Probably one of the best storylines in recent cinema history, Children of men fails to deliver on so many levels.

It’s a story that takes place approximately 20-25 years from now. The world is being torn apart because 19 year earlier, the last human baby was born. Woman have become infertile for some unexplained reason, and the world has become a constant mix of riots, and mayhem. Director Alfonso Cuaron does an ok job of painting such a bleak future. Unfortunately he and the rest of the filmmakers never really explain how we’ve gotten here. You are thrust into a world that no longer looks familiar, and told that the sole reason for this is that within the next 80 years or so, mankind will no longer exist.

Theo Faron (Clive Owens) is a former activist, who at this point just seems to be trying to forget his past, and move along with life and die in peace. He doesn’t really seem to have much interest in the world or the fact that the world’s youngest person has just died, bringing mankind one day closer to it’s ultimate demise. The truth is, Theo and everyone else hardly seem to care or show any emotion other than violence, that they care at all that the world will end sometime in the next century. During a normal day though, Theo is snatched by some activists, who take him to meet their leader Julian Taylor (Julianne Moore) who also just so happens to be Theo’s ex lover. She needs his help acquiring some papers to help a young lady named Kee to escape from England to meet a group known as the Human Project. You see, Kee is the first woman in almost 20 years to be pregnant. The key to survival may just be in her womb. Theo now takes it upon himself to lead this girl across England to the human project. While being chased, ducking bullets and fighting their way through treacherous war zones, Theo knows that this is one mission that he can’t fail.

Children of Men had such tremendous potential, but failed to deliver because of a few critical mistakes. The cinematography was average at best. The war scenes were some of the best I have seen, and would rival some of the best war movies ever made. However, when there was no war going on and you see the characters at work, on a sidewalk, or at home, the movie almost looked as if it was being filmed by a cheap home video camera. The lighting was horrendous in some scenes and magnificent in others. Aside from the few scenes with Michael Caine, the acting was uninspiring at best. The storyline did not flow well, and for the most part, you were given no clues as to where in England you were, and why it was that they chose to travel this route, instead of maybe a safer one, away from gunfire. With Kee being the only woman to become pregnant, you would think they would do all that you can to keep her out of the war zones. Instead they seem to do all they can to keep her right in the middle of it.

Without trying to give anything away, I will say that this movie gives us one of the worst endings I have ever seen. Too many questions go unanswered, and you never fully get to understand the sacrifice that had just been made by so many to get Kee to where she needs to go. Children of Men is a very good idea, but a very disappointing film