city of ember be a movie i fear that be destine not to do very well . when i saw it today there be a grand total of five people in my screen and three of which be me and my friend . neither of my friend have ever hear of the movie and none of my family have a clue what it be about and and the only person that appear to know anything about it have say the trailer look a pile of garbage . so i wasn not expect all that much from the movie and however city of ember be not by any mean a bad movie . in fact it verge on be a very good one and but the end kick the audience in the teeth and then make it just a slightly above average one . the movie work very well for the majority of the film and the cast be extremely strong and the movie be by no mean ever dull . unfortunately the plot be the problem and while it be intrigue and an underground city that reach the end of it life and unfortunately the writer doesn not seem to go very far with it . the sense of menace be never really there and while the sudden blackout add a bit of oomph to the movie and apart from that and and a very big mole ( do not ask ) there never seem a sense of urgency to escape . still this be bind to entertain kid and and for once the kid actor do not grate at all and in fact it some of the adult member that i find much more annoying . anyway it half term fodder and and while it isn not potter or narnia standard this will entertain kid . so onto the cast . well the headline star from all the publicity i have see and would have to be bill murray and despite the fact he isn not in it all that much . murray actually isn not all that bad here and if i be honest i expect him to phone in another performance much like he do for garfield . instead he do seem to be have a bit of fun and and his character be interesting and develop more towards the end . still there isn not an awful lot to say about him a he have roughly twenty minute screen time in total . the main kid be play by harry treadway and saoirise ronan ( from atonement ) and both of whom be very good . treadway be particularly good and while his character be basically the usual stereotype and a boy who feel he be more than what he really be and who want to make a difference and go on a grand adventure . he have fantasy lead write all over it and all he need be to be a farm boy and we might as well have call him skywalker . anyway treadway make him a very interesting and layered character . he also have considerable chemistry with ronan and who deliver an equally a impressive performance . her american accent be pitch perfect and and while she isn not as good a she be in atonement and she still get the job do . tim robbins show up in a relatively pointless role a doon father . martin landau be great a doon mentor in the pipework and and in my opinion deserve the most praise in the movie . finally mackenzie cook also be pretty damned brilliant and once again put on an american accent that sound very legitimate . city of ember might have a strong cast and but a i have say the storyline be at time questionable . the start of the movie be perfectly fine and be give a lot of back story about how ember come to be and and how a box be pass down from generation of mayor to the next ( very well filmed scene ) . the storyline in fact work perfectly fine until after the kid decide to do something . once they get their hand on the box and go on their quest not an awful lot seem to happen . in fact the instruction they receive be so damned simple it make you wonder whether that part really deserve as much screen time a it do . also everything seem a tad to convenient and one scene towards the end make me roll my eye in annoyance because i could not believe nobody have turn a certain wheel for over 200 year . the end as well be god awful . i accept happy ending and i have no problem with them and but the end here make me want to vomit . anyway this be nitpick and mostly the storyline be engross and even though the inclusion of the mole be really questionable . the action isn not half bad and although the cgi for a bit in a boat be pretty poor . but the set design be the real star and not since del toro have i see set to beautiful . overall city of ember be a movie that i do really enjoy and and would happily watch again . but the storyline must be take with a pinch of salt and and be prepare for an end that most people will just be a bit dumbstruck by .