I thought I'd take time to advocate a film which has gotten little love, yet which I found absolutely wonderful. I've decided to post my review here, as it is heavily influenced by Fallout and other post-apocalyptic themes.
City of Ember
Once in a while, a movie comes along that displays qualities which make it stand out from the crowd of mindless adrenaline-toking and artificially suspenseful dross which constitutes a vast majority of that which is produced by the cinema machine. These films rely on plot, atmosphere, and the reality of human behavior to awe and impress, rather than falling back on big names and sensationalism. Sadly these films are also commonly the least represented, and usually come out in times where their true worth is left unappreciated by the public, due to a failure to be properly advertised which causes them to be left in the obscurity of the mires of the movie world. One such movie that advances to the heights of this accomplishment, and yet finds itself lost in the fenn, is 2008's "City of Ember."
It is important to note that by technicality, City of Ember at first glance and perhaps in essence, is a teen adventure movie that was intended to specifically aim at that youth demographic. But the movie fails to do that, and instead does something vastly more impressive. Instead of relying on kissy prefabricated romance, themes of the supernatural, or a cult following, City of Ember tells a story with a post-apocalyptic flavor enhanced by its focus on two teenage characters. For those familiar with the game series Fallout, the movie and the book on which it is based may very much seem relevant to your interests due to many shared elements.
The City of Ember is a bastion of humanity, 200 years removed from the opening of the movie, created by the mythical Builders in an effort to preserve the flame of humanity through its darkest time. To the Mayor of the city they left a sealed box, which was set to open just as the movie begins, with a set of instructions to aid the people of Ember in their hour of most need. Intended to be passed from Mayor to Mayor through the generations, this plan goes awry when the Seventh Mayor dies a premature death. The box was lost to Ember, and was forgotten from memory. So we come to Ember in times of grim portent, with the city's hydroelectric generator on the verge of death, and meet the characters of Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, who serve as the main protagonists of the story, as they enter into a human adventure.
I stress that if you enjoy post-apocalyptia, and all that accompanies it, that you should take the time to see this movie. It was released on DVD the 20th of January in 2009 with a theatre release on October 20, 2008, and has sadly suffered heavily from being left to 20th Century Fox to market. It has also been beaten by critics, who only gave it an aggregate score of around 55/100, mostly due to its lack of Hollywood action sequences and its breach of apparently inherent modern cinematic law which requires a minimum of at least 5 explosions per movie. I found it an engrossing film, well worth the money to purchase in what I received from it. As always, I best recommend the film to be watched among friends with similar interests to gain the most out of it, as that normally tends to make a movie shine.
Geiger Counter Reading: 5/5 Glowing Stars.
City of Ember
Once in a while, a movie comes along that displays qualities which make it stand out from the crowd of mindless adrenaline-toking and artificially suspenseful dross which constitutes a vast majority of that which is produced by the cinema machine. These films rely on plot, atmosphere, and the reality of human behavior to awe and impress, rather than falling back on big names and sensationalism. Sadly these films are also commonly the least represented, and usually come out in times where their true worth is left unappreciated by the public, due to a failure to be properly advertised which causes them to be left in the obscurity of the mires of the movie world. One such movie that advances to the heights of this accomplishment, and yet finds itself lost in the fenn, is 2008's "City of Ember."
It is important to note that by technicality, City of Ember at first glance and perhaps in essence, is a teen adventure movie that was intended to specifically aim at that youth demographic. But the movie fails to do that, and instead does something vastly more impressive. Instead of relying on kissy prefabricated romance, themes of the supernatural, or a cult following, City of Ember tells a story with a post-apocalyptic flavor enhanced by its focus on two teenage characters. For those familiar with the game series Fallout, the movie and the book on which it is based may very much seem relevant to your interests due to many shared elements.
The City of Ember is a bastion of humanity, 200 years removed from the opening of the movie, created by the mythical Builders in an effort to preserve the flame of humanity through its darkest time. To the Mayor of the city they left a sealed box, which was set to open just as the movie begins, with a set of instructions to aid the people of Ember in their hour of most need. Intended to be passed from Mayor to Mayor through the generations, this plan goes awry when the Seventh Mayor dies a premature death. The box was lost to Ember, and was forgotten from memory. So we come to Ember in times of grim portent, with the city's hydroelectric generator on the verge of death, and meet the characters of Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, who serve as the main protagonists of the story, as they enter into a human adventure.
I stress that if you enjoy post-apocalyptia, and all that accompanies it, that you should take the time to see this movie. It was released on DVD the 20th of January in 2009 with a theatre release on October 20, 2008, and has sadly suffered heavily from being left to 20th Century Fox to market. It has also been beaten by critics, who only gave it an aggregate score of around 55/100, mostly due to its lack of Hollywood action sequences and its breach of apparently inherent modern cinematic law which requires a minimum of at least 5 explosions per movie. I found it an engrossing film, well worth the money to purchase in what I received from it. As always, I best recommend the film to be watched among friends with similar interests to gain the most out of it, as that normally tends to make a movie shine.
Geiger Counter Reading: 5/5 Glowing Stars.
