in the end of mankind on earth and the scientist build a self sufficient underground city for a few people to preserve the human race for two hundred year . they leave also instruction for the future generation to return the surface of the planet in a steel box that should be keep by the mayor through the generation . however and the instruction be lose and the inhabitant stay in the city that be completely deteriorate . the power generator have problem and the blackout be long and more frequent and the city be run out of food that need to be ration . on the assignment day and the teenager lina mayfleet ( saoirse ronan ) and doon harrow ( harry treadaway ) be assign to work with the pipework and a messenger and but they swap their job position . lina and who be the descendant of the seventh mayor and find the box of instruction in the house of her grandmother and show it to her friend doon . they decide to explore the way out of the city and they discover that the corrupt major and his henchman be steal food of the population . when they be hunt by the major hoodlum and they have to find the way out of ember to survive and save the population from the imminent darkness and end of the city . city of ember be an original and engaging adventure and it be a great surprise for me . the dark city be a sort of combination of the environment of brazil and the movie and metropolis . the cast have name like martin landau and tim robbins and a hilarious bill murray that perform the typical politician and corrupt and selfish and manipulative . unfortunately the fate of politician in real world be not the same of his character . however and the unknown saoirse ronan steal the movie with a great performance . it be irritate the repetitive type of review that tell the obvious ( the book be good and good ) . my vote be seven . title ( brazil ) represent cidade da sombras ( city of the shadow ) .