A noble attempt is the kindest description one can give to this film

Rating: 5/10 (23 February 2007)

It is the year 2037. Civilization has broken down everywhere, except in England. Naturally, human beings across the globe are entering the country, only to be apprehended and sent to concentration camps. Britian, it seems, is for Britain only. There is another problem, also, in that there have been no pregnancies in 18 years. No one knows exactly why women are infertile but pollution, global warming, food additives and the like are being blamed. Theo (Clive Owen) still has a high ranking government job but that does not mean he is living high off the hog, only that he is in a better state than most. He stays in touch with an old hippie friend (Michael Caine) who resides in a secret forested enclave near London. One day, Theo is kidnapped by a so-called terrorist group whose agenda is to ensure the fair treatment of immigrants and the end of the camps. Theo's ex-wife Julian (Julianne Moore) has ordered Theo's capture, in hopes that he will be able to garner the legal papers to escort a young lady to a safer community off the coast. It so happens she is miraculously pregnant and a hope for the future. Will Theo get involved? This film, although noble in its attempt, is not a very good movie. The culprit is the story, which, despite being by P.D. James, is disjointed, inconsistent, and incoherent, at times. This leads to incredulity and disappointment. Owen, a very fine actor, of course, tries his best and the rest of the cast is well chosen, too. The costumes are good but, the production values are a bit wanting, considering a futuristic setting. If you want to see a collapsed future world, try the Mad Max movies or Blade Runner. Although it tries hard, Children of Men ultimately goes belly up, unfortunately.