Rating: 
Summary: Lyrical, dreamy masterpiece. Not for action lovers, though.
Review: Director Sam Mendes comes of age with this beautifully shot, slow-moving ode to father and son archetypes, set among 1930s gangsters. The esthetic and acting values qualify this film as a classic masterpiece. Cast against type, Hanks and Newman extend their acting range and achieve stunning new highs. The film stands as a visual masterpiece by cinematographer Conrad Hall, who died of cancer in January '03.On the other hand, there are a couple of flaws with RTP. Jude Law is undeniably talented, but his youth and his looks don't lend themselves to the role of an experienced, creepy assassin. Instead, Law's role in RTP should have gone to a more lived-in character actor, maybe Philip Baker Hall or Chazz Palminteri. Law tends to do better with well-developed speaking parts, as in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Alas, action lovers will be sorely disappointed with this film. This is not a gritty shoot-em-up. RTP has its share of violence, but it also has a dreamy, introspective quality and is really about the young boy's relationship with his father.
Rating: 
Summary: Easily one of 2002's best...
Review: Ranking alongside "Signs," "Gangs of New York," and "The Two Towers," "The Road to Perdition" is one of 2002's very best films, and one that wil be remembered and cherished for years to come. It is a heart-breking indictment of the criminal life, and a love story between father and son. Hanks is stellar, as usual; Law takes a memorable turn as the assassin sent to kill Hanks; and Newman brilliantly captures what he describes as a "lovable killer." "The Road to Perdition" is easily one of the best 'mafia' films ever made - not because it portrays the lives of mobsters, but because it portrays the consequeces of their actions. Truly, this film speaks to the soul.
Rating: 
Summary: the cinematography is great
Review: the rest of the movie is pointless. the movie is overly melodramatic -- yet it can't capture REAL emotion. you'll see what i am saying when you get to the scene involving the wife and other son... (don't want to say too much for those who want to see it). Too many directors think they can force emotion on you through sweeping soundtracks and a slow pace, thinking that the music and the audiences own thoughts injected into the character will be enough. although it can be done the emotions need to mirror the thoughts of the audience, which this movie fails to do. as i said the movie moves at a snails pace,which wouldn't be a bad thing if the movie was original enough to keep my interest). It is just a rehashed revenge story, the guy from the movie the punisher could have played it. Having Tom hanks in the lead role just made this movie feel like a violent version of Radio Flyer. jude law's character was the only slightly original character in the whole thing and of course it felt just thrown in. But the cinematographer was amazing.. i would actually reccommend the movie to anyone who has an appreciation for camera work, if the movie wasn't so bad
Rating:
Summary: Intense, but definitely not for everyone....
Review: I can understand that this movie would be boring and frustrating for a lot of people, especially if you are expecting a story with any depth. It is only for the first fifteen minutes, until the father and son hit the road, that any plot can be considered central to what is happening. After that, the plot is essentially a study in inevitability. To me, Mendes is really after something else; he doesn't seem concerned with the yarn. I don't want to blow it out of proportion to the level of some existential pretentiousness (I think AMERICAN BEAUTY is ridiculously overrated), I just think he was more interested in making a beautiful picture than in telling an interesting story. It's certainly not as captivating as a movie like THE SIXTH SENSE, which the subdued artistry seemed to evoke. ROAD TO PERDITION seems to get caught up with resolving the dual facets to Hanks' character (as an unstoppable, archetypal force of nature and as a real human being with self-doubt and the ability to change), and does so superbly. This next bit probably will read as ridiculous, but as I watched this movie, I kept feeling reminded of a symphonic tone poem. In that respect, I suppose this movie is kind of a visual poem. Rachmaninov's "Isle of the Dead" kept coming to mind. Everything story-wise is fairly predictable. The brooding music alone communicates what is going to happen next. Everything that happens on screen seems more like a painting that moves; its relationship to the movie as a whole is almost incidental. Thus, the story itself is also incidental; purely a device for wonderful individual scenes (especially anytime Paul Newman is onscreen). A sense of intense, ritualized choreography --like Kabuki-- seems to dominate the adult characters as we view them through the eyes of the reminiscing child. Everything has a hush about it. Despite all the violence, any gunshots are jarring and disturbing in what is a very quiet movie. All of the actors were wonderful, although I don't think it was the strongest script. Jude Law was particularly eerie as the macabre killer-photographer. Newman is absolutely extraordinary; the man is simply one of the top three actors walking the earth today. If you haven't, see TWILIGHT immediately. I don't know if Hanks was right for the part (the mustache is especially weird), but by the end of the thing, the character transformation he was able to communicate was incredible. Hanks has certainly come a long way since silliness like BIG and THE MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE.
Rating:
Summary: The Road to Perdition
Review: Someone said that Tom Hanks was not very believable in the role of a hitman. To the contrary, I felt that he played the role perfectly. The great thing about Tom Hanks is that like Harrison Ford he does a good job portraying an ordinary person. Although Hanks was a member of the mafia in this movie he appeared to be a man with a consciense. I found this movie to be very touching and down to earth, exploring both the relationship of father and son and the hurt of lost loved ones. Superb film! Much closer to the Hanks of Saving Private Ryan than to the Hanks of Sleepless in Seattle that some might always view him as.
Rating:
Summary: Most Underrated Film of the Year
Review: During a summer that included such blockbusters as Spiderman and Star Wars Episode 2, Road to Perdition provides an escape to one of the most underrated films I have ever seen. This movie is fantastic, period. Tom Hanks is bar none the best actor in Hollywood, and he proves it once again as Michael Sullivan, in Road to Perdition. The story was great, the cinematography was spectacular, and the acting was first rate. I'm a big fan of The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino etc., and this movie was right up my alley. Anyone who likes gang related movies will love this movie. I recommend this highly.
Rating:
Summary: Hanks has done it again !!
Review: The role of a gangster who is a family man with 2 kids, is not an easy one to play. Hanks handles it superbly and is very credible. The strory is also very touching. The complicity that develops between the father and the son due to the circumstances is handled with an intriguing care. You will never forget the scene where the father and his son go through a midnight dialog in the kitchen, opening up to each other and really understanding (finally) each other's personality. A great moment of cinema. All this accompanied by nice views throughout the movie and a beautiful music had me spend a marvelous couple of hours that I expect from any movie.
Rating:
Summary: A Treat for the Eyes!!
Review: I went to see this movie with great expectation of the director, actors, and more. I was blown away by the beauty of it all. One must realize that this story is a dramatic ensemble that follows the development of a father-son relationship. It has some action, but not the kind that would be expected of a large-scale action movie. Tom Hanks pulls off the role of a hired killer to perfection. He lets you see how his home-life contradicts all that he does. The boy in the video does a great job throughout the film. I was shocked to see that he received no recognition for his work. All of the other actors (Jude Law, Paul Newman, etc...) pulled off a great performance that completed the story. When watching the film, pay attention to the direction and cinematography. This film is a delight to watch. It truly is the most cinematically beautiful film I have ever seen. Some of the greatest scenes are easy to miss, and should be noticed in its simplicity. With this great film projecting in front of you, it's the music that pulls you all the way into the story and times. I have never seen such a great work of art. It truly is a Sam Mendes work where the fight scenes are shot like love scenes and the love scenes are shot like fight scenes. Don't miss out on this Academy Award underdog!!
Rating: 
Summary: review for Road to Perdition
Review: The Road to Perdition was a marvelous movie with the exceptional cinematography. I must say it had a violent theme but nonetheless the beauty of the way it was crafted, was extraordinary. Tom Hanks did a wonderful job but felt that he was out of character for this movie. His presence gave a new perspective of the movie. One can say that he made the movie more complex then what was needed. Overall the movie is good to see one time but do not buy. It is not a masterpiece like the godfather series due to the simplistic story line. Laconically the plot was bad but the movie as a whole was okay.
Rating:
Summary: Beauty and filmammking at it's best!
Review: Road to Perdition is simply stunning with the acting and cinematography. While it does have to do with the genre of "gangsters", it is really a movie of a father and son. Mendes has done an enormous job of presenting everything in a slow, simple way that is acted out wonderfully. Everything is suble about the film, but yet everything is powerful and moving, with a lot of that being credited to not only that actors but Mendes editing and camera shots. Such is the case in the scene in the beginning of the film when Tyler Hoechlin's character sees his father from a distance getting ready for dinner. There is no dialogue but when you see the camera closeup of Tom Hanks getting out his gun and his son's wide eyes, the scene speaks for itself. Breathtaking, tremendous, it gives new life to the the stale gansgter movie!
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