Children of Men = Half Life 2?????

[Sabbatai]

So I watched Children of Men and for some reason thought of Half Life 2. After speaking to some colleagues and surfing the intarwebz I learned that I was not alone in making this analogy.

I have seen many many posts on this very forum speaking about the same thing.

Only ...I can't figure out why.

There are 2 things I think may contribute.

1. The infertility issue. The same problem but handled in very very different ways in both story lines. So I don't see how this fact could cause so many people to compare the two. Maybe it's what made me think of the comparison, but such a small similarity should not cause so many to think the same..no?

2. Something I've not seen many people comment on, but have a feeling may be the key. The color pallette. Yep, I think that's why I came to this comparison between the two.

Is there anything I might be missing?

I loved the film by the way. Especially Michael Cain doing his little dance to the Aphex Twin song.

Brilliant.

 

[Tyguy]

one of my favorite movies, but i didnt associate it with hl2

 

[NeptuneUK]

The oppressive nature of the ruling government.

 

[Smoke]

The colours are so contrasted between the two, I don't understand how you made the connection there. HL2 was very yellow/orange for me. Children of men uses alot of blue filter.

Seriously, everywhere you go in England, it's got that blue filter. In real life. I swear.

 

[VictimOfScience]

Hmm, I guess I can sort of see what you mean, but I never noticed it while watching the film. Some vague similarities in the universes, but nothing to say HL2 more than Gears of War to me.

 

[Apocalypse89]

The clothes that the Fishes wear during the final battle reminded me of the rebels in HL2. Otherwise there isn't much resemblance aside from the general theme of oppression and rebellion. And the whole infertility thing.

 

[CyberPitz]

I see where you get the idea due to the dark and abysmal state with the government bearing down on everybody, but that's all I notice. If that's what it takes to resemble the two, then I could count a million movie/games that would be just like hl2.

 

[Beerdude26]

It felt very much as HL2 for me aswell, but it's a fantastic film on its own.

 

[MJ12]

Not HL2, more like a much less totalitarian form of 1984. (I know C17 and 1984 have similarities, but they still have distinct atmospheric diferences)

 

[theotherguy]

More like both HL2 and Children of Men rip off of totalitarian Sci-Fi like 1984 and Brave New World.

 

[highlander]

Children Of Men, was a very good movie. the atmosphere was similar too hl2...too me anyway

 

[MJ12]

The ending of Children of Men was very bad though.

 

[highlander]

It was? How so?

 

[Adabiviak]

I made a connection, primarily, like you said, the palette and setting in general. If I saw Gordon running around in the background, he wouldn't be out of place.

 

[Smoke]

The ending of Children of Men was very bad though.

You take that back.

 

[MJ12]

It was? How so?

You take that back.

The last scene was very poorly done in a cinematic and story telling aspect. It was extremely anti-climactic and rushed. (not the good kind of rushed either, the "I need to write this huge essay paper in 1 hour" rushed)

I'm not complaining on the fact that it left us to question her fate (this can be a great element in story telling), but the way the end scene was composed was terrible, I could smell it coming a mile away too. I felt the director really wanted to wrap things up fast once we got to that point, so he did a sloppy job to get it done.

 

[highlander]

Ah, you have a point. The bit where he's just in the boat floating away... it was just meh.

 

[Ennui]

Moved to correct forum.

I loved Children of Men and it is vaguely similar to HL2 in the sense that there's the dystopian/totalitarian/infertility things going on.

 

[VirusType2]

Yeah, It reminded me of HL2, and I mentioned that on these very forums months ago. I thought I was the only one. I think it's the whole government thing reminding me of City 17, but also the old Buildings and warfare going on, while they are on the run with the pregnant lady.

 

[Operational]

The urban fighting in the dystopian near-future is what reminded me of HL2 the most.

 

[Shift]

Its as close to HL2 as any other film. The ending wasnt bad, just rather anti-climactic.

 

[LackingSaint]

Never watched Children Of Men, but from looking at the comments, I feel i'm missing out on something.

 

[Blackthorn]

I watched this just the last night (for around the 5th time) and the same similarities occurred to me. The infertility, oppressive government forces, breaking into prison. In particular the scene in the school stirred up the same emotions as when you come across the playground in HL2 and you hear the haunting sounds of children playing. Very stirring and unsettling.

As for comments about the ending, I really can not see how you could call that badly done. For me, once they get into Bexhill the quality just keep on increasing. That more than 10 minute scene with the army vs. resistance filmed with only ONE CUT was just spectacular, the most realistic portrayal of combat I've ever seen. We see at the end as much as the story needed to carry us forward, showing us what happened next would have been pointless.

 

[nurizeko]

One of my favorate movies. Never compared it to HL2, in fact never thought of it, my guess is the comparrisons are just HL obsessive fans who see HL in everything.

HL are good games, CoM was a good movie.

 

[Steven]

What a pretentious film that was.

 

[ríomhaire]

I thought the ending to Children of Men was great and fit with the rest of the film perfectly.

 

[average_d]

The colours are so contrasted between the two, I don't understand how you made the connection there. HL2 was very yellow/orange for me. Children of men uses alot of blue filter.

Seriously, everywhere you go in England, it's got that blue filter. In real life. I swear.

Maybe you should take those sunglasses off once a while buddy

 

[Humita]

THe problem with the infertility had already been mentioned in the forum, I think. But the idea of the color pallette is interesting. i don't know if they are similar, but they have a similar effect on the viewer or player.

Another thing that relates both movies, is the fact that the camera never leaves Clive Owen, just like in the game, where you never stop being Gordon

 

[Sabbatai]

Moved to correct forum.

I loved Children of Men and it is vaguely similar to HL2 in the sense that there's the dystopian/totalitarian/infertility things going on.

Far be it from me to question the moderators... but...

Wasn't this just as fitting in the "lounge" forum? I mean it's really not ABOUT Half Life. Plus the "Lounge" is for "everything..within reason".

Thanks for the comment and the move either way, I'm sure more people saw it here than would have seen it in the lousy lounge.

 

[MJ12]

Far be it from me to question the moderators... but...

Wasn't this just as fitting in the "lounge" forum? I mean it's really not ABOUT Half Life. Plus the "Lounge" is for "everything..within reason".

Thanks for the comment and the move either way, I'm sure more people saw it here than would have seen it in the lousy lounge.

No, the topic is about a movie and the game HL2. It either belongs in the movie or the HL2 section.

 

[Zlatan]

I saw similarities as well, all those people in cages reminded me of when you first step off the train into City 17 and go through a maze of fences past combine soldiers.

 

[Zephos]

I ;( at the end of Children of Men.

The thing that happened (ya know, the thing) was so sudden and made me "NOOOOOO!".

 

[Smoke]

The last scene was very poorly done in a cinematic and story telling aspect. It was extremely anti-climactic and rushed. (not the good kind of rushed either, the "I need to write this huge essay paper in 1 hour" rushed)

I'm not complaining on the fact that it left us to question her fate (this can be a great element in story telling), but the way the end scene was composed was terrible, I could smell it coming a mile away too. I felt the director really wanted to wrap things up fast once we got to that point, so he did a sloppy job to get it done.

Nah, I felt it was just right. To me, it was just another character dying to ensure her saftey. I mean think about it, 90% of the characters on screen die at some point, that he does too kinda sends a message about how important she really is.