Children of Men (HD DVD)

As much as I have said that I liked Children of Men since I first saw it last year I am truly surprised that I still enjoy it as much as I do. Alfonso Cuarón created a world that, while 20 years in the future, is so recognizable and relatable that you begin to think such an existence might not be too far off. It is this reality and the message of hope that is woven into the plot of this film that I think is my biggest draw. Children of Men is such a visually demanding picture that you can't help but get sucked in, and that is what has happened to me every time I watch it.

The film boasts some serious star power with the likes of Clive Owen as what can best be described as an anti-hero, Michael Caine as his pot-happy friend in the woods, Chiwetel Ejiofor who can never seem to turn in a bad performance and a small, but powerful, performance turned in by Julianne Moore. As Theo, Owen creates a perfect every-day-man, a guy that so many people can relate to. Theo is a man that is going through the motions of life watching the world crumble around him feeling as if there is nothing he can do. He once fought the system, but you get the feeling he now just sees it as a losing battle, that is until his ex-lover (Moore) brings him back into the fold. Women of 2027 have gone infertile and the youngest human has just died at the age of 18, but there is still hope and Theo is at the center of it.

As for this HD DVD you are getting a little more than you will on the standard DVD edition. First, for the visuals and sound quality, I would say the visuals are spectacular but the sound is a bit frustrating. All too often, you must crank up the volume to hear the subtle whispers, which means you are going to be greeted with some serious thundering bass booms unexpectedly, not exactly something people living in the apartments around me are sure to enjoy as I take this movie in at 1 in the morning. That aside the sounds is crisp and clear and the battle scenes are amazing on the surround channels.

The true special feature of this HD DVD is the Universal U-Control feature which offers some picture-in-picture sequences taken from the featurettes on the rest of the disc, but more importantly a look at the advertising and news clippings created that are running in the background and are used to make up the set. Let me first tell you to ignore the picture-in-picture feature, it just gets in the way of the other stuff and can all be seen on the featurettes if necessary, the best part is the info and commercials feature. The info feature will pop-up looks at the headlines and magazine covers created for the set to show the status of things whenever something may be seen on screen so you believe the people are truly living in 2027. As for the commercials section, if a commercial is playing in the background for the self-suicide pill Quietus this will show you the full commercial in its entirety. The only problem with this is that there is no sound so you only get the visuals, but you see an interesting little one at the beginning in which you can see just how much your organs can be sold for in the future. Neato!

Other features include a small selection of three deleted scenes in which you get a closer look at life on the street in London and a look at Theo's apartment as his rent is late. Then there are three very cool features on the set design, the filming of several of the more difficult scenes in the film and the making of the birthing scene which mixed CGI with an amazing one shot and everything that went into that.

Two features I really could have done without were "The Possibility of Hope" and "Children of Men Comments by Slavoj Zizek". Both these features did not appeal to me in the slightest and with the Slavoj Zizek one it is so hard to understand what the guy is saying it is an absolute waste of time.

As for whether you should buy this movie or not, it is a definite recommendation on my part and I would strongly urge you to consider it as an HD DVD purchase. There are very few films that really make the visuals a necessary part of the film, especially in films this dramatic. Most often cool effects and camera tricks are reserved for more action oriented pieces, but Cuarón uses them in a much different way and in HD it really does look that much better. Children of Men is not for everyone, it isn't a fast paced thriller, but it is an emotional ride with characters you can relate to and connect with and if that sounds like something up your alley I think you too will enjoy this flick more than once like I have.