Family Filmgoer

Watching With Kids in Mind

CITY OF EMBER (PG, 95 minutes)

A teenage boy and girl save what's left of humanity in this eccentric, occasionally scary parable based on the book by Jeanne DuPrau. If only the look of the film weren't so unremittingly dreary. As it stands, "City of Ember" will capture the imagination of some sci-fi-friendly kids 10 and older and perhaps fans of the book, but the movie's hothouse atmosphere -- it looks soundstagey, as if the entire production never set foot out of doors -- will be offputting to many.

In a prologue we learn that humankind, through nuclear war or some other disaster, has made Earth uninhabitable. A group of people called the Builders have created an underground city, Ember, "for the good of all mankind," and sent a group of survivors to live there. In 200 years, their descendants will be able to reemerge into the light, thanks to instructions locked in a metal box and handed down from one mayor of Ember to the next. But now, 200 years and more have passed, and the box has been lost. Ember is falling apart, and the mayor (Bill Murray) seems sinister and out of touch. Teens Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) and Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) begin their new jobs as citizens of Ember, he as a pipefitter and she as a messenger. Lina lives with her dotty grandmother (Liz Smith) and little sister, Poppy (Amy Quinn). Doon lives with his dad, Loris (Tim Robbins), an inventor, and has his dad's knack for engineering. The courageous Doon and Lina uncover secrets that will save Ember's people.

The grim atmosphere in Ember may unsettle younger kids: The blackouts may seem scary, and there are brief fights. The teen heroes have a frightening boat ride over rapids. There is very mild sexual innuendo.

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