Book of Eli, the ambitious, thought-provoking new thriller from brothers Albert and Allen Hughes (From Hell, Dead Presidents), is in many ways an anomaly in modern Hollywood. It's a post-apocalyptic story that's neither a remake nor an adaptation; its dystopian future is entirely devoid of zombies or vampires; and its core message, spiked with heavy amounts of faith and religion, borders on evangelical. Oh, and it's absurdly violent, too. How this movie got made, I'll never know.
The film is set approximately thirty years after a catastrophic war has decimated the planet, leaving its surface charred and inhospitable to the lucky few who managed to survive. A handful of dirty, decrepit, debauched cities host the last remnants of civilization; in between them, gangs of crazed cannibals, distinguishable by traits similar to those of meth addicts (shaky hands, bad skin, missing teeth, bizarre fashion sense, etc.), roam the bleak, unforgiving landscape, preying upon those foolish enough to travel alone.
Out of this infinite desert emerges a pious, solitary badass, Eli (Denzel Washington), wielding a vicious machete and carrying a rare book which, if placed in the right hands, could hold the key to civilization's redemption. But in the greedy paws of unscrupulous folks like Carnegie (Gary Oldman), the tyrant of a lawless frontier town, the book can also be a powerful tool for subjugating the ignorant masses. Which is why Carnegie declares a veritable fatwa on Eli's ass when he learns of his precious cargo, forcing the peace-loving missionary to brandish his blade in the service of the Lord.
Whatever their own religious beliefs, the Hughes brothers should get on their knees and thank God for Denzel, who almost singlehandedly makes Book of Eli's hyper-stylized, incongruous mixture of B-movie splatter and high-minded spiritual hokum palpable. Together with Oldman, the film's other fine lead, he imbues the often preposterous plot with just enough credibility to keep it afloat. Seriously, other than Denzel, who else could solemnly recite Psalm 23 in one scene, then go and carve up — literally — a handful of henchmen in the next, without eliciting howls of laughter from a movie audience? The only other actor who immediately comes to mind is a pre-meltdown Mel Gibson. Maybe.
But even a miracle worker like Denzel can't prevent the wreckage wrought by Mila Kunis, a likable enough actress who is disastrously miscast in the role of Solara, a rough-hewn hooker-slave who eventually becomes Eli's disciple. With her perfect complexion, shrill intonation and Valley Girl cadence, Kunis feels glaringly out of place in Book of Eli's coarse, brutal futureworld — and she can't hope to measure up to the likes of titans Washington and Oldman.
Hollywood.com rated this film 3 stars.
Network Reviews
Great Movie!! 
Posted by: kiot69 | 6/28/2010 11:54:55 AM
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
I thought The book of Eli was a great movie a bit confusing in the begining,but in the end the entire movie come together. the acting was great and I Highly recommend this move
Interesting Movie 
Posted by: Christbrown2 | 6/11/2010 3:00:26 PM
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
I found this movie to be interesting. The story was ever so slightly different from everything else playing in the theater. I'm not a religious person, but found some truth in the story. Denzel did a great job in this role.
"Finish the race, fight the good fight and keep the faith." 
Posted by: yellowjacket1 | 6/5/2010 10:29:37 PM
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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."
Book Of Eli 
Posted by: JENITAT | 4/1/2010 9:06:56 PM
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
This was a great movie. The acting and the story line was excellent. I will buy the dvd when I it comes out. Dezel should have gotten an Oscar for his performance.
Not Bad at all. 
Posted by: JUSTLATINA | 3/31/2010 9:12:16 AM
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
Not Bad at all. I love Denzel Washington, hes a great actor but the movie was okay, not to brag about.
Good Movie 
Posted by: markkusbrown | 2/25/2010 8:46:09 PM
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
The Book of Eli was a good movie, especially for people who want to see someone do their best to deliver God's word.
Good movie with a better ending! 
Posted by: MBHEDGE | 2/23/2010 11:38:43 AM
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
This is a very good story with plenty of action and excitement. There is an ending that no one would ever expect. So sit in your seats and enjoy the ride.
Sadly Disappointing 
Posted by: Spencer Newman | 2/20/2010 11:16:23 PM
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
This movie drags on for a long, long time! In the end there are a couple of cool items, but for the most part it's just a drudgery to get by. And the idea of whom Eli "used to be" is unbelievably disappointing and kind of ... well ... stupid.
Wait for rental, in my opinion. The $1.00 Rental.....
Absolutely amazing 
Posted by: CINDERELANIGTMARE | 1/19/2010 4:24:41 PM
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
After seeing the preveiws they instantly had me asking what the movie was actually about. They kept the plot very vague, and so going into the movie started off as a shot in the dark. The beginning was very slow and a little hard to understand, but as it picked up the more intense it became and the more profound the message stood out. The plot line was absolutely spectacular and as a Christian, I really enjoyed this movie more then most because of the message. As for the acting and the directing, I thought it was quite well done. The cinematography was a nice change from the normal and the color quality was very good. Even though there were alot of individual Denzel shots, it really didnt subtract from the plot line. The twists and the turns just keep you trying to understand more through the film and the filming and music definitely add to the constant questioning on what's going to happen and how it is going to end. The ending was predictable, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. It was a great ending and had hope, which alot of movies these days lack. Overall it was a great message with a great cast and I would recommend it to everyone I know.
Good Start to the New Year 
Posted by: na44te | 1/17/2010 4:18:46 PM
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Denzel does it again. I was hooked on this film from the time it started to the time it ended. The action scenes were fantastic and very well done and a great job action all around. Gary Oldman was very convincing as the villan in this movie and Denzel was his usual badass self. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys action films
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