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Movies / On DVD / Children of Men
Children of Men

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Children of Men (2006)

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Reviews Counted:199

Fresh:183

Rotten:16

Average Rating:8/10

Consensus: Children of Men works on every level: as a violent chase thriller, a fantastical cautionary tale, and a sophisticated human drama about societies struggling to live. This taut and thought-provoking tale may not have the showy special effects normally found in movies of this genre, but you won't care one bit after the story kicks in, about a dystopic future where women can no longer conceive and hope lies within one woman who holds the key to humanity's survival. It will have you riveted.

Rated: 15

Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:22-09-2006

Synopsis: CHILDREN OF MEN is not a popcorn movie. With its almost relentlessly bleak perspective on the future, Alfonso Cuarón's film doesn't make for pleasant viewing. But it's an exhilarating experience... CHILDREN OF MEN is not a popcorn movie. With its almost relentlessly bleak perspective on the future, Alfonso Cuarón's film doesn't make for pleasant viewing. But it's an exhilarating experience because the picture is an amazing dystopian drama that lacks all the typical trappings of the genre. Set uncomfortably close to the present, it paints a frighteningly realistic picture of the future. In 2027, every woman on earth is infertile. With the loss of the ability to have children, the world has also lost hope. Clive Owen (CLOSER) plays Theo, an Englishman attempting to make a life in a hellish world. His estranged wife (Julianne Moore) convinces him to help transport a young woman to safety. When Theo learns that the woman is pregnant, their journey takes on a significance--and a danger--he never imagined. This is Cuarón's best film to date, a strong statement considering his wonderful HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and Y TU MAMA TAMBIÉN. Filmed using a handheld camera, the action draws the audience close, making the horror that much more real. In addition to its remarkable car-chase scenes, the film features impressive acting. With his expressive face and voice, Owen gives a nuanced performance that ranks with the best of his career. As a reclusive hippie, Michael Caine shares a charming counterculture view of the crumbling world. Chiwetel Ejiofor (DIRTY PRETTY THINGS) brings gravitas to the role of a terrorist. Just when the film threatens to overwhelm with its sense of dread, small moments of comedy show through in Owen's wry sense of humor and Caine's perfect delivery. When the credits roll, CHILDREN OF MEN leaves the audience feeling shell-shocked, not only because of its brutal prophecy, but also because of its brilliance. [More]

Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chjwetel Ejiofor

Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Peter Mullan, Charlie Hunnam, Pam Ferris, Danny Huston, Jacek Koman

Director: Alfonso Cuaron

Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Screenwriter: Timothy J. Sexton, Alfonso Cuaron
Producer: Hilary Shor, Marc Abraham, Tony Smith, Eric Newman, Iain Smith
Composer: John Tavener
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Children of Men

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81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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Sci-fi fans will find the endeavor a bit underwhelming.

Full Review Source: Outtakes With Fiore | comment 2 Comments
01/05/07
Fiore Mastracci
Fiore Mastracci
Outtakes With Fiore

A rare combination of intelligent social commentary and riveting action - a chase movie for the thinking person.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
01/05/07
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

This fascinating portrait of the future is one of the best-directed films of the year.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
01/05/07
Tyler Hanley
Tyler Hanley
Palo Alto Weekly

Utterly convincing in the density of its street-level detail and occasionally awe-inspiring in the bravado of its complicated action sequences...

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
01/05/07
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

The miracle of Cuarón's films is that he presents the sanctity of our feelings for our children in ways as rugged, terrifying, and unsentimental as childhood.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
01/05/07
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

...a lot better in its specific realizations of what chaos and murder must look, sound and feel like than in offering anything of lasting sustenance.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
01/05/07
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

...a fascinating 'what if' that plays out with devastating effect.

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
01/05/07
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Owen makes Theo into the type of modern hero moviegoers want to see today.

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
01/04/07
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

The most frightening science-fiction films... take identifiable situations and circumstances and give them an extra, ominous edge. By that standard, 'Children of Men' is one of the scariest films in years...

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
01/04/07
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

Cuaron is a visual genius.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
01/04/07
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

[A] dark, terrifying and sometimes very funny film.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
01/04/07
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer

A stylish mish-mash of dystopian clichés.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment 5 Comments
01/04/07
Stephen Whitty
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger

one of the best science fiction films in the past few years.

Full Review Source: Sean the Movie Guy | comment Comment
01/04/07
Sean McBride
Sean McBride
Sean the Movie Guy

At times the film is so supercharged that it glosses over the story's thematic richness and turns into a very high-grade action picture. But if that's the worst thing you can say about a movie, you're doing all right.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
01/04/07
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor

Cuarón also pulls us deep into the engrossing universe he has created. There is a stark absence of gadget porn in this futuristic adventure; the most advanced device we see is a video game, innovation at its most trivial.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
01/04/07
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

The story, despite its nominally fascinating nature, never barrels forth the way it needs to. It plods. How a director as versatile and inventive as Cuarón managed that is a mystery greater than any found in the film.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment 8 Comments
01/04/07
Phoebe Flowers
Phoebe Flowers
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

It's as if Cuaron sees a future so hellish that all of us retreat into our self-absorbed worlds, leaving society at large to go hang itself. That's a nightmarish vision indeed.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
01/04/07
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

The year is 2027. Famine and pestilence rage unchecked. Infertility is rampant, and the world's youngest person has died at 18. Worst of all, the movies are dull.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment 3 Comments
01/04/07
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

As all his films have shown, Cuarón is clearly one of the most original filmmakers working today, and Children of Men should solidify his place at the top of those ranks. With a great script, there should be no stopping him.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment 2 Comments
01/04/07
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

Thrilling, important, and invigoratingly bleak, Children of Men is one of the very best movies to come out in 2006.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
01/03/07
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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Latest News for Children of Men

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