The Book of Eli

Thirty years after a man-made apocalypse, Eli (Denzel Washington) hikes westward on a quest across the vast American interior--a dark and dusty scape. He encounters a number of people who survive at the expense of others. In a small town, he is captured by a local despot named Carnegie (Gary Oldman) who makes him an offer. Being a loner, Eli prefers to go his own way, but he may not have a choice.

"The Book of Eli" is a stylish film that is reminiscent of "I Am Legend" and other post-apocalyptic stories, though it carves out a niche for itself due to its strong characters and its central theme.

The film presents some religious sub-themes, which might find differing interpretations by different viewers.

I found the ending a little disappointing, but I think others may enjoy the twists in the final scenes. Mila Kunis plays a strong character--a young woman whose life undergoes a transition under the influence of Eli.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie on many levels. Yes, the spurts of violence seem to clash with the overall message but even that aspect is covered by dialogue and a nicely crafted story. The parallels between Denzel's character and Jesus (again minus the violence) and Mila's character to Mary Magdalene are apparent but handled well in my opinion. A big point off for the premise that apparently led to the apocalyptic times depicted but that grim world does draw you in to the film completely. Taking entertainment to a thoughtful level is always good and this film succeeds at that remarkably well. It points out that it's critical to define what's really important in life. There are no small things, just things we take for granted. (Next time I'm in KFC, I'm going to take a massive handful of wet wipes!) The reverence and reference to the need for faith and what life would be like without it is strong. "Finish the race, fight the good fight and keep the faith."

The Book of Eli has the potential to be a great film or complete rubbish depending on your expectations of what is to come. If you are looking for a film with some deeper meaning then I would not recommend it. However, if you are looking for a film with beautiful cinematography, solid acting and a little bit of fun action then you will be pleased.

The key in watching the film is to not buy into the plot too much, which is where the viewer is going to be disappointed. The ending is a little far fetched and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Although I honestly don't see a particularly good ending for the basic premise of the film.

If you are able to put the silliness with the story behind you, the film is wonderfully done. There is great camera work with interesting angles and framing; the set showcases the contrast between the stark light of the sun and the shadows where humankind is hiding; and the acting makes you want to buy into the characters and their conflicts.

I would recommend seeing the film, just don't get too involved with the story. Instead concentrate on the acting and the scene.

Everybody's talking about what happens after the apocalypse these days. "The Book of Eli" is sort of the boiling point of this science-fiction concept, a combination of last year's "The Road" and George Miller's "The Road Warrior." America is a post-apocalyptic wasteland and Denzel Washington is the only self-sufficient badass. So originality is not exactly "Eli's" calling card, but it clearly establishes its ruinous world and the Hughes brothers ("From Hell") take good care of its characters while supplying top-notch action. Washington stars as our stolid protagonist, Eli, journeying westward with his canteen, a large machete, a couple guns and a special leather-bound book. He lives on an Earth that was fried 30 years before by the sun because of a war that ripped a hole through the ozone layer. Sun-goggled bikers run amok pillaging, killing and raping passers-by, yet Eli is morally sound and focused on keeping his book safe no matter what so he can deliver it somewhere out west. Although written by a first-time screenwriter and former PC Gamer editor, Gary Whitta, "Eli" impressively creates its world between the sunglasses/goggles due to the sun's power, trading of goods because money's obsolete and the constant examining of hands to determine if someone is jittery from eating too much human flesh. Whitta also places Eli squarely in the story. He's a good but dangerous man who's not afraid to kill, and as he sits idly by as a couple gets attacked, it's abundantly clear that this is a world where compassion is secondary to survival and self-interest. Where the plot comes in is "Eli's" weak link. It doesn't try too hard to hide just what exactly the book is and that sort of dissolves some of the film's mystique. The plot is essentially Eli wants to protect it and take it west and he has a run in with Carnegie (Gary Oldman), an older man who runs a small town and desires it for selfish power-related reasons. Along the way, anyone who threatens to lay a hand on Eli gets sliced up or shot. In the two or three fight scenes where he takes down numerous guys at once, you can't help but wonder why after he kills the first few guys, the others don't run the hell away, especially considering people are otherwise in self-preservation mode living in a wasteland (and they know nothing of the book). The Hughes brothers make those scenes worthwhile, however. There's a style and grace to their action scenes -- they create a sort of a moving tableau in some scenes and execute a wide range of tempos in the action sequences to make them more intense. When Carnegie's men encounter Eli and the young woman (Mila Kunis) that he inspires who follows him at the home of some old folks (cameos by famous Brits Frances De La Tour and Michael Gambon), they place the camera in the middle of the action and sweep along with the gunfire (part- digitally) from one side to the other. It's very cool and is an example of one way the Hugheses keep the focus away from the plot's shaky skeleton. I only have beef with their excessive slow-motion walking-toward-the-camera shots and showing a bit too much of the cloudy green-gray sky. Some people are going to be more surprised and impressed with the film's big reveal than others, but anyone with a love of action and that post-apocalyptic context will find something to make "Eli" a worthwhile watch regardless of plot weakness. Washington is slightly under-utilized but he's an ideal fit. He brings an intensity in his demeanor that makes him an intriguing character and the film does a good job of making his character more central than anything else. ~Steven C

With the recent revival of the post-apocalyptic genre in Hollywood, it would be easy to overlook this film, and that would be a mistake. Thirty years from now the world is a barren, desolate wasteland filled with the charred remains of a civilization that destroyed itself through war. In this bleak future a lone man wanders west (Denzel Washington), guided by nothing more than faith, to deliver the last remaining copy of a book that changed the world, and will do so again. While Washington seeks to deliver the book to those who would do good with it, a local warlord (Gary Oldman), an erudite student of Mussolini, wants to possess the book so he can use the words to sway the masses and become a powerful dictator. The characters are very well acted, the action is fluid and well choreographed, and the setting seeps into your skin, immersing the viewer in a world devoid of faith but in desperate need of salvation. The final plot twist is creative, unexpected, and poetically just. The Book of Eli should shoot to the top of your Netflix queue.