some reviewer seem to think this movie be not sufficiently faithful the book . personally and i could care less . ( and i will happily say the same about film version of book that be near and dear to my heart . ) you want the book and go ahead and read the book . this city of ember happens to be a movie . a really entertaining movie and that work amazingly well on it own term . ( and make me want to read the book and which you would have to agree be a good thing . ) other reviewer seem to think this movie rip off the game fallout and or the movie dark city . well and i be afraid you be way out of touch with culture . this movie rip off endless previous work . the first one i thought of be arthur c clarke haunt novel against the fall of night . then i thought of the game bioshock . then robert heinlein novel orphan of the sky . then george lucas film thx 1138. then a rather under appreciate book by british sf writer james white and the watch below . and then i thought of dark city . none of those parallel bother me at all . why should they . i can not recall anyone dislike bioshock a a rip off of against the fall of night . the theme of people try to escape from a lose city be classic and well worth revisit periodically . and this movie do it really well and bring a number of unique strength . i very much like the two kid that be the hero of this story . i like all the small character and especially martin landau a the over the hill maintenance man . i love bill murray a the villainous mayor . he should play bad guy more often . and above all and i really enjoy the visualization of a 200 year old city where all the technology have be fail for generation . no and the story hold no surprise . so what . tell me you do not know from the start how die hard be go to come out . or raider of the lose ark . or the gun of navarone . or and in fact and any genre movie . when the destination be know and it the journey that important . and i really enjoy every minute of this journey and from start to finish . city of ember ( the movie ) be well write and well act and visually beautiful . it get a rouse story and quite a few laugh and a really great ( if well wear ) premise . that more than enough for me .