Most futuristic movies venture down two paths... The over-glamorized mega-structure, flying-car, incredible-gadget future... Or the post-apocalyptic, disease-ridden, disaster-scene future.  What "Children of Men" does so accurately throughout the bulk of its running time is to show us a vision of 2029 that seems possible... tangible... recognizable... It never takes a false step which may jolt us from the suspension of disbelief.

In this world, Theo (Clive Owen) putters around his existence, regretting the divorce from his wife and the loss of the child they had together.  He has a relatively miserable and worthless life in a world that seems equally insignificant.  You see, due to mass infertility, he lives in a world where the youngest person on earth is 18 years old... and that person has just died.

London, England is virtually overcome with illegal refugees (foogees), and has almost devolved into a militaristic state.  The entire nation is devastated to hear news of the death of Baby Diego, as he is known.  The mantle of youngest person on earth has now shifted, we hear, to a young woman.  This hopeless, senseless world is on the verge of extinction in the next 50 years... creating a lawless and desperate population.

One morning, Theo is mugged on the street, kidnapped, blindfolded and taken to a hidden location.  When his hood is removed, he sees that his ex-wife Julian (Julianne Moore)  is the culprit.  She is the head of a supposed-terrorist organisation and needs his connections to provide transit papers for an illegal foogee.  Desperate for money and purpose, Theo is virtually compelled to get involved.

The foogee is Kee, a young black woman with a shocking secret... She is pregnant.  I am not giving away anything that isn't evident from the trailers.  For various reasons, various people want her to make it to a secret rendezvous with The Human Project, a mysterious organization that is trying to save the future of the world.

Events unfold in such a manner that Theo must eventually escort Kee on a harrowing journey to the coastline of Great Britain, where she will hopefully be welcomed by 'The Human Project' along with her, as yet, unborn baby.

The film is shot in a visceral & bleak monochrome style.  The colors are as faded and washed out as the hopes of the characters.  There are times during this film when I literally felt as wet and dirty and bedraggled as our leading man.

I was also blown away by the incredibly potent action sequences.  Every impact and shot fired felt real.  I jumped out of my seat on a number of occasions.  I experienced nervous laughter at times because the editing and sound and effects were so precise as to unnerve me.

Clive Owen has a weight of emotion in his face... he occupies the screen with a controlled power that doesn't allow the viewer to look away.  He is brilliant here.  The equally magnificent Julianne Moore has a smaller role in this film than the advertising would have you believe.  However, she is still able to create a character that lingers in the mind after the credits.

Michael Caine is great at these supporting oddball characters.  Here, he plays a reclusive mentor of sorts.  His scenes are simply terrific.  The one weak link here is the rather emotionless Kee, played by Claire-Hope Ashitey.  She failed to evoke my emotions in the ways that would have made the film even better.

I cannot detail the final act of the film.  It wouldn't be fair to viewers expecting a virgin experience.  To be honest, I think it is left somewhat open to interpretation.  However, I was very prepared for an even more vague and chilling ending.  If the credits had rolled just a few moments earlier, I would have been glued to my chair, steeped in thought as the screen faded to black.  Instead, I got semi-closure... A mistake that just trips the film as it crosses the finish line... A mistake that might negate a lot of interpretations and discussions about the film's message and intent.

Still... "Children of Men" ranks as one of the most impactful films of 2006.  It is definitely deserving of your time.