So on this lazy Sunday, I am introducing a semi-regular feature for the weekend: Adult-friendly Kid’s Movies. What I mean by that is these will be flicks that your kids might watch over and over, and won’t send you running out of the room screaming when they do!

The film we watched recently that I thought could qualfiy was ‘The City of Ember’.

Based on the book by Jeanne Duprau, ‘Ember’ tells the story of a post-apocalyptic human civilization who has moved themselves underground in an attempt to save the human race.

At first blush, this seems like a fairly typical, watered-down-for-kids science fiction adventure, but there’s something else below the surface. Bill Murray’s somewhat bumbling and clueless Mayor character is funny and seeing these people have become complacent with the way they live when surely something could be better is a commentary on today’s political attitude among many Americans.

I felt this movie was a little slow, but once it got going it was fun and, more importantly, well-recieved by the kiddos!

I’d say this movie deserves a rating of 3 out of 5 gummi bears.