What am I missing here?

Rating: 2/10 (23 September 2007)

Well. Just finished watching a movie I have been anticipating viewing for some time and I am utterly confused. How on earth this flick has got an 8.2 average review, I cannot understand. Sorry to all those who loved it, but this film, for me, was pretty dire. The photography was OK, the sets and costumes were good. I thought Owen did very well with what he was given, but the plot character development, script and the other actors were, to be polite, awful.
What was the director trying to say with the movie? I get the almost religious undertones, and the introspection of the human race as destructive force but these things could be inferred merely by reading the tagline for the movie. I spent almost two hours expecting the film to expand upon the issue, and have walked away feeling nothing.
I don't understand the rationale of the opposing militia groups. Why the baby was deemed to be the key to one side having a tactical advantage is a mystery. What was their goal? I felt no compassion for the main characters, I thought Caine's character in particular was weak. The pretentiousness of the whole thing was astounding; Several long orchestral movements suggest some profundity, yet there is nothing in particular to read of these scenes.
The only thing a walk away wondering is - has IMDb become over popularised? I used to be able to rely on it's ratings absolutely to find a great movie. It seems anything nowadays is capable of being a top 250 movie. Then again I didn't like Lord of the Rings either, so I guess it's just me. Hope you enjoy Children of Men, but on reflection I will consider it total and utter tosh.