RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / Children of Men
Children of Men

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Children of Men (2006)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
92 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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.

Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

US Box Office: $35,286,428

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]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Clive Owen
    >
    Claire-Hope Ashity
    >
    Alfonso Cuaron
    >
1 - 4 of 4

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Children of Men

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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

A sublime visionary achievement that not only outdoes Cuarón’s previous high-water mark, Y Tu Mamá También, but also manages to rank with other dystopian masterworks.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
01/03/07
Brett Buckalew
Brett Buckalew
FilmStew.com

A disturbing glimpse of what would happen in the world if women stopped bearing children, Alfonso Cuaron's harrowing "Children of Men" manages to effectively convey the paranoia and despair of a humanity that is about to be extinguished.

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
01/03/07
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

There's so much despair and anger and grief layered just into the background of Alfonso Cuarón's film that I can't shake its gray grimness -- I've been haunted by this film for weeks now...

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
01/03/07
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

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.

Full Review Source: Scene-Stealers.com | comment Comment
01/02/07
Eric Melin
Eric Melin
Scene-Stealers.com
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
all

Latest News for Children of Men

June 28, 2009: Five Favourite Films with Diego Luna
Diego Luna is bristling at RT's suggestion he pick just five favourite films. "It's really unfair to have to say only five films," he complains as he picks his final choice.... More...

June 26, 2009: RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
Brother of Children Of Men helmer Alfonso Cuaron and Oscar-nominated screenwriter of sizzling Mexican roadtripper Y Tu Mama Tambien, Carlos Cuaron makes his directorial debut... More...

March 26, 2009: Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
The news that one of the greatest sci-fi franchises of all time was to get a full-fat reboot predictably sent cyborg fanboys into paroxysms of joy. For about 10 minutes. That... More...

January 07, 2009: Ten Sci-Fi Flicks for the Thinking Man
Unless you've been living in a cave for the last four years, you know that the cheesy old sci-fi TV series known as Battlestar Galactica got picked up, dusted off, and given the... More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

70% 70% Where the Wild Things Are 03/12
83% 83% Paranormal Activity 03/12
89% 89% Zombieland 03/12
77% 77% The Informant! 03/12
— The Strength of Water 03/12

What’s Hot On RT

Ban Them All!

Ban Them All!

10 Most Controversial Movies

Zombieland

Zombieland

Director Ruben Fleischer's favourites

New Avatar action

New Avatar action

Watch an exclusive chase clip from the film

Kids' Book Films

Kids' Book Films

We fly through 10 of the best

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
27
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
24
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
48
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
26
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
128
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
181
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
92
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
71
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
65
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
64
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
46
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
45
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
22
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
16
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
9
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
16
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
21
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Children of Men at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Children of Men at IGN
  • Children of Men at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Dressing Wonderland
Dressing Wonderland External Link

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

Wes Anderson on Fox
Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Win Glee DVDs
Win Glee DVDs External Link

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Win tickets to Cold Souls
Win tickets to Cold Souls External Link

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.