City of Ember (PG)

Imagine an adventure story conceived by the Children's Film Foundation and designed in ramshackle Gothic mode by Terry Gilliam.

That's about the size of City of Ember, based on a bestselling novel by Jeanne DuPrau in which an underground community endures food rationing, power blackouts and charity-shop clothes in the belief that the world outside is too dangerous. Two friends, played by Saoirse Ronan and Harry Treadaway, suspect that there might be more to life beyond their grungy, hermetic circumstances, and, in the curious way of teenagers, go hunting. The Anglo-American cast includes Bill Murray as the city mayor, Martin Landau, Toby Jones and Tim Robbins, all pulling together on a script that's not really up to snuff. Admire it, at least, as a kids' film trying to be different, but even at 90 minutes, it drags.