City of Ember

It has been a while, quite a long while, since a science fiction film has come along that has changed the way we look at this genre—or which makes us think about the world and the future differently. City of Ember, which is a gleaming underground place dominated by its overarching need, and scarcity for light, is probably not such a movie. But it has its moments for sure. This city is a shelter for humanity, but it has only enough power to last another 200 years.
After this introduction, the plot brings everybody back to present day reality. We face the spectre of this resource-starvation in our immediate future as well, and it is impossible not to share the desperation of these inhabitants. Director Gil Kenan, however, also transports us into ordinary humdrum. We find that the movie is centred around a bunch of students, who must declare on graduation day how they will spend the rest of their lives to improve society.
An important secret is discovered by some of these kids and, as the city infrastructure flails around them, they discover the way to restore lights.
The movie is able to keep you on the edge of your seat for some of the time, and the plot, based on a bestseller by Caroline Thompson (of Edward Scissorhands fame) is definitely not weak. Starring Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway and others, it is worth a look.
The plot can be somewhat jagged and scattered, though the setting and detail of the movie, particularly the Ember city itself, are particularly commendable. There are better ways to make movies for children that are engaging as well as interesting, but this one is as good as the few others that tried.