Children of Men (2006) Rank 4 Reviews

Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)

It's a work of art that deserves a space cleared for its angry, nervous beauty. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)

Filmjerk.com (Brian Orndorf)

Like a bully at freshman orientation, Cuaron shoves the audience to the ground right from the start, pushing our faces into the dirty, bloody mess of it all. The once regal London has fallen sharply into pure chaos and disease (apparently, the rest of ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Filmjerk.com (Brian Orndorf)

eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)

If the film is prophetic in any way, then in just three years time a mysterious, unidentified plague has turned the worldâ��s women infertile almost overnight. Miscarriages abound and a few years development gives us no more crying babies. By 2027, ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)

efilmcritic.com (Peter Sobczynski)

Taken simply on a technical level, â��Children of Menâ�� is a breathtaking experience. Utilizing a series of long tracking shots that impart a tremendous amount of information and detail while propelling the story along, Cuaron and cinematographer ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at efilmcritic.com (Peter Sobczynski)

efilmcritic.com (Collin Souter)

Itâ��s a film that defies description. Itâ��s futuristic, but in the same way Terry Gilliamâ��s Brazil is futuristic, in that everything seems to have gone backwards. Itâ��s a thriller, but it has more on its mind than just giving the audience a thrill ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at efilmcritic.com (Collin Souter)

MovieWeb (Adam Frazier)

"I can't really remember when I last had any hope, and I certainly can't remember when anyone else did either. Because really, since women stopped being able to have babies, what's left to hope for?" Children of Men. Wow. I was sincerely blown away ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at MovieWeb (Adam Frazier)

Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)

The film is set in a not-too-far-off dystopian future in which humanity is doomed due to a worldwide total reproductive failure. No children have been born in more than 18 years. The protagonist, Theodore Faron (played by Clive Owen of â��Closerâ��) is a ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)

RevolutionSF (Andrew Kozma and Laura Eldred)

If you weren't thinking about going to see Children of Men, or haven't even heard of it (as some of my erstwhile, so-called friends claim), then you need to go. If you're reading this website, flagrant SFness isn't going to put you off your peanut butter ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at RevolutionSF (Andrew Kozma and Laura Eldred)

eFilmCritic.com ("the Grinch")

...read the complete Children of Men movie review at eFilmCritic.com ("the Grinch")

Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)

If you want to see a display of raw filmmaking talent -- not mere technical proficiency, stylistic virtuosity, or storytelling instinct, but a preternatural aptitude for the entire medium -- you could do worse than look at the films of Alfonso Cuaron. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)

Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)

The first thing you may notice is the extensive use of long single takes (or, possibly, multiple takes disguised as a single take, although the disguising, if any, is flawless). The camera often follows the main character, Theo Faron (Clive Owen), as he ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)

Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)

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. The best thing to be said about ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)

Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)

The film gradually devolves into action-adventure, then the equivalent of a war movie. But the filmmaking is pungent throughout, and the first half hour is so jaw-dropping in its fleshed-out extrapolation that Cuaron earns the right to coast a bit. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)

ToxicUniverse.com (Chris Barsanti)

This is how humanity ends. Not in fiery nuclear apocalypse, though a few bombs appear to have gone off here and there. Not by plague and pestilence, though the flu pandemic of 2008 didn't seem to help matters much. No, the end could very well come bit by ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at ToxicUniverse.com (Chris Barsanti)

ShowBIZ Data

Among this month's "movies for adults," Children of Men from director Alfonso CuarÃ³n is receiving much four-star praise. The movie -- developed for over a decade by producer Hilary Shor -- is set in a worn-torn 2027 and is being called a masterpiece by ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at ShowBIZ Data

Deseret News, Salt Lake City

There are also significant contributions from director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki and production designers Jim Clay and Geoffrey Kirkland, who collaborated with Cuaron, who is also one of five credited writers of the surprisingly intelligent ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Empire Movies (Brendan Cullin)

Children of Men takes us to the year 2027, a time when the world is in chaos. It is littered with detention centres and guarded fences, and a baby has not been born in 18 years. In an era where there seems to be little, if any hope, we meet Theo (Clive ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Empire Movies (Brendan Cullin)

Boston Globe

The end of the world is upon us in the grim and grimy future-London of Alfonso CuarÃ³n's "Children of Men." Illegal immigrants are locked in big cages that sit on sidewalks. The streets are war zones (it looks as if the Blitz came back). And even more ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Boston Globe

Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)

The year is 2027; the city is London. A newscast tells informs that all women throughout the world are infertile and delivers sad news to those who have survived the chaos that has ensued since: The youngest person alive has died. People are ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)

Richmond Times-Dispatch (Daniel Neman)

"Children of Men" is some of the best futuristic science fiction, and it has a lot to say about our current world: Countries are becoming increasingly repressive, illegal immigrants are inhumanly hunted and governments use fear to maintain their power. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Richmond Times-Dispatch (Daniel Neman)

Gorilla Pants (Melissa Prusi)

As visions of the future go, Children of Menâ��s is fairly dystopic. Itâ��s twenty-odd years from now and, for some reason that neither the characters nor we ever learn, the human race has stopped reproducing. Itâ��s been over eighteen years since the ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Gorilla Pants (Melissa Prusi)

The Movie Boy (Dustin Putman)

...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The Movie Boy (Dustin Putman)

Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) (Greg Maki)

... A work of science fiction that bears a disturbing resemblance to the facts of today. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) (Greg Maki)

Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)

A rare combination of intelligent social commentary and riveting action - a chase movie for the thinking person. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)

Scene-Stealers.com (Eric Melin)

The human race's sudden infertility is unexplained, and that's okay. It's a device, a metaphor for the loss of hope in the face of destruction, a more aggressive extension of today's global issues. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Scene-Stealers.com (Eric Melin)

E! Online (Dezhda Mountz)

Director Alfonso Cuarón takes his career to a whole other level here. He expertly preys on our doomsday fears, punctuating scenes with the harsh sounds and images of war we've already heard and seen on the nightly news. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at E! Online (Dezhda Mountz)

OhmyNews.com (Brian Orndorf)

Men moves like a funeral procession; slowly, methodically creeping into the belly of the beast, it's met with equal parts fascination and gut-churning horror. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at OhmyNews.com (Brian Orndorf)

Christianity Today (Jeffrey Overstreet)

Fans of the novel may argue about Cuarón's many departures. Some heighten the story's connections to present-day crises; others cloud James' moral vision. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Christianity Today (Jeffrey Overstreet)

Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)

Cuarón's Children of Men is a formidably distinguished piece of pop filmmaking. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)

Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)

The film is a triumph of direction, a collection of long takes so carefully planned out that it seems as if Cuaron had very little work to do in the editing room. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)

Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)

Now this is a nativity story. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)

It's simply must-see filmmaking all the way around -- as art, as entertainment, as social commentary. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)

Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)

Utterly convincing in the density of its street-level detail and occasionally awe-inspiring in the bravado of its complicated action sequences... ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)

Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)

A genuine thrill ride with a soul. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)

Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)

This is one of the best movies of the whole year. And likely one of the best of next year, too. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)

Film Freak Central (Walter Chaw)

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. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Film Freak Central (Walter Chaw)

CHUD (Devin Faraci)

Children of Men is about a miracle. Children of Men is, itself, a miracle. It's a movie that can single-handedly remove the scales of cynicism from your eyes, reminding you of what wonders cinema is capable. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at CHUD (Devin Faraci)

MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)

Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men is the best film of 2006. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)

Children of Men has been brilliantly adapted from a sci-fi novel by P.D. James and offers echoes of other literate, futuristic satires. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)

PopMatters (Bill Gibron)

Call it dystopian or future shocking, but Children of Men is nothing more than a sensational cinematic allegory as bona fide art. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at PopMatters (Bill Gibron)

TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)

A consistently tense, demanding and altogether exhilarating experience, an instant new classic of the sci-fi genre. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)

San Francisco Chronicle (Peter Hartlaub)

Children of Men is CuarÃ³n's run for freedom, with a riveting story, fantastic action scenes and acting so universally solid that even the dogs perform masterfully under his direction. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Peter Hartlaub)

Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)

The story is a brilliant blend of Brian K. Vaughnâ��s Y: The Last Man, Pink Floydâ��s Animals, and a bit of both The Wizard of Oz and A.I., and even those who donâ��t dig the dreary plot will suffer from jaw-in-lapitits over the filmâ��s choreography and ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)

Chicago Tribune (Matt Pais)

Humans in 2027 are totally infertile, and the youngest person has just died. Theo (Clive Owen) finds himself in charge of protecting the only girl known to be pregnant. His allies are his ex (Julianne Moore) and a former political cartoonist turned pot ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Chicago Tribune (Matt Pais)

Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)

It was an interesting marketing choice to release this bleak view of an apocalyptic future on Christmas Day. Director Alfonso CuarÃ³n has a lot to say about the human condition and hopes for the future in this cautionary tale based on the novel by P.D. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)

Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)

Working with his longtime cinematographer Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki, Cuaron creates the most deeply imagined and fully realized world to be seen on screen this year, not to mention bravura sequences that bring to mind names like Orson Welles and Stanley ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)

The New York Times (Manohla Dargis)

Children of Men may be something of a bummer, but itâ��s the kind of glorious bummer that lifts you to the rafters, transporting you with the greatness of its filmmaking. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The New York Times (Manohla Dargis)

Boxoffice Magazine

The year is 2027, and all hope for the ongoing existence of humankind is lost. Has been for a while. The last human was born 18 years ago, and, as Children of Men begins, the young Argentine boy has recently been killed in a public brawl. Our unlikely ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Boxoffice Magazine

Reel.com

It is a future that looks pretty much like our present, with one big exception. In 2027, as envisioned first by British writer P.D. James in her novel Children of Men and now by director Alfonso Cuaron, there are no children. The end is near for ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Reel.com

Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)

Bookmark this page CHILDREN OF MEN CHILDREN OF MEN , US/ UK , 2006, MPAA Rating : R for strong violence, language, some drug use and brief nudity In a here-and-now where the primacy of children is given ample lip service by proponents of ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)

3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")

But this isnâ��t a complaint about the story, but moreso, the likely reaction brought on by â��humanâ�� nature. That aside, this is one of the best movies of the year. The acting is above reproach and the journey we are taking on is rich, yet bleak and ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at 3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")

The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)

One of the most technically brilliant and thematically layered films of the year, "Children of Men" is a stark, gray vision of a future without hope. How does a society respond when its outlook is irrefutably grim? And how quickly does joy return when ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)

Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

Though it looks like a brutally depressing and fairly ordinary cautionary tale, Alfonso CuarÃ³n's Children of Men actually turns out to be one of the year's most invigorating and adept pieces of filmmaking. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)

That's basically all you need to know about the plot of "Children of Men". It's 2027, there hasn't been a human birth in 18 years and, in the first moments of the film, we learn the youngest person on Earth, "Baby Diego" has died tragically. Then ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)

Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)

I believe in the world of Children of Men. That's vital to any science-fiction film: selling us on the setting, no matter how outlandish or bizarre. The V for Vendetta adaptation failed for me in part because it couldn't convince me that its dystopian ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Flipside Movie Emporium (Rob Vaux)

Slate (Dana Stevens)

I don't just mean it's one of the best movies of the past six years. Children of Men, based on the 1992 novel by P.D. James, is the movie of the millennium because it's about our millennium, with its fractured, fearful politics and random bursts of ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Slate (Dana Stevens)

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Rick Groen)

Children of Men is a nativity story for the ages, this or any other. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Rick Groen)

Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)

Made with palpable energy, intensity and excitement, it compellingly creates a world gone mad that is uncomfortably close to the one we live in. It is a "Blade Runner" for the 21st century, a worthy successor to that epic of dystopian ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)

FilmFocus.Co.UK (Rich Cline)

The plot centres on Theo (Owen), a jaded bureaucrat who's fed up with his life and jumps at the chance to help his activist ex Julian (Moore) on a risky undertaking. It's 2027 in London, and the last child on earth was born nearly 20 years earlier. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at FilmFocus.Co.UK (Rich Cline)

Off-screen

La prima impressione che ho avuto incontrando il regista Alfonso CÃ¹aron nella conferenza stampa che ha introdotto il film Ã¨ stata che si trattasse di un uomo informale, schietto e politicamente impegnato: un vero intellettuale. Una sagace e piacevole ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Off-screen

Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)

It is the year 2027 and the worldâ��s youngest person has just died. What makes this particularly newsworthy is the fact that he was 18 years of age. See, for the past 18 years or so women across the planet have been infertile and unable to bear any ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)

Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)

Bloated adaptation of P.D. James's thoughtful, compact novel. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)

RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)

Theo is a man that has lost all hope. This one-time activist is 20 years removed from the days when he was actually passionate about something, days when he actually had feeling and felt a sense of purpose. One day at a cafe he learns of the death of the ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)

hoopla.nu

The focus of the film (based on a book by P.D. James) is Theodore Faron, a man that has chosen the safer option and holds a steady job doing what he's told whilst the world crumbles around him. After way too many films featuring a bland, stoic Clive ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at hoopla.nu

The Onion (A.V. Club) (Keith Phipps)

It's a heartbreaking, bullet-strewn valentine to what keeps us human. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The Onion (A.V. Club) (Keith Phipps)

The Cinema Source (Stephen Bozzo)

Try to remember your Sunday school lessons or your Hebrew school teachings about Jeremiah, the prophetically gifted man whom nobody would listen to. He was put in jail when he prophesized that King Nebuchadnezzar was going to siege the city of Jerusalem. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The Cinema Source (Stephen Bozzo)

Film Ireland

The not too distant futureâ�¦humans are infertileâ�¦the end is nighâ�¦etcâ�¦ Forget the taglines. In essence, this is the story of one man, weary of a world he could not change, who finds cause for hope and purpose in his life. The environs of global ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Film Ireland

Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)

Easy to watch and hard to shake, Children of Men is an action-adventure film/socio-political nightmare. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)

Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)

Invigorating in its ideas and style, Children of Men conceives a dystopian future, but its questions are just as relevant to our modern lives. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)

Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)

This is a heart-thumping thriller with two of the most exciting chase scenes since The Matrix Reloaded. But it is also a thoughtful, provocative, and complex film, each shot packed with details, each scene packed with ideas. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)

The Dallas Morning News

Children of Men depicts a world in crisis: Infertility has swept the land, world powers have crumbled and immigrants are rounded up in English prison camps that make Abu Ghraib look like a ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The Dallas Morning News

MovieEye.com

Director-writer Alfonso Cuaron spearheads the thriving sci-fi thriller Children of Men with an in-depth sophistication that's interspersed with vibrancy, conviction, imagination and notable intelligence. Cuaron ("Y Tu Mama Tabien", "Harry Potter and the ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at MovieEye.com

Detroit News (Tom Long)

Darkly poetic throughout, the film starts with an explosion and ends drifting in fog with no clear resolution in sight. How brave and oddly satisfying. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Detroit News (Tom Long)

Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

Mexican writer-director Alfonso CuarÃ³n ("A Little Princess"/"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"/"Great Expectations"/Y Tu Mama Tambien") helms this dystopian sci-fi thriller set in the near future in Great Britain with a grave sense of urgency ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

Narratively, the film may be an uneasy blend of genres, but technically it's brilliant, with lengthy set pieces-- staged and shot in gritty style with handheld camera by ace lenser Emmanuel Lubezki and his team--that should serve as textbook material. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Theo (Clive Owen), a clerk at the Ministry of Energy, uses the period of mourning as an excuse to commiserate with Jasper (the delightful Michael Caine), a pot-smoking old comrade from the resistance movement. Jasper insists that the species can still be ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Exclaim!

Aside from the obvious political and environmental critiques inherent in Children of Men (based on the book by P.D. James), thereâ��s a compelling combination of urgency and bleakness to CuarÃ³nâ��s vision. Those opposed to the government are not less ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Exclaim!

Movies 101 (Robert Glatzer)

On those rare occasions when we really admire a film, what we respond to is the magic by which the creator has swept us up into its world, transported us from our time to its time, taken us by the hand and immersed us, along with its characters, in its ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Movies 101 (Robert Glatzer)

FirstShowing.net (Alex Billington)

In 2027 the world lives in chaos as women have become infertile and London is one of the only cities not yet destroyed by the mayhem that results. The increasingly hostile environment builds tensions as refugees are herded into camps and the remaining ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at FirstShowing.net (Alex Billington)

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Though the first-rate cast includes Julianne Moore as Julian, the head of the dissident group known as the Fish (and who years before had a child with Theo in his activist days); Chiwetel Ejiofor as Luke, one of her henchmen; and Michael Caine as Jasper, ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

JackassCritics.com ("The Grim Ringler")

...read the complete Children of Men movie review at JackassCritics.com ("The Grim Ringler")

ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Jeffrey Chen)

[ Children of Men ] benefits from Cuarón's visual virtuosity -- in his hands, it carries a jaw-dropping immediacy. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Jeffrey Chen)

New York Times (Manohla Dargis)

Children of Men , the superbly directed political thriller by Alfonso Cuarón, may be something of a bummer, but its the kind of glorious bummer that lifts you to the rafters. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at New York Times (Manohla Dargis)

LA Weekly (Scott Foundas)

One of the year's most imaginative and uniquely exciting pieces of cinema. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at LA Weekly (Scott Foundas)

Village Voice (J. Hoberman)

It's a measure of CuarÃ³n's directorial chops that Children of Men functions equally well as fantasy and thriller. Like Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" and the Wachowski Brothers' "V for Vendetta" (and more consistently than either), the movie attempts ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Village Voice (J. Hoberman)

The New Yorker (Anthony Lane)

It's a film that you need to see, not a film that you especially want to. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The New Yorker (Anthony Lane)

Cinenganos (Alex Ramirez)

El mundo entero hablará del naturalismo de la cinta, del viaje emocional intenso, y de la grandeza del director y su fotógrafo. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Cinenganos (Alex Ramirez)

Premiere (Stephen Saito)

It's the rare sci-fi film that transcends its genre with its ideas, able to sweep one up in its not-too-distant future and yet remain remarkably prescient about the present day. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Premiere (Stephen Saito)

Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)

One of the pleasures of modern movies is watching an artist like Alfonso CuarÃ³n at work. His Y Tu MamÃ¡ TambiÃ©n is easily the most erotic explosion of the new decade and he made the only Harry Potter flick (The Prisoner of Azkaban) that found darkness ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)

Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)

It is that rare futuristic thriller: grim in its scenario, yet exhilarating in its technique. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)

Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)

A chase movie, a spy movie, a futuristic thriller full of colorfully bizarre characters and deftly choreographed stunt work, Children of Men works on multiple levels - as action and allegory. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)

Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)

Children of Men is thrilling, both for its groundbreaking style (there are action sequences here unlike any filmed before) and its complex, vividly realized ideas. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)

Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)

It depicts a world close enough to our own to be terrifying, yet different enough to rouse curiosity. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)

Perihelion Journal (Jay Antani)

Alfonso Cuarón's futuristic adventure derives its power from a premise as potent and primal as they come ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Perihelion Journal (Jay Antani)

Christian Spotlight on the Movies

â��I am not stupid,â�� said the man. â��It is therefore my good appointment for which I am not fit. It is very strange, but I must not let anyone know it;â�� and he praised the cloth, which he did not see, and expressed his joy at the beautiful colors ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies

Cinema Blend

Not that it matters. Cuaron's film takes a depressed and somber tone right from the outset. The human race has no hope, and mankind lumbers through the streets engaged in the business of daily living knowing that soon it'll all be dust. Theodore Faron ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Cinema Blend

Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)

There is something satisfying about a movie that forces you to hang onto it %u2013 one where the impact grows greater the more you think about it. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)

Scott's Movie Reviews (Scott Mantz)

Thereâ��s nothing like a little doom and gloom to ring in the Holidays. To that extent, you can consider the latest from visionary director Alfonso CuarÃ³n (â��Y tu mamÃ¡ tambiÃ©n,â�� â��Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanâ��) as the ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Scott's Movie Reviews (Scott Mantz)

Plugged In

In 2027 the world is a barren placeâ��and not just figuratively. For almost two decades, women have mysteriously been unable to have children. The result is a human race with no hope of a future, a civilization on its last leg. As one British propaganda ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Plugged In

Sacramento Bee (Carla Meyer)

Children of Men so thoroughly captivates visually that one can forgive the film's tendency to explain itself only vaguely. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Sacramento Bee (Carla Meyer)

The Arizona Republic

It's done so well that it only eventually occurs to you that Kee and her baby are a MacGuffin, something to pull us through to the end and showcase James' and CuarÃ³n's unsettling view of the future. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The Arizona Republic

sneersnipe (David Perilli)

Based on the novel by PD James and directed by Alfonso CuarÃ³n, Children of Men is set in a horrific future scenario where human infertility has catastrophically flatlined. The youngest human alive is eighteen and the film opens with news reports of his ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at sneersnipe (David Perilli)

CineFile : il Cinema in Rete (Alberto Cassani)

Sono ormai piÃ¹ di diciotto anni che sulla Terra non nascono bambini. Man mano che la sterilitÃ della razza umana Ã¨ diventata un dato di fatto e i medici non sono riusciti a trovare una cura, il mondo Ã¨ caduto preda dell'angoscia e della disperazione. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at CineFile : il Cinema in Rete (Alberto Cassani)

Empire Magazine [UK]

In the terrorist graffiti that adorns every concrete surface in Alfonso CuarÃ³nâ��s wonderful black comedy â�� and thereâ��s no shortage of concrete surfaces â�� one phrase stands out: â��The futureâ��s a thing of the past.â�� Indeed, CuarÃ³nâ��s idea of ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]

Appreciating Great Trash (Chris Coleman)

An utterly depressing work of worst-case-scenario science-fiction, watching Alfonso Cuaronâ��s Children of Men is like going to a theater and being mortared for two hours; forget the relative gaiety of his past work, for this is possibly the most ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Appreciating Great Trash (Chris Coleman)

Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

Children of Men posits a frightening near future in which the world is collapsing because women have become inexplicably barren. Terrified by the prospect of their own extinction, the human race has turned on itself, resulting in societies around the ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)

Based on the futuristic novel by PD James, Children of Men is set in 2027, in a world where humans have lost the ability to reproduce and London lives in fear of illegal immigrants. Clive Owen stars as Theo, a jaded bureaucrat who finds himself drawn ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)

About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)

Children of Men envisions a world in which women can no longer give birth. The youngest person on Earth has just died at the age of 18 and the fact that man will soon be extinct is a foregone conclusion. The world is one big war zone and no one feels ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)

Seattle Times (Mark Rahner)

This dystopian masterpiece of misery kept me wound up for hours after the credits rolled. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Seattle Times (Mark Rahner)

MovieWeb (Aaron Steven)

The audience sits dull as the small electric car packed with our protagonists buzzes down an empty parkway. The camera sits on a narrow swivel in the backseat of the crowded sedan. Suddenly, a flaming pickup truck comes screaming down the hillside and ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at MovieWeb (Aaron Steven)

Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)

Theo's humdrum existence takes a sharp turn when his former lover Julian (Julianne Moore) returns to his life asking for help. Julian leads a rag-tag group of rebels with a secret -- one of their number is a young pregnant woman (Claire-Hope Ashitey as ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)

Oregonian (Shawn Levy)

Director Alfonso Cuaron has exactingly deployed his craft in a depressingly single-minded fashion to create a single-mindedly depressing work of art. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Oregonian (Shawn Levy)

Cutting Edge

Alfonso CuarÃ³n heeft er een handje van weg om een film te injecteren met een goede portie dreiging. Hij deed het al eens met Harry Potter in â��Harry Potter and the prisonor of Azkabanâ��, en doet dat nu nog eens over met â��Children of menâ��, ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Cutting Edge

In Review (Adam Suraf)

Set in England in the year 2027, director Alfonso Cuaronâ��s adaptation of an apocalyptic P.D. James Sci-Fi novel isnâ��t for the faint of heart, for itâ��s story of human survival in a world where reproduction has been eradicated by disease offers a ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at In Review (Adam Suraf)

Houston Chronicle (Amy Biancolli)

Cuarón does lowdown takes on high concept better than anyone; no matter what genre he touches, he brings grit and loose-limbed humor along with the hand-held camera jangles. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Houston Chronicle (Amy Biancolli)

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Liberally adapted from P.D. James' acclaimed novel - in James' book, men have become infertile, but in the film, it's the women who have lost the ability to become pregnant - "Children of Men" is serious storytelling, more political thriller than sci-fi ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)

The movie is set in London in the near future. For reasons no one can figure out, women have become unable to have babies. The world has subsequently fallen into disarray. A flu pandemic and wars have ravaged the world. England has managed to survive by ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)

Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)

Cuaron manages to pack a lot of incident into this exciting tale. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)

d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)

Children of Men has something of the Casablanca scenario to it: cynical and passive Theo (Clive Owen) wants nothing to do with the war going on in the world around him until a past love (Julianne Moore) ropes him into favors and awakens his conscience. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)

St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)

The situation remains this: It's 2027, the human population is infertile and the world's youngest person has been killed. Theo (Clive Owen) is a cynical man, his mind numbed by life in a London that is falling apart (he walks by graffiti that says, "Last ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt)

filmcritic.com (Chris Cabin)

Perhaps because of its bleak outlook, its lushly dark tones, or its often blunt criticism of the current world state, Alfonso Cuaron's fourth major film will have to fight just as hard as his two Spanish films to find an audience. The bearer of one the ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at filmcritic.com (Chris Cabin)

One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)

As apocalypse movies go, â��Children of Menâ�� is a fine specimen with an excellent pedigree. Itâ��s based on a novel by P.D. James, best known for crime novels but ones of high quality. Itâ��s directed by Alfonso Cuaron, who exhibited both his skill and ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)

Bullz-Eye.com

The story takes place in London in the year 2027. The human race has become infertile, and the resulting effect on society has led to worldwide chaos. England, if the media is to be believed, is the last nation standing thanks to its being an island, but ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Bullz-Eye.com

kids-in-mind

Death of a civilization, death of a child, infertility, martial law, freedom fighters, the future, rebels, grief, faith and chance, dignity, despair, pandemics, atrocities, environmental causes of infertility, equal rights, fear, illegal immigration. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at kids-in-mind

Slate (Dana Stevens)

First, a disclaimer: No critic who gave birth to her first child last Feb. 14 can reasonably lay claim to an exhaustive knowledge of the movie year that followed. There were at least four months there during which the only movies I managed to catch were ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Slate (Dana Stevens)

Empire Magazine [UK]

In 2027, the world is on the brink of collapse because no children have been born for 18 years. Offered Â£5,000 by a politically radical ex-girlfriend, London office worker Theo (Owen) agrees to escort a refugee to safety, but soon finds his life is in ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]

Joe Critic.com (Sam Bear)

There hasnâ��t been a more imaginative movie this year than â��Children of Men,â�� the story of a futuristic society in which women are no longer able to have children. Once powerful nations around the world have collapsed as citizens have lost the one ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Joe Critic.com (Sam Bear)

Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)

You can see it now or wait 20 years until the movie has found a niche among equally visionary movies that have the capacity to compel, alarm and shake things up. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)

Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)

...a fascinating 'what if' that plays out with devastating effect. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)

Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)

[A] dark, terrifying and sometimes very funny film. ...read the complete Children of Men movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)