Rating: 
Summary: Only Michael Jr. has a chance to get into Heaven
Review: Sam Mendes' "The Road to Perdition" is a film about family: extended, brother against brother, father and sons and ultimately father against sons. It's about the world of Men in much the same tradition as "East of Eden," which it thematically resembles. Mendes tackles big ideas here: the sanctity of the family, a father's love of family, a father's right to protect his family and a natural versus an adopted son's place in a family (the right of succession). But Mendes uses the small details of life to develop these themes so that his lofty ideas have a pervasive as well as persuasive effect on the viewer.
Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is a family man (2 sons, Michael Jr. and Peter) who works for John Rooney (Paul Newman) as a bodyguard and hit man. John has a son, Connor (David Craig)who is intensely jealous of his father's relationship with Michael. It is obvious that John prefers Michael: strong, obedient, intelligent, over his natural son, Connor: weak, smarmy, conniving, underhanded, hotheaded.
One evening, Michael Jr., eager and curious to find out what exactly his father does for a living, hides in his father's car while Michael Sr. goes out on a "business call" with Connor to strong arm an associate that ends with Connor recklessly killing the associate with Michael Jr. witnessing the entire event.
This proves to be the turning point in the film and the event that sets the remainder of the film in motion: can Michael Jr. be trusted to keep his mouth shut? Connor has some definite ideas about this.
One of the most impressive set pieces of the film is a showdown between Michael and John Rooney and his henchman on a public street at night in the pouring rain, shot with absolutely no sound nor blood in sight. It is as effective in it's way as the last, very bloody scene in "Bonnie and Clyde."
Conrad Hall has shot the film in a dark, grayish, almost colorless palette very similar to
"The Yards," also coincidentally a film about a family involved in crime. The criminal life for Hall and Mendes then is not the chiaroscuro life that Coppola envisions it in his Godfather trilogy, but one of black and gray signifying a life of hiding, back alleys and drudgery devoid of color, enjoyment and living. The music is also extremely effective and evocative especially since Mendes has shot large portions of the film without dialogue.
The acting is top drawer with Tyler Hoechlin as Michael Jr. almost stealing the picture away from the always effective Tom Hanks, Jude Law and Paul Newman.
Sam Mendes has fashioned a film of the utmost purity and beauty: a tone poem to the family and to the father-son relationship in particular.
"The Road to Perdition" is a film that resonates with regret and sadness but more importantly an over-riding feeling that, as gangsters "getting into heaven"as John Rooney states... is not a possibility.
Rating:
Summary: What a Movie!
Review: I had heard several things about this movie before I went to the theater and saw it. One thing I recall was a TV commercial that compared Road To Perdition to The Godfather. When I heard this I was shocked for both good and bad reasons. The good being if it is compared to The Godfather it must be an excellent movie, but on the other hand I thought it might have been one of those cheap rip off movies. But with Tom Hanks in the cast I turned my head to that thought and went on to see it.
Is Road To Perdition like The Godfather? In a way yes it is, there both mob affiliated movies but that is about the extent of it. The Godfather is more of a large complex story of many years that includes many characters to tell the story. While the Godfather is the best movie ever in my opinion Road To Perdition is right behind it. Unlike the Godfather it is a small easy to follow mobster movie that has Tom Hanks as a one of Capone's hitmen. Something goes wrong with one of his hits and his family gets involeved in the mess. It is a heart warming story from start to finish with the usual mob scenes in between. Stupendous movie!! A Must see for all!
Rating: 
Summary: Hanks Shoots Blanks
Review: The whole thing fell apart in the second half. Totally implausible. The Rifleman trades his lever action 30 caliber for a Thompson sub-machinegun. Most overrated movie I can remember.
Rating:
Summary: Hard Won Redemption
Review: "The Road to Perdition," is a highly stylized gangster movie that succeeds as a theatrical motion picture, but will probably leave fans of the quick cut to cynicism untouched.Sam Mendes is a man of the theater, (this in only his second movie,) and visually, "The Road to Perdition" is as much an exercise in theatrical staging as it is a vehicle for motion. Mr. Mendes is a fan of the long take, and he uses it to great effect. It's a simple story. Tom Hanks play Michael Sullivan, a hit man. His son, Michael, Jr., witnesses a warehouse slaughter in which his father takes part. The local crime lord's son spurs the events, and therein we have two fathers, two sons, and the extremes of fathers' protecting their issue. For the Sullivan's, a redemptive road trip to the village of Perdition; for the Rooney's, Paul Newman and Daniel Craig, a ride to perdition proper without benefit of the open road. Along the way there is enough violence, blood, and gore to keep us all happy; but there's also heartbreak, wit, and visual intelligence. The film is well cast, with Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jude Law playing against type, and the leads and supports inhabiting their roles. Tom Hanks, also playing against type, is stoic and closed and has Michael Sullivan under his skin. Michael, Jr., played by Tyler Hoechlin, is nothing short of angelic, albeit a dark angel. Paul Newman, with relatively little screen time, is a wonder to behold, and his work is a fine addition to his later career. May he make movies for some time to come. "The Road to Perdition" feels good without being a feel-good movie, and the reason it feels that way is because the road is steep, and the redemption is hard-won.
Rating:
Summary: This movie is not about life, it's about Hollywood.
Review: To enjoy a movie, you have to willingly suspend your disbelief, right? I can't do that when the basic premise of the movie is made up nonsense: that there is such a thing as a ferocious Mafia hit man who is also a sweet guy who loves his family more than his life. Balderdash! No goodhearted professional killer has ever existed or ever will! Hollywood believes, with good reason, that if they can increase your paranoia and anxiety about what evil is buried in the bed of sweet nasturtiums, they will pump you full of adrenaline, which is a high you seem to like, which will give them a firm grip on your wallet. To that end they have given us a nice, unassuming family man who is a cold blooded Nazi killer on the side, a highly refined diletante who is a secret killer-cannibal. Please! These fantasies do nothing to illuminate the human condition. They only serve to increase our mistrust and misunderstanding of it. My suggestion for the next bit of Hollywood realism: Mr. Rogers has an unsuspected dark side. He is secretly selling puppies to Steve Irwin for Crocodile food. Talk about gritty reality! Shoot it with lots of rain and dark shadows and Oscar here we come!
Rating:
Summary: An Extremely Powerful Film
Review: When I had first heard of this film, I knew that I just had to see it. The premise of the movie grabbed me, and I made plans to go on opening weekend. I did go, and I was incredibly moved by the experience. Tom Hanks is Michael Sullivan, a happily married father of two sons and works for a Mr. Rooney (Paul Newman). His oldest son, Michael, becomes curious as to what his father does for a living, because he really doesn't know, no matter how much he thinks he does. One night, Mr. Rooney's son, Connor (Daniel Craig), is told to go and "talk" to one of Mr. Rooney's friends who began to mouth off at his brother's wake. He is informed that Michael Sullivan (Hanks) is to go with him. The young Michael sees this as an opportunity to honestly find out what, in fact, his dad does for a career, and hides in the back of the car. In the midst of the whole situation, Connor loses his temper and shoots the man whom they were sent to talk to, with the assistance of the young Michael's father. The young Michael witnesses the whole thing, and suddenly, no one is safe. The father and son must escape their danger, and leave immediately, while also finding out a way to bring justice to the mob. The movie is definitely worth the price of admission, although I'm not so sure that it should be compared side by side to classics such as the Godfather series. I loved the movie, but it is hard to tell whether or not it should be remembered at the Oscar race. It was great, but it was just a little too full of itself to be considered as good as The Godfather. However, it was great, it did move me, and the photography was intensely beautiful in itself. Jude Law was absolutely incredible as McGuire, who was hired to kill Sullivan, and his performance deserves to stand out as a nominee for "Best Supporting Actor." It did earn the five stars that I'm giving it, and it's a powerful drama that is worth every penny to go see.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: Excellent Mob Movie. Well directed with beautifull screenplay. Definately worth seeing.
Rating: 
Summary: um, not so fast
Review: This movie was okay but it's no gofather that's for sure. The movie starts out very slowly and stays that way for about an hour. I guess you can chalk it up to character development but there are some scenes that seemed to be an obvious waste of time. I also found the plot kind of thin and you'll figure everything out a long time before it happens. No need to expect the unexpected here. The acting is great but in the end the direction and pace and plot conspire to make the movie seem like an exercise in acting rather than an entertaining movie.
Rating:
Summary: DAD, CAN I BORROW THE MACHINE GUN?
Review: I am bewildered by the unanimous positive critical response to this movie. It's "The Godfather" meets "Father Knows Best" with a virtual bloodbath of gangster executions warmed over by a "Dad, can we have a man to man talk" mentality. The director screams "PERIOD PIECE!" with exquisitely manicured 1930s set designs that upstage the crummy little story of a boy being taken under the wing of his viscious but kindly gangster father. Jude Law playing a profiteering hitman/photographer is the only redemption here, his deranged characterization is the true spirit of this movie. I would have much preferred watching his life story for over two hours.
Rating: 
Summary: Prep-School Imitation of John Woo
Review: This is a remake of The Lone Wolf and the Cub, and it borrows heavily from John Woo's Hong Kong gangster flicks - the male bonding, the shooting ups, the religious motifs... However, it is missing the intensity and passion, and Chow Yun-Fat. Tom Hanks just cannot fill Chow's shoes, and he appears uncomfortable trying to portray a "family-oriented" hitman. The original Japanese TV series, which has been remade into movies and other series several times in Asia, had much more heart and spirit.
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