Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1139 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-03-19
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Presenting a bleak, harrowing, and yet ultimately hopeful vision of humankind's not-too-distant future, Children of Men is a riveting cautionary tale of potential things to come. Set in the crisis-ravaged future of 2027, and based on the atypical 1993 novel by British mystery writer P.D. James, the anxiety-inducing, action-packed story is set in a dystopian England where humanity has become infertile (the last baby was born in 2009), immigration is a crime, refugees (or "fugees") are caged like animals, and the world has been torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political rebellion. In this seemingly hopeless landscape of hardscrabble survival, a jaded bureaucrat named Theo (Clive Owen) is drawn into a desperate struggle to deliver Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), the world's only pregnant woman, to a secret group called the Human Project that hopes to discover a cure for global infertility. As they carefully navigate between the battling forces of military police and a pro-immigration insurgency, Theo, Kee, and their secretive allies endure a death-defying ordeal of urban warfare, and director Alfonso Cuaron (with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) capture the action with you-are-there intensity. There's just enough humour to balance the film's darker content (much of it coming from Michael Caine, as Theo's aging hippie cohort), and although Children of Men glosses over many of the specifics about its sociopolitical worst-case scenario (which includes Julianne Moore in a brief but pivotal role), it's still an immensely satisfying, pulse-pounding vision of a future that represents a frightening extrapolation of early 21st-century history. --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
Set in a dystopian future where infertility has led mankind to the brink of extinction, a sole pregnant woman holds the key to the survival of humanity. In 2027, the world's youngest person has died at the age of 18. Infertility has ravaged the world, leading it into anarchy. Eastern European and African societies have collapsed, causing their remaining populace to flee to England. Set against a backdrop of warring nationalistic sects, mankind's last remaining hope arrives in the form of Earth's only known pregnant woman. It is up to bureaucrat Theodore Faron (Clive Owen, Sin City) and his revolutionary former wife Julian (Julianne Moore, Magnolia) to help deliver the woman to a sanctuary at sea where it is hoped that the birth of her child could help scientists to find out how to save humanity. Based on a dystopian P.D. James science fiction novel, Children of Men is set in a dying anarchic world, devoid of hope, until a pregnant woman proves to be a possible saviour of mankind. Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) has made a powerful, slickly shot film set in an all too believable dystopian future. The tense thriller focuses on various present day concerns of nationalism, racism and government control over its citizens, much in the same way that V For Vendetta did. Children of Men features a superb cast and rattles along with restless energy.

Customer Reviews

Awful - one of the worse films I've ever seen
Can't believe that I've actually just wasted an hour and 40 minutes watching this rubbish. Thought I'd got a bargain getting this for £3.49, but I actually feel cheated.

None of the main characters have any depth - you never find out enough about any of them to be able to relate to or sympathise with any of them.

Despite an impressive opening, the film turns out to be utterly dire. The premise of the film is interesting but the film doesn't exploit this and makes no clear political statement - in fact the film doesn't really make any point at all - which sums up this film pretty well, pointless.

An unusual, quite dark look at a possible future of mankind
The year is 2027 and mankind is struggling for survival, no human has been born for over 18 years and Earths youngest person has just died, the reason for the lack of children is due to pollution/low sperm count in men/infidelity in women (probably 1, 2 or all 3 of these options).

I think that this is how they should have started this film as we're never told the reason/s why there is such an extremely low rate of birth, it's left to your imagination, which in a way is not so bad, but personally I'd rather have had a reason for these events.

Civilisation has practically if not literally collapsed in every country except for the UK (makes a change from being the USA all of the time), but the UK is being swamped with immigrants (nothing new there then), but there is a glimmer of hope from a small faction of people who hope to help restore the human race.

Theo (Clive Owen) is on a mission with the assistance of various friends and acquaintances, Julian (Julianne Moore) and Jasper (Sir MIchael Caine) who both put in effective if brief performances with a good performance from Clive Owen too.

There's a good look and feel to this film and whilst it's not the best film I've ever seen it's still a good solid film on the whole and worth checking out.

Totally Flawed Plot
Clive Owen is a very watchable actor but his talents are wasted in this film, which suffers from a badly flawed and overly sentimental plot.

The film depicts the breakdown of British society into ultra-violent murderous terrorist factions opposed by brutal police and army units, with vast refugee camps where victims are grusomely processed. The problem with the plot is that it is set in a world where humanity has become infertile and no babies have been born for eighteen years. However, in our world it is the mounting pressure of overpopulation which fuels war; racial and religious tension are the outcome of the struggle to hold territory and resources for reproduction. So human infertility would actually result in general relaxation and could possibly lead to a marked improvement in behaviour and peaceful cooperation.

The hero's task is to help the only pregnant woman in the world, a black refugee, to give birth and escape on a ship called Tomorrow. At the sight of the newborn infant, vicious murderers, terrorists and soldiers are reduced to tears and feelings of religious awe. The idea that humanity's salvation is to be found through women giving birth is absolutely crazy: in reality, overbreeding has created a hellish environment. Surely it is time to stop depicting motherhood as unquestionably wonderful. Womb worship is a dead end.