What the humanists among us are thinking is varied and deep. Among those same great thinkers are a group dedicated to the thought of what would happen to Mankind's children if the ultimate disaster should strike the populations of the earth. Here is one movie which is straight out of a science fiction novel. The futuristic film is called " City of Ember " and purports to suggest what futuristics plan to insure survival. In this story, a group of future planners conceive, design and implement the construction of an underground city which accepts a sample of people to safeguard for a period of 200 hundred years. As always, not every contingent has been prepared for. To insure the people's return to the surface of the planet, the instructions for said return is stored within a small metal box. Then the box is given to the Mayor of Ember and is thereafter passed on down through the generations. Like all good plans a flaw is discovered when a succeeding mayor dies without passing on the box. After two hundred years and the information stands lost, it falls to two youngsters Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) and Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) to save their town. Not trusting the corrupt mayor (Bill Murray) Doon seeks his father's (Tim Robbins) advice and help from an aging plumbing worker (Martin Landau). The movie is an excellent vehicle for entertainment and with the addition of Landau and Murray, they accomplish that. Although the film is slightly flawed in several places, the overall movie is dramatically cohesive. Easilly recommended for adults and youngsters alike. ****