No more Happy Meals or Teletubbies ... a bleak future, indeed: "Children of Men"

That's right. Your faithful blogger finally got away to the movies this weekend. Unless I've missed something -- I find myself forgetting things more often these days -- it was the first time since the Family Movievangelist became three. What better movie for a new parent than one about the entire female population becoming infertile!

This movie had a few things going for it from the start. First, there was Clive Owen, who is still on my good side despite such dreck as "Derailed," which I haven't seen, but still. I also suspect "King Arthur" wasn't that great and am sure "Beyond Borders" blew, but "Inside Man" was all right. And then there's "Sin City." Very cool, even if he wore red shoes.

Second, it's sci-fi, and -- this may be a surprise -- I'm a geek. Third, it's one of those depressing near-future things, which is always fun. Finally, there's the plot, which is one of the more inventive I've heard in a while, even if my wife said it sounds like "The Handmaid's Tale."

Our story: In the year 2027, all women have been infertile for 18 years. Sounds nice not to have any brats running around, right? Unfortunately, that means the human race is dying out, which is a bit of a drag in the daily proceedings. While the rest of the world apparently has gone to hell, life in England isn't much fun. (Yeah, worse than usual.) Our hero, Owen, is a government officials going about his life when he's hijacked by his ex-wife (Julianne Moore, playing "Julian"), now a terrorist, to help get a young woman out of the country. Why? Because the woman is pregnant, which is big news when a baby hasn't been born in almost two decades. That also means the mother and her child could become pawns in the political games of the government and terrorist groups, which also isn't much fun.

Like I said, cool idea, and made better by how the movie starts: with the world mourning the death of the youngest person alive, a celebrity known as Baby Diego. Interesting, and a nice way to hammer home the dire straits of the times. Owen is unshaven and haggard, as is becoming his habit. (No more pretty croupier, apparently.) In addition to Moore, supporting players include Michael Caine -- I know, he works so infrequently -- and Chiwetel Ejiojijijiofijoifijiofor, that guy from "Dirty Pretty Things" who has been in almost as many movies as Caine since then.

All are pretty good as they deal with the bleakness of life and the faint ray of hope from the possibility of new life. I also really liked how England had changed given the situation, from the police state and bombings in London to the gangs outside the cities to the refugee camps; with the world gone to hell, Brits got to take care of their own. The director, Alfonso Cuarón, is the guy who did "Y Tu Mama Tambien," and bully for him for avoiding the male nudity and threesome with two guys here. (Such threesomes should never, ever be shown. Ever.)

In closing, some nice scenes, good performances, great idea, solid movie. And really, when Mr. Michael Caine keeps telling people to pull his finger, how can you go wrong?