The Road (2009)

STUDIO:     Sony
DIRECTOR: John Hillcoat
STARRING: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodie Smitt-Mcphee, Robert Duvall
RATED:      R
OPINION STARS: 4 out of 5
THIS FILM IS:  Dark, Gritty, Disturbing
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DESCRIPTION: After an unnamed catastrophe strikes, a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) struggle to survive in the sunless and unforgiving landscape that was once North America. With few clothes, little food, and only two cartridges in a revolver, they trek through the desolation towards the coast in search of a better life - scrounging for food and shelter, and taking advantage of anything useful they can find among the debris. But the father's health is failing, lending urgency to a journey hindered by roaming bands of cannibalistic marauders.
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VIOLENCE AND GORE:   0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FRIGHTENING CONTENT: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LANGUAGE:            0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
MATURE THEMES:       0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
INDECENT CONTENT:    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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NOTE: Based on the Pultizer Prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy. A disturbing yet poignant post-apocalyptic tale that's genuinely hard to watch sometimes, even if you have a strong stomach . On the one hand, it presents with gritty realism the wickedness that the depraved man is naturally inclined to (the scenario with the cannibals is more chillingly realistic than one might think at first). On the other hand, it is also an incredibly powerful story of a father's fierce love for his son. Should be required viewing for older male audiences.            
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Iffy for Age 16

"Even if you knew what to do, you wouldn't know what to do."

I Am Legend (2007)

STUDIO:     Warner Bros. Pictures
DIRECTOR: Francis Lawrence
STARRING: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Emma Thompson, Dash Mihok
RATED:        PG-13
OPINION STARS: 4.5 out of 5
THIS FILM IS:  Thoughtful, Unsettling, Intense 
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DESCRIPTION: Somehow immune to an unstoppable man-made virus, military virologist Robert Neville (Smith) is now the last human survivor in New York City and maybe the world. But he is not alone. Mutant plague victims lurk in the shadows... watching Neville's every move... waiting for him to make a mistake. Working by day and hiding by night, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find an antidote using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and quickly running out of time.
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VIOLENCE AND GORE:   0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FRIGHTENING CONTENT: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
LANGUAGE:            0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
MATURE THEMES:       0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
INDECENT CONTENT:    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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NOTE: Based on the novel by Richard Matheson. A surprisingly thoughtful film that raises question about sin, human nature, and redemption. On the aesthetic side, it really is impossible not to be fascinated by the extraordinary, computer-generated rendering of a decaying Manhatten. Another plus is Smith's remarkable performance as the lonely but determined Neville.  A superb, under appreciated sci-fi film, and highly recommended. 
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Iffy for Age 14

"I'm listening..."