Film Review - The Book of Eli | The Article Mines

Film Review – The Book of Eli

Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman

Runtime: 118 minutes, Rating: R

The Hughes Brothers are back with a post-apocalyptic adventure film. Although it’s better than their last effort, From Hell, this one wasn’t quite as much fun as I hoped it would be. Washington and Oldman both perform as well as expected here, but the story really didn’t give them all that much to work with.

The Book of Eli

We never really find out much about Eli (Washington). We find out that he’s been walking west for 30 years, on a mission to deliver a book, which happens to be the last bible on earth. He also apparently has a black belt in everything. He kicks ass like a combination of Mike Tyson and Bruce Lee. Standing in his way is Carnegie (Oldman), who wants the book so that he can use it to control the masses. And when it comes to control, the Bible is a perfect tool.

This guy Carnegie, runs a small town out in the middle of nowhere. He sends out members of his crew, which are a bunch of scumbag murders, to look for the Bible. They can’t read worth a damn, so they just bring back whatever books they find. The only smart one in his crew is Redridge, played by Ray Stevenson. Carnegie likes to give his lady, Claudia (Jennifer Beals) a few of the nice things they bring back from the desolate world outside, such as shampoo. Claudia has a daughter named, Solara (Mila Kunis). She eventually escapes from the town and tags along with Eli as a student. Mila gives a decent enough performance, however her character is a bit annoying, and does some really stupid things.

The fight scenes are well done. Short and to the point. Eli likes to put his opponents down fast. The efficient brutality of his style is pretty fun to watch. With his menacing machete that he carries around, he hacks off limbs and heads so fast that if you blink, you’ll miss it. So keep yours eyes open for decapitations. Dan Inosanto handled the fight choreography, this guy’s been around since Big Trouble in Little China, and The Green Hornet (TV Show).

youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKfZrbS79To

Ultimately, Book of Eli is a decent addition to the post-apocalyptic genre, with a very nice cast, impressive visuals, and an interesting story. It’s the twist at the end that might turn some people off. It didn’t bother me as much, but I can see how it would cause some people to walk out of the theatre with a frown.

Grade: B

Written by: Devin Clark

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