinction of the human race is gone after a mere two centuries, leaving a lush, fertile land for mankind to populate once more.
No big singing, although it looks like the director might have wanted to add something here or there, and otherwise, it's fairly straightforward. For a kids film, it's good. But there's a lot going on in the background that doesn't even get a suggestion of an explanation.
Enjoyable, entertaining, but leaves too many questions for even a G rated film.
So Jill and I enjoyed the film, which I insisted we see because of the trailer. It has a very steampunkish feel to it, and since that's something I'm really interested in, I wanted to get a look at it. As a post-apocalyptic rebuilding film, it's pretty nice. The gadgets are everywhere, but not a major part of the whole thing. It's interesting to see what people do with garbage when they don't know what it's for.
Tomorrow is me birthday. I'll be 24. Jill says she's going to steal me away after she gets done with work tomorrow at the school. I have a feeling I know what's going on.
I'll wager even money we're going to Mohegan Sun tomorrow, and probably staying overnight. Any takers?
Right now Jill's working at good old Wallenpaupack. She's teaching art for two weeks in the Intermediate School (Grades 3-5) while the art teacher has a gall-bladder surgery. The old teacher, Mr. Treat, has been retired a while now, and they have a new teacher that Jill says she wishes she had while she was there. Probably means she's pretty cool.
My life so far is pretty normal. I'm building gadgets for my Halloween costume, which include a walking stick made of plumbing parts with a light activated light on the top that is solar charged, a jewelery loupe for the goggles I have, and I'll be doing something with an arm-band that has a defunct LCD screen for decoration.
This is largely in prep for NanoWrimo this year, which will see my attempt at a steampunk novel.
And I leave you again with another video by Abney Park.
Director: Gil Keenan
Writer(s): Caroline Thompson, based on the book by Jeanne Duprau
Tagline: Discover the Secret
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Overall Score: B+
The world has ended. Deep underground, a group of scientists and engineers have built a city to house the lucky few that survive. They are ruled in a largely feudalistic fashion by a Mayor, although the rest of the power structure isn't really hinted at. It would seem the even the powerful don't carry that much power, and most people do what they want to.
The power source of the city is a giant multi-story generator, in sorry disrepair. In fact, the entire city is falling apart. It would appear that disaster is looming, and indeed, the original founders wished the methods to escape the city to be found 200 years after it was sealed off. That time has come and past. No one knows how to escape, and in fact everyone fears the darkness around Ember, the aptly named hint of light in a vast underground cavern.
Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet are the two main characters. Both just out of school and assigned their jobs. They are both bright kids, but squashed down by their elders who insist they carry on as they always have, trusting to the Builders of the City to return to save them.
The cast has your usual corrupt politicians, toadies, inventors, and religious nuts. Overall the casting is very good and the characters fairly genuine. I think they could have gone without throwing Bill Murray a bone and making him mayor, but he is a pretty good buffoon when given the chance.
Long story short, after many misadventures, the children find a way out, and heroically escape. They even find a way to relay a message back underground to tell everyone else how to get out.
And oddly enough, whatever caused the otherwise complete extinction of the human race is gone after a mere two centuries, leaving a lush, fertile land for mankind to populate once more.
No big singing, although it looks like the director might have wanted to add something here or there, and otherwise, it's fairly straightforward. For a kids film, it's good. But there's a lot going on in the background that doesn't even get a suggestion of an explanation.
Enjoyable, entertaining, but leaves too many questions for even a G rated film.
So Jill and I enjoyed the film, which I insisted we see because of the trailer. It has a very steampunkish feel to it, and since that's something I'm really interested in, I wanted to get a look at it. As a post-apocalyptic rebuilding film, it's pretty nice. The gadgets are everywhere, but not a major part of the whole thing. It's interesting to see what people do with garbage when they don't know what it's for.
Tomorrow is me birthday. I'll be 24. Jill says she's going to steal me away after she gets done with work tomorrow at the school. I have a feeling I know what's going on.
I'll wager even money we're going to Mohegan Sun tomorrow, and probably staying overnight. Any takers?
Right now Jill's working at good old Wallenpaupack. She's teaching art for two weeks in the Intermediate School (Grades 3-5) while the art teacher has a gall-bladder surgery. The old teacher, Mr. Treat, has been retired a while now, and they have a new teacher that Jill says she wishes she had while she was there. Probably means she's pretty cool.
My life so far is pretty normal. I'm building gadgets for my Halloween costume, which include a walking stick made of plumbing parts with a light activated light on the top that is solar charged, a jewelery loupe for the goggles I have, and I'll be doing something with an arm-band that has a defunct LCD screen for decoration.
This is largely in prep for NanoWrimo this year, which will see my attempt at a steampunk novel.
And I leave you again with another video by Abney Park.
Click to view