Tom Hanks as a hitman. Now there's an intriguing idea. Could it be? Were we finally about to see America's favorite Mr. Nice Guy play a bad guy? Would the guy from Splash and Bosom Buddies finally show his dark side?

Nah.

In Road to Perdition, Hanks does indeed play a hired killer. But, wouldn't you know, he plays just about the nicest darned hired killer you're ever going to meet. Heck, when he goes to shake down a nightclub owner who owes the big boss money -- he even offers to be frisked. After all, he wouldn't want them to think he was packing heat or anything. A real gentleman, that Mr. Hanks.

Okay, so he does kill a lot of people in cold blood. But, we're told, he does it to put food on the table for his Depression Era family. Again -- a nice family man.

The year is 1931, and Hanks' character, Michael Sullivan, is the top enforcer for an Irish mob boss named John Rooney, played by Paul Newman. Rooney treats Sullivan like the son he wishes he had. That brings us to the movie's major theme: fathers and sons.

Sullivan tries to shield his children from his work, but his oldest son is curious about dad's profession. One night, he sneaks out to watch his father in action -- and naturally becomes witness to a hit.

Rooney's own son, Connor, who is just a tad more evil than Mephistopheles, decides he can't trust the boy to keep quiet about what he's seen -- so he'll silence the kid himself. Suddenly, Sullivan and son are on the run.

They begin robbing banks together in a last ditch scheme to get back into the mob's good graces, all while a sick little assassin, played by Jude Law, gives chase. But Sullivan is determined not to let his boy follow him down the path to evil. Sullivan, nice as he is, realizes he's not going to heaven. But there's still time for his son.

There's a reason the movie is called Road to Perdition, which is a nicer term for what the rock group AC/DC would've called the Highway to Hell. As Sullivan hopes for a sort of redemption through his son, the movie tries to argue that someone really can't be all that evil as long as they raise their children to be good -- and as long as their children love them.

Road to Perdition is certainly well acted. Hanks nails his role with a very subtle performance. Newman does some of his best work in years (heck, it's the first time he's been seen a couple of years anyway) and he reminds you of why he's a legend. Law and Stanley Tucci are simply great in supporting roles. There's nothing better than watching great movie stars be great movie stars. And Sam Mendes' direction is beautiful. His film debut was a little movie called American Beauty and all it did was win him an Academy Award. This movie shows it was no fluke. Mendes again employs cinematographer Conrad Hall, and every frame looks stunning.

But all that said, I can't say I was enormously entertained. The film doesn't offer many original or astounding ideas. It's hardly uplifting. And while it explores relationships between fathers and sons, it's difficult to relate to, unless you're "A.J." Soprano. It's simply a well-executed piece (so to speak), not much more.
(c) Copyright 2002