THE ROAD is one of the most gloomy and dark post-apocalyptic films that you'll ever see. While some futuristic visions such as those in the MAD MAX series at least offer some hope of survival, THE ROAD's surviving characters only seem to wish for death and really lack the willpower to continue on. In one scene, an expectant mother really didn't want to bring a fresh life into this dying world.

THE ROAD was the latest novel brought to screen by author Cormac McCarthy. Prior to that, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN became an award winning film. But, this depressing and hopeless vision of a land completely devoid of animals, with dying trees and quickly drying up food supplies offers real little hope. It only paints a tale of struggle to survive, with characters of declining will.

Viggo Mortensen, Kodi McPhee, Charlize Theron and Guy Pearce all turn in fine performances here. In fact, the performances really seemed better than the story itself, which may have been visually stunning for it's massive scenes of complete desolation, but without a real ray of hope the film left me feeling more empty than anything.

The Bottom Line: A stunning vision of destruction and desolation, but a story in need of more hope and promise. But, fine acting acting performances and massive scenes of desolation shot through a gloomy grey lense do provide an intrigueing tale for the most part. ++1/2(Two and a half stars. Not a classic film by any means. It falls far short of that goal. But, it does present the important pieces of what could have been a great classic film with a far better story to match the fine acting performances. An uneven mix of greatness and emptyness).