The Book of Eli Movie Review
After watching the trailer of The Book of Eli, I was excited to attend a screening. But, as is often the case, this movie did not completely live up to expectations. Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a loner who has chosen to deliver the last remaining copy of the Bible to the West Coast of a post-World War III America. The action sequences were great — the blood and guts were not spared — but I don’t think there was enough to truly classify this as an action movie. Eli finds trouble on his journey when he runs into Carnegie (Gary Oldman) and his gang in a small town. Carnegie sends his gang out to try to find the Bible, believing it will help him rule the towns he is developing. During the gang’s exploration, they routinely rape and kill. You find yourself routing for Eli as he makes short work of the thugs through a few sword and gun battles. The story has a religious overtone, but successfully avoids being preachy — particularly since the main character’s favorite pastime seems to be breaking the commandment “Thou shalt not kill”!
I enjoyed the post-apocalyptic scenery and the exploration of this world. The harsh reality of lawlessness and the everyday struggle to find food and water reminded me of the safety and excess that we indulge in now could easily come to an end. The camera work was innovative and the washed out look that was given to many scenes helped emphasize the post-apocalyptic look and feel.
But despite these interesting elements, the plot was underdeveloped, as were the characters. So, it was hard to fully get into the story. In the end, you don’t fully understand what happened to this world or how Eli developed into the man that he is.
In summary I would say if you are a fan of post-apocalypse type movies such as The Road Warrior, you will want to see this at a theatre. If not, it still has enough interesting elements to justify a rental.
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