But aside from this quick set-up, we don’t really learn much more about the characters—what drives them, what makes them tick. Really, this story could’ve involved anyone, and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference (something the book on which the movie is based probably fleshed out far better). Thankfully, the lack of character development is mostly made up for with an unraveling mystery that gets more intriguing with each new discovery.

Like the majority of the stories that Walden Media adapts for the big screen, children are the heroes yet again when Lina has a hunch that the shreds of paper she’s been piecing together at her grandma’s house are the secret instructions for escaping Ember—or at least for reviving it somehow. And as the days grow darker and infinitely more terrifying and uncertain, she and Doon are determined to unlock the mystery before the situation in Ember gets any worse.

Keeping the pace fast and furious, this fantasy/thriller plays out like The Goonies meets National Treasure with a twinge of science fiction. And the constant twists and turns of the plot, not to mention its inevitable intrigue, easily holds your attention (even if you’re slightly A.D.D. like me) for an hour and a half. There's also plenty of food for thought for a Christian audience, as the darkness of Ember can’t help but mirror that of our own world—particularly in a time where war and a crumbling economy are constantly in the headlines.

But even in times when hope feels so far away, it’s always there whether we feel it our not—a theme that’s definitely underscored in the movie. Thankfully, what’s even more comforting is that the instructions left behind for our survival as believers aren’t scattered around randomly as in City of Ember.

CAUTIONS: 

• Drugs/Alcohol:  None.
• Language/Profanity:  None.
• Sex/Nudity:  None.
• Violence:  There are a couple of scenes that might scare younger children, particularly when Lina and Doon encounter a mole that’s clearly on the attack. The mayor’s handler also gets a little rough with Lina and pushes her around, hoping to get a hold of the box she’s carrying. Also, Lina and Poppy (played by twins Amy Quinn and Catherine Quinn) walk in to find their grandmother had died in her bed in one particular scene. Afterward, there’s little discussion of what happened. Instead, the girls are safely moved to a different house to be looked after by Mrs. Murdo, since their parents had died long before.

Christa Banister is a full-time freelancer writer, specializing in music, movies and books-related reviews and interviews and is the author of two novels, Around the World in 80 Dates and Blessed Are the Meddlers. Based in St. Paul, Minn., she also weighs in on various aspects of pop culture on her personal blog. 

For more information, including her upcoming book signings and sample chapters of her novels, check out her Website.