I loved the book but was disappointed by this adaptation. The performances were good (OK, Viggo and Duvall were both great) but the music and the CGI skies grated on me. It's not that it's too bleak, it's that it wasn't bleak enough. Too many flashbacks to Charlize that just felt focus grouped. The book is uncompromising, but the film has been compromised.

Well acted and well filmed, but really rather monotonous and dull when it boils down. And the ending - very poor. Too long with too little going on.

A long bore with some plot holes that didn't explain some of the action of the father, a man who'd been careful not to put himself and the son in danger. The production design was good, the acting good to great, but the story is just not quite there. When the movie can be summed up by Robert Duvall in his 5 minutes scene of remembrance, it failed its intention.

A painfully boring and shallow view of the apocalypse. The plot to this film literally goes nothing by the end of the film nothing is accomplished. It just ends. Viggo does the best he can and the cinematography is top notch. But that doesn't change the fact that this movie is overly bleak(not one single questions is answered) and that the story goes nowhere. This is truly painfull to watch.

If you were a fan of the book then you'll enjoy the move, everyone else should proceed with caution.

Oh my God what a lousy, boring movie! You don't fool me by trying to be artistic or artsy farty! This is one sleeping pill of a movie. And that lame kid! How many times can you sa Papa! before the audience puke? Bring back the good old days when postapocalypse movies stood for Mohawks, sawed off shot guns and naked barbarian babes.

Utterly unbearable and not because it's grim. It pastes together every post-apocalyptic cliche into a directionless mishmash. The dialogue is worn and tired when it isn't downright stupid.

Bleak, gritty, discouraging to be sure, but mostly just slow and dull.

Rushed to the theaters to capitalize on the success of "no country for old men" despite the lack of a worthy director or screenwriter. redefines terrible child acting. amazing cinematography that ultimately doesn't save this soulless disappointment.

This is a movie that pretentious people will pretend to enjoy in order to seem artistically savvy. It's really bleak visually and thematically in a tedious way and leaves you wondering why anyone would want to make a movie this depressing. And I enjoyed Precious.

I expected it to be half-decent judging by these reviews, yet I was extremely disappointed. The entire movie was just a mesh of plain, thoughtless dialogue with little explanation of what the driving events were.

A dark and depressing drama that treads into the horror genre. Bleak doesn't begin to describe the lifeless landscape in which survivors scratch and claw the depths of their humanity. Absent any glimmer of hope -- even the ocean has turned gray -- life is reduced to a masochistic exercise. Too dark, even for this dark-movie lover.

Well crafted film overall but a bit choppy at certain points and some unexplainable character shifts. Viggo Mortensens acting itself was great but the film failed to properly demonstrate his progression. The sons acting was a bit stale but Robert Duvall stole much of the show in a very well done scene. Weak, depressing themes stressed too much over actual substance.

truly interesting and memorable movie. Couldn't take my eyes off it from start to finish.

For Christs sake! How many movies are there about the apocalypse? I do know that not very many of them have good stories, or lessons to the story. 'The Road' has both. 'The Road' is also a dark and highly intense film.It seems like the dark and intensity increases by the minute. It is unbelievably scary and a breathtaking movie. It also shows a good lesson to parents that they need to teach their children to take care of themselves, because their parents are't going to be around forever. It's really sad when it gets close to the end of the movie. Almost got me a bit teary eyed. Even though this is no family movie, I think families need to see this. It is a bit extreme, I will say that. But like I said, it has a good morel to this great story.… Expand

I agree with Q, loved the book and the film was exactly what I'd pictured it to be. I thought it captured the essence of the story perfectly. Amazing performances too, from Mortenson and Duvall, but especially from the boy, who was an absolute revelation.

Awesome book and awesome movie. Not a feel good movie as it is very dark.

Thank god for a quiet apocalyptic movie that DOESN'T have zombies in! Thoroughly convincing world created, focusing on the purpose of survival, not blockbuster destruction or exaggerated horror. It's enough to allude to the grimness of the vision without rubbing our noses in it. For those that want gratuitous horror, look elsewhere. Good playing by Viggo Mortensen and Smit-McPhee.

A truly powerful and emotional film. Bleak, depressing (in a good way) and realistic take on the post apocalyptic genre. With next to no real action in the film, it relies heavily on the performances and thankfully all of the main actors do an incredible job of bringing the world to life. Some scenes could have been longer and explored in more depth but given the amazing source material, there is not much that can be done. Overall an thought provoking and emotional experience that shouldn't be missed.… Expand

Loving the book was easy -it was poetic, stark, brutal and uncomprimising. Thinking of yourself without heat or electricity for 2 weeks can give you just a taste of what it would be to survive in 60% of North America in the face of an energy catastrophe, let alone of a nuclear scale or massive environmental rupture. But what did this movie lack that reduced empathy or trivialized the book? What could have made it the celluloid equal? The CGI was adequate and not over-bearing. The score was bleak in all the places. The casting of Theron and the boy was inspired as they literally look to be of the same DNA - that was uncanny. The characters that were scattered through out the movie were barely recognizable, but were. And I never forgot (nor was allowed to forget), for one instant, that they loved the book too and fought with their agents for those parts. I'll tell you what I think it was. The Road was empty. As a book you never saw the face of the man or the boy: they were as elemental and tortured as their environs. Not that the casting wasn't inspired but I'll be damned if I want the Returning Lord of All Rings as my 'Man', or a 'monster' or moll such as Charlize as the Woman. This is one movie that required unknown actors to lend the vehicle it's providence and impact, randomness and believability. It was that simple. The Road's universal message of paternal love is washed away and marred by Hollywood and it's agents. Viggo and Guy and Duvall and Theron were all amazing, but that is beside the point. In order to display the true and majestic truths and magnitude of the loss portayed in this adaptation, these had to be players you could not associate with any other plot. It's that simple. Not that Viggo didn't method un-wash, and unshave himself or didn't stink like a bear but this movie needed a... unknown face to portray a fearsome and unknown future.… Expand

I could not stop thinking about this powerful movie the day after I watched it. If I imagined how a post apocalyptic earth would look, and how one would have to survive, then the movie portrayed it brillantly. Probably not one to watch when you are feeling down as it is very depressing and unforgiving, yet the small snippets of happiness you see throughout (though there are not many) kind of help keep the faith in man kind's strong desire for survival and hope.… Expand

The world has been destroyed by natural causes, and the few survivors that are left are mostly insane caravans of cannibals. Sound fun? Maybe for a video game, but the way The Road depicts it sure doesn't look like fun. This movie is based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, which I have never read, but if the book is as good as the movie, I'm down for a good reading period. The story follows two main characters as they try to survive in the treacherous wasteland, neither of which is ever named. They are just called "Papa" and "Son". The mother/wife is only shown in series of flashbacks from before the natural disasters and at the very beginning. "Papa" is played by Viggo Mortensen, and it is an incredible performance. Mortensen does an amazing job creating a father that will do anything to keep his son safe. He has to be tough on his son to teach him the harsh realities of this dangerous world. At the same time as this he deals with the loss of his wife. I couldn't imagine a better performance. The kid is acted by Kodi Smit-McPhee, who also does an outstanding job. A very interesting side character also comes in part way through the movie who is acted by Robert Duvall. The story is all together dark and dreary. This movie does not try and make the end of the world look all cool by using a sepia lens filter or slow motion killing. It shows a depressing, scary, and perilous world. A terrifyingly real world. There are really no laughing moments in this movie. The faint of heart should stray away from this road, because they will find nothing to smile about until the end, and that only if the viewer looks hard enough. I'm not going ruin the end for you guys, but I will tell you that it is beautiful. The Road is a tough film, but through all of the cannibalism and death, there is still a small glimmer of optimism seen through the life of a child and through the fact that even in times of severe suffering and distress, all hope is never lost.… Expand

I agree with Hoberman that this was essentially a pale imitation of Children of Men, which was a far superior film in my opinion. I will give it points though for the realistic landscape depicted.

Bleak sad and powerful brilliant acting really enjoyed it i really don't understand some of poor reviews this film has received.

Some of the shots, those post-apocalyptic panoramas that the man and boy traverse, in my estimation, beg for a longer take. (A European filmmaking sensibility is needed to do the Cormac McCarthy novel justice.) Let the images of the dead physical world linger on the screen; let the futility of their journey leave an imprint in the moviegoer's mind. Zombies should be roaming through these landscapes, not a father and his son. The woman(Charlize Theron) knew best; the woman's wish that the boy follow her in suicide was not a selfish act. All the wildlife and vegetation are gone. She could take a hint. The father couldn't, so he subjects his son to hell on earth. To the detriment of "The Road", hell on earth is constantly interrupted by flashbacks, a storytelling device that, in this case, gives the moviegoer a reprieve from having to deal with the sobering present. The filmmaker should trust its audience to handle tough material, like Michael Haneke did with the much superior "Le temps du loup". In dramatizing the backstory, "The Road" becomes a sentimental road, as it overstates the obvious: the boy misses his mother, and likewise, the father misses his wife. The film is at its best when the moviegoer can see the absurdity that goes along with living in a world, literally, where there's no future. The boy can't be a doctor, or a lawyer, but he can still be a "good guy", in which the father teaches him to just say no to cannibalism.… Expand

This movie is bleak and the story goes nowhere? An apocalypse movie with no happy ending's certainly a different perspective. Original, haunting, beautiful and provocative. Loved it.

This is not for the Avatar crowd. It's bleak but intense and not for everyone. Loved it.

Was almost exactly as I envisioned it when I read the book. Very well done - terrific acting by all involved and a superb, resonating score In the book, I felt there were too many instances where the father and son were eating food, which would occur less often in a post apocalyptic wasteland. Then again, they may not be alive to make the story, but the movie emphasized starvation, so in that respect it was an improvement. A couple scenes of the murderous chaos following the depletion of food supplies, described briefly by Macarthy, would have been nice, and I agree with others who desired some lingering panoramic shots of devastation, but these quibbles are a trifle. Not much more can be asked of a screen adaptation from an awe inspiring novel - very moving. The crazy thing is that the possibility of Macarthy's world becoming a reality is not beyond comprehension.… Expand

This movie is amazing. It's sad, thrilling and it was a great plot! This is a must see.

I cannot believe some of the reviews. This movie was one of the most powerful things I have ever seen. The book is equally astonishing. They compliment one another adequately. I simply loved it. Bravo to everyone involved.

Fantastic film. I was awestruck by this beautiful adaptation of one of my favorite book of all time. Viggo Mortensen and Guy Pearce truly brought the pages to life.

While I will admit that this flick is not for everyone, I don't see how a better adaptation of the book could be made. It's a masterpiece of sadness. Perhaps the most terrifying moments in the film are the beautiful flashbacks ... glimpses of a paradise that is gone forever - if we had only realized it then. Very very powerful.

This is a decent adaptation of the novel. On the surface, the music often overpowers rather than underscores and there are too many 'cameo' performances casted in a story that explicitly seeks to remove almost all familiarity of the known world from the audience. Viggo Mortensen offers great work in this film; Viggo's portrayal of a man who has witnessed a world lost and who struggles to protect and equip his son against the horrors that now threaten the new one provides equal measure intensity and subtlety. Thankfully, most of the horrific examples of desperation in McCarthy's novel are intact, but the sense of the passage of time between them is condensed to the point where they don't really exist. This is, understandably, an obstacle in the film medium. However, a story that features "starvation" as a strong thematic element requires attention to time and pacing. The story is simply better suited to the pacing afforded in novel form.… Expand

Captures the tension and conflict of the book perfectly. Incredibly relatable, sad, inspiring, and terrifying all at the same time. I don't understand what all the criticism is about.

This film hit a perfect emotional point for me. I haven't yet read the book and therefore am not biased from that foundation, but found the portrayals of love, kindness and relationships to be beautiful. In addition, the cinematography was superb. The small nods to materialism in our society were generally done well too. The two key reasons I did not give this film a 10 were the ridiculous product placements during the scene in the shelter (I refuse to believe that such a thoughtfully stocked cellar would contain a 99c bag of Cheetos and bottles of Vitamin Water) as well as the ending, which had a little too much cheese for my liking (perhaps the Cheetos were resurfacing).… Expand

Haunting, depressing, beautiful... One of the best movies of 2010. If you have the change, watch it in theater or alone in dark room, this is one of the coldest visions of nuclear holocaust ever put on film!

I love this film i love the book i love the soundtrack For me the film was a very close match to the book like most adaptations missing bits out and changing odd things but they have done it well and love it.

Viggo goes from albino alligator to history of violence to aww(i must take care of my son) he's all i got and vice versa in this mean world. great acting job on his part as i agree, the movie had no action really and was kinda slow but I'd atch it again.

Left me thinking about it for weeks. That is the mark of an impressive movie!

Yes it did lack a little plot development, as in nothing much happens but I could feel the father and sons struggle throughout and the end was genuinely sad.

The lukewarm reviews of these critics are an outrage. This is a great film of a great book. It seems these critics don't approve of bleak or, nostalgic for their own nuanced response to the book, they dismiss the nuance of this film. Having recently endured the destructiive and bland Hollywoodification of another fine book, "Blind Side" , the critics should rejoice in a film that so valiantly attempts and succeeds at bringing the experience of a great book to the screen.… Expand

Breathtaking performances! One of the greatest films I've ever seen!!!

The book was breathtaking prose, the movie, restrained poetry.

An amazing story. Any father or son needs to see this.

I absolutely loved this book. John Hillcoat did a fantastic job of bringing Cormac McCarthy's work to life. It's bleak and haunting, but brings out that ultimate human spirit of survival which was so moving in the novel. I can't figure out why there are so many mixed reviews and why the Weinsteins sandbagged this film with absolutely no marketing whatsoever. A tough story and yet a great piece of filmmaking.… Expand

Very faithful adaptation of the book. I would have given it a 10, but it falls short of fully capturing the bond and love between the man and the boy. The writers and director did a fabulous job with the adaptation and given that the book is so minimalist, what they accomplished in this movie really is powerful. They should be very proud of what they did.

Doesn't stray far from the book and most notably maintains the sparse dialogue that is simple yet very powerful in its actual meaning for the characters. The story hinges on the relationship of father and son and has some really great moments where the roles you may expect are actually switched, providing an interesting insight into the destruction and growth of their respective minds. Otherwise, the movie is appropriately drab. But in that, the brief emergence of fainter colors within the characters and their situation reveal the simpler aspects of what it may be like to live during such a horrible time.… Expand

A powerful adaptation of McCarthy's novel. I thought the acting was great all around, and the envisioning of the post-apocalyptic world was near perfect. I can understand how people would be turned off, but for me it worked.

I had a hard time rating this film. Having not read the book, I thought is was well done. However I was totally disturbed by the darkness, and spent the entire thing anxious and distraught, and wished I had walked out early on - not for the faint at heart! As a parent this was a terrible movie to watch, and days later I am still having nightmares and reflecting - could I live through that, could I teach my son those horrible lessons, would I choose to live or die? So not an enjoyable experience, but an experience nonetheless. The ending was a disappointment though.… Expand

Great movie and great acting by Viggo.

This film has everything a serious movie goer is looking for. Viggo's acting is perfect, the scenery totally believable and the story holds your attention to the very last moment. I waited for this movie to be released for almost a year and it was worth the wait. If you're willing to open your mind and think, run, don't walk to see this film.

What I wanted desperately was for this to be faithful to the book -- and it was. Good acting, too, and yet I agree w/ Ebert that there was a certain emotional resonance that was lacking somehow. I liked "Children of Men" very much, too, but it's unfair/inappropriate to use that as a basis of comparison. Read Cormac McCarthy's novel: It is stunning.

This movie... I have been wrecked and extremely reflective over my experience with this film over the past few days. It's absolutely heart wrenching.. the hideous nature of a deplorable remnant of a once great civilization collapsing under its own weight.

Extremely faithful adaptation of the book. This movie was breathtaking and powerful. Absolutely captivating, this is a surefire Oscar contender.

While the film is not as resonant as the novel, it is its an honorable adaptation, capturing the essence of the bond between father and son.

A wonderfully realized tale of life at its most trying moments and the things that give it meaning.

This movie is bleak and spare but that is the good part. I didn't feel the closeness to the characters. The movie also needed a different and more sad or ambiguous ending.

I think this is up there on my list of favorite movies. The cinematography was great, and the acting was fantastic. I had chills the entire time through the movie. The Road is one of my favorite books and wrote a paper on it even in high school, and they captured a lot of the depth that i found in the novel. Accusations of plot holes is pretty funny because if ones read the book there9;s plenty of plot holes in the book. The book can be seen in a lot of ways and interpreted many ways, the movie captured that and there's still plenty of room for analysis of the movie. Comparing it to zombie movies is an insult. I found it far better than avatar, which i enjoyed as well. This movie was scrutinized to death.… Expand

I never read the book (even though I knew it was adapted before hand.) I actually was excited to see this one, boy was I disappointed. No wonder it only stayed in my local theatre for one week. It's a whole lot of boring. Don't get me wrong I like a psychological movie but this movie didn't really have a point. In any good story you need to create enough tension for you to at least care about what happens to the main characters. This is the first movie (other than the Twilight movies) I literally just turned off and say I'll finish this later. I don't know how this movie ends but from what I watch I got bored just waiting for something to happen. I only got as far as when Viggo's character meets Duvall's. And the grainy cinematography (while I understand why it was chosen, it does fit the film's subject matter) just made the film unwatchable on my wide-screen HDTV.… Expand

I had no idea what this movie was really about (i knew post-apocalypse) and had not read the book. I was surprised by how intensely dark and frightening it was. It did, as one reviewer put it, rattle around in my head for several days. I thought it was not boring, but I like science fiction. I thought Viggo Mortensen was good and the kid, was pretty good. The tension created in the encounters with the 'bad guys' was incredibly intense. I went out and read the book immediately and thought that the screenplay actually improved the plot of the book in some ways. The post-apocalyptic imagery was good, but in these days of anything is possible CG, I thought they could have attempted some larger imagery - like when Cormac McCarthy in the book describes building "melted and then refrozen". But overall, intelligent, consistent, scary and thought provoking. No false notes.… Expand

Finally a movie that presents a post-apocalyptic story in a dark, realistic manner. The actors play very well, while the story is very well described and interesting. Good movie.

Brutal. A bit slow-paced, but compelling nonetheless. Excellent direction gave the viewer a real feeling of isolation and desperation. Shame that it was let down by a very weak ending.

This movie made me suffer, a lot! If this is what the post-apocalyptic world looks like then release me out of my misery a.s.a.p. I couldn't even survive the few hours this movie lasted, let alone a lifetime. This was pure torture, it gave you glimpses and teases of something was going to happen but it never did. The worst part is everything looks and sounds so promising, you actually want to give this movie a chance. You want it to be good and give you that satisfaction. But it doesn't. This movie is the ultimate teaser!… Expand

'The Road' is a magnificient film that gives it's audience an insight into the affect on people in the planet after a mass destruction of vegetation and animal life. People resort to cannabilism and keeping others like cattle. The movie gets us thinking and creates a great visualisation of what the world would be like without police, businesses and the law. I enjoyed this film but I am taking two points off due to it's disapointing ending.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Road: A tale of a father and a son making their way across a trechorous wasteland, heading south, hoping to find others whilst being cautious of those around them. First things first: This is a grim film. You can see that just by looking at the surroundings. Corpses swinging from nooses, trees void of life, crashing to the ground one by one, snow stained with blood, water dirty as hell. It is quite the spectacle, yet for something so horrific looking, it is quite beautiful. Striking, how the director has perfectly captured the film's tone. It isn't just the surroundings that are bleak, the characters successfully empthasise this as well. Groups, in order to survive, slautering innocent people. Theres a scene in the film of a woman and her child being chased by a large group of these savages, where the surroundings are skulls displayed on pikes and the aformentioned blood stained snow. Food is scarce in this post-apocalyptic world, so one group keep people chained in a basement, to bring them out and kill them one by one, for sustenence. The father knows that the world is a bleak place, and his one driving point is his son. He teaches his son how to shoot himself in the head, if the time ever comes. He keeps two bullets in a gun specifically for them two, if the time ever comes. He very nearly shoots his son, so that a savage group do not take him to be chained and later eaten. The characters have become paranoid in this world, with the father not trusting any one in case they could be a cannibal, not trusting Ely, refusing to let him come with them for their food wouldn't last long, and he would slow them down. At one point, a woman shoots the man with an arrow and he kills her husband with a flare gun, because they both believe the other was following them. This shows how paranoia has set into these characters lives, how they cannot trust anyone, because it could spell for their end. Kudos to the actors of this piece. They all perform their roles perfectly, from Charlize Therons suicidal mother, not wanting to live in such a terrible world, to The Thief, whom instantly regrets robbing the main characters. Viggo Mortenson and Kodi Smith-Mcfee perfectly play their roles as father and son. You truly believe their roles, and their character relationship. The man's death, whilst his son is curled upto him, is a scene which, i'm not ashamed to say, brought a tear to my eyes. The ending of this film really shows the boys trusting ways paying off, as he now travels with a family, across the trechorous landscape. Conclusion: Quite a bleak film, with many grim moments, but wonderful character interaction makes it all worth while… Expand

To say this film was underrated is an understatement. It was one of the best films of 2009, and by far one of the best acted. Viggo Mortensen is astounding, as is the one only known as "Boy" in the film, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and the Oscars were fools to overlook their brilliant performances. The cinematography was nothing less then breathtaking, as we the dark, gritty yet beautiful landscapes. "The Road" is a gem, despite the Oscar's misjudgement.… Expand

Great movie, heartbraking and thought provoking, the love between father and son was truly heart-rending throughout. I thought the cast were fantastic.

No movie with such less effort has convinced me to dwell in self-examination of the world we're living in than The Road. Pain and hopelessness may be all over the movie from minute 1 towards the end but the single scene where the lead actor's son walks away with strangers gives enough pleasure of living and hope. The movie'shaunting cinematography and art direction blend well with the convincing production design and costume. Vigo Mortensen's sharp acting should have been nominated for the Oscars.… Expand

This is easily the most realistic looking post-apocalyptic world I've seen. This movie does an excellent job of creating an atmosphere of despair as the remaining survivors are starting to lose their humanity in the empty world. Only negative part was that the story seemed a little dull, as if you are expecting some big climax to happen, but it never does.

John Hillcoat's adaption of the classic novel of the same name is a solid, loving and engrossing effort. Viggo Mortensen is absolutely brilliant as an unnamed survivor, trekking slowly towards the east coast with his son, played by Kodi Smit McPhee. The young and inexperienced McPhee holds Mortensen back in some scenes, especially the more emotionally intense dialogues that occur toward the end of the film. He does a satisfactory job, and shows a lot of potential, but nevertheless a more experienced child actor might have better captured the character. The script is pretty well thought-out, - there's very few of the cliches one might expect from such a film. However, some of the scenes drag out too long, and at times I was left wondering why certain scenes were necessary. The cinematography in The Road is immaculate. The way post-apocalyptic America is presented, with bleak, washed out landscapes and decaying buildings, is truly one of the most effective visions of a dying world I've ever seen. The Road is so filled with melancholic beauty and gentle, thought-provoking imagery that the situation in which the viewer watches the film will heavily influence their opinion of it. This is not a film to watch over some beers with mates - it's a film to watch alone and become totally immersed in.… Expand

Cormac McCarthy's adapted novel "The Road" is powerful story telling in some sort of Biblical way. Viggo Mortensen gives a performance of a lifetime. I'm surprised that this film didn't get more recognition from the Academy as CM's other novel No Country For Old Men did. Like NCFOM The Road is filled with underlying meaning and themes that can be discussed long after the credits are done.

I have not read the book but I found this to be a great movie with great acting and amazing cinematography. This is a very depressing movie, and you'll want to go outside and see the sun after. My mom (I'm 12 years old) thought this was a boring movie and the ending "didn't go anywhere". That just shows you how the average moviegoer is these days. Haters gonna hate. Go Aragorn! And Col. Kilgore!