Eli walks alone in post-apocalyptic America. He heads west along the Highway of Death on a mission he doesn’t fully understand but knows he must complete. In his backpack is the last copy of a book that could become the wellspring of a revived society. Or in the wrong hands, the hammer of a despot. Denzel Washington is Eli, who keeps his blade sharp and his survival instincts sharper as his quest thrusts him into a savage wasteland… and into explosive conflict with a resourceful warlord (Gary Oldman) set on possessing the book. “We walk by faith, not by sight,” quotes Eli. Under the taut direction of the Hughes Brothers (Menace II Society), those words hit home with unexpected meaning and power.With unflappable cool and surprising gentleness, Denzel Washington strides a bleak and barren world in The Book of Eli. Eli is headed west, but on the way, he passes devastation and squalor, and occasionally he must mete out some devastation of his own with a sharp blade. But when he arrives in what passes for a town in this dust-and-ash future, the power-hungry owner of the town’s bar, Carnegie (Gary Oldman, looking a million years old), covets his one important possession. (Spoiler alert, sort of: it becomes apparent pretty quickly that it’s a King James Bible.) Conflict ensues! Though the plot is simple and the “mystery” of the book doesn’t last long, The Book of Eli is carried along effortlessly by its star. Washington has always had a compelling mixture of authority and tenderness, and it’s this latter quality that makes this contribution to the testosterone-and-violence-drenched post-apocalyptic subgenre unexpectedly human. The script, while not particularly original, has effective dialogue and is smart enough not to explain too much. The supporting actors–including Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jennifer Beals (who hasn’t aged a day since Flashdance), and Ray Stevenson (Rome)–are all capable and easy on the eyes. The movie’s bleached-out, sepia-tone look isn’t new either, but it suits the subject matter. Anyone who wants to be offended by the movie’s spiritual conclusion would be wiser to enjoy the subversive insinuation that religion can enslave as much as save. All in all, a competent action movie with some enjoyably atypical elements. –Bret Fetzer
Rating: 
(out of 59 reviews)
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June 6, 2010
#1
Review by William Merrill
Rating:
The post-apocalypse sub-genre of science fiction has always been a place I like to go. I’ll give movies of this type some slack I wouldn’t always give other kinds, so that even a relatively weak post-apoc flick like Doomsday (in which Malcolm McDowell appeared, as he does here) still has its interesting moments. But if it’s a good one such as I Am Legend, I’m really into it bigtime. So I’ve been eagerly anticipating The Book of Eli from the time the first trailers appeared, and now that I’ve seen it there were many things about it I liked. Start with the mythic prophet main character. His super-heroic weapons skills showed there was something unique about him early on. Those scenes were generally pretty cool, and they were spread out pretty well over the length of the film. (Any more fight scenes would have bored me.) Eli’s story plays out with a kind of grim determinism, although it also has hopeful elements as well. I was glad I wasn’t previously familiar with the story, as the major revelations about the Book in the final act were a complete surprise. Mr. Washington was an excellent choice for the lead. Other roles were well cast too, including (to my surprise) Jennifer Beals as the blind mistress of Gary Oldman’s bad boss character. Oldman himself struck just the right notes of ego, madness & desperation. Anyway, as far as the post-apoc nature of the movie, it provides fascinating glimpses of which possessions would be really valuable in such a world (ex., chapstick yes; cigarette lighter, not so much), and other aspects of survival felt very authentic throughout the film. All in all, it wasn’t quite the adventure I was expecting (with occasional pacing issues), but I still found it to be an enjoyable viewing experience.
June 6, 2010
#2
Review by Kevin Graham
Rating:
The Book of Eli was a really well done movie with good visuals, and good script, and good acting, and also good action.
The visuals fit it was sort of like the visuals in I AM LEGEND OR RESIDENT EVIL APOCOLYPSE.
The script was good but don’t want to tell to much about it because I read pretty much every scene in the movie before seeing it and it lost a little of the surprize. To be as vague as possible the movie is about a man in this wasteland where there are gangs of scavengers trying to kill and steal from everyone. He is trying to go west. He has a book that is very important to him and he seems to not be a thief or a murderer and will kill only when it is in self defense. There is a town that he arrives in that is ran by a guy named Carnagie played by Gary Oldman and he sees that he is different and able to dispatch his gangs of raiders with ease and want to recruit him. That is as far as I will go with the plot. To me anything else would spoil it.
The acting was very well done. I was surprized that the girl from the 70′s show that was kelso’s girl friend was so good. I think her name is mila kunis or something like that. Denzel was very good to watch and was as fun to watch when he wasn’t speaking as when he was. His facial expresions and mannerisms were acting he didn’t have to tell you how he felt. Gary Oldman was good as a guy trying to be powerfull and be in charge of the towns people and was a little crazy and mean.
The action was well done too. There was violence but it kind of showed shadows of the men after the first bloody limb being cut off as to avoid it being sick or some sort of twisted black comedy like kill bill. The action was frantic and there were probably a well placed action scene about every 15min or so. I would recommend the movie but if you don’t like violence and are offended by language you may not enjoy yourself as much even though there is a positive message to the movie.
Kevin
June 6, 2010
#3
Review by Kris King
Rating:
“The Book Of Eli” is great! This is how the story goes: In the not-too-distant future, some 30 years after the final war, a solitary man walks across the wasteland that was once America. Empty cities, broken highways, seared earth–all around him, the marks of catastrophic destruction. There is no civilization here, no law. The roads belong to gangs that would murder a man for his shoes, an ounce of water… or for nothing at all.
But they’re no match for this traveler.
A warrior not by choice but necessity, Eli seeks only peace but, if challenged, will cut his attackers down before they realize their fatal mistake. It’s not his life he guards so fiercely but his hope for the future; a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years and is determined to realize. Driven by this commitment and guided by his belief in something greater than himself, Eli does what he must to survive–and continue.
Only one other man in this ruined world understands the power Eli holds, and is determined to make it his own: Carnegie, the self-appointed despot of a makeshift town of thieves and gunmen. Meanwhile, Carnegie’s adopted daughter Solara is fascinated by Eli for another reason: the glimpse he offers of what may exist beyond her stepfather’s domain.
But neither will find it easy to deter him. Nothing–and no one–can stand in his way. Eli must keep moving to fulfill his destiny and bring help to a ravaged humanity.
The cast led by Denzel Washington (who also produced) (as Eli) & Gary Oldman (as Carnegie) is great! The directing by The Hughes Brothers (Albert & Allen) (both of them also directed “Menace II Society” (1993, both also co-produced and wrote the story), “Dead Presidents” (1995, both also produced and wrote the story) & “From Hell” (2001, both also executive produced) is great! The story & screenplay by Gary Whitta is great!
The music by Atticus Ross is great! The cinematography by Don Burgess (who also did the cinematography to “Forrest Gump” (1994), “Contact” (1997), “What Lies Beneath” (2000), “Cast Away” (2000), & “The Polar Express” (2004), all which were directed by Robert Zemeckis), “Spider-Man” (2002), “Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines” (2003), & the upcoming “Priest” (2010) is great! The film editing by Cindy Mollo is great! The casting by Mindy Marin (who also did the casting to “Up In The Air” (2009), the upcoming “Tooth Fairy” (2010) & “Repo Men” (2010) is great! The production design by Gae S. Buckley (who also did the production design to “Open Range” (2003) is great! The art direction by Christopher Burian-Mohr (who also did the art direction to “The Last Samurai” (2003) is great! The costume design by Sharen Davis (who also did the costume design to “Devil In A Blue Dress” (1995, which also starred Washington and Jennifer Beals), “Antwone Fisher” (2002), “The Great Debaters” (2007), “Out Of Time” (2003), all which also starred Washington), “Ray” (2004), “The Pursuit Of Happyness” (2006), “Dreamgirls” (2006) & “Seven Pounds” (2008) is great!
This is a great action film that is a little different than other action films. This is a different looking film that people aren’t probably used to. Denzel Washington & Gary Oldman are excellent as usual.
June 6, 2010
#4
Review by Scotman
Rating:
Faith or Nothing!
Denzel Washington is amazing as a wanderer, who’s been walking the roads for the last thirty years heading west, a man on a mission. What’s the goal? Even he is not sure. Just that he’ll know it when he sees it. He carries the book in his bag and protects it at all costs.
The world is a rough place after the bombs dropped. The giant crater holes, the broken fragments of Man’s civilization to where people have degraded to biker gangs and every person for themselves.
Only the older men and women who are literate have any hold on anyone else. Books were burned and banned soon after the war to “prevent this from happening again.” Clearly a Fahrenheit 451 reference. Keep the people ignorant and they can be more easily controlled.
Gary Oldman plays a guy who is running a town where he knows this is true. He gets his biker gangs to go out and search for the book. The Book that will get him control over the masses. Using the words from the Bible will get him to raise up and take control over the cities in his area. From history it is not the first time that faith in the Bible and religion has led to control over populations.
But the film is not saying that Oldman’s character is right. In fact, the selfless faith is what triumphs at the end.
And what an ending there is! Can’t spoil it, sorry.
The younger people in the film, the woman that befriends him and others, cannot read and have never learned to read. The biker gang leaders can’t read and they don’t care — they’ll kill, rape and steal for a decent barter & trade. The woman can’t read either, but wants to know of the old days. She starts out as a lousy character, frankly, but then develops into a strong character near the end of the film.
The photography with the washed-out colors and the sepia toned landscape and people was wonderfully shot and along with the stark music, gives a depressing yet hopeful mood.
Favorite scenes:
The silhouette where Denzel is whipping out his blade and slicing and dicing the bad guys, hand flies off, a few gut slices and blood splashes. Yuk.
The stark, barren landscape, the blackened craters. The sun so bright that everyone has to wear shades (apparently the ozone layer has been wiped out).
The old couple in a farm house who have a different taste in meat than most.
This is not a religious film. It’s not even a film of having a religion. It’s about knowledge. The smart, literate ones know the way to rebuild. The illiterate ones want only to survive. The stupid, literate ones want power.
Will Eli live long enough to see his dream happen? The ending will surprise you, it clearly is not a pat, predictable story.
Highly recommended.
June 6, 2010
#5
Review by H. A Huffman
Rating:
I saw this film by accident. I actually went to the theatre to see “Avatar” (like everyone else in the state that day) and decided to see the Book of Eli since Avatar was sold out. I’m glad that I did.
The Book of Eli is an amazing film for many reasons, mainly because it handles its religious themes with a intelligence and an even hand. This is NOT an action film – that is the mistake; the movie is a religious fable but not a heavy-handed fire-and-brimstone manner.
Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a man on a cross country mission in a post-apocolyptic America. People have resorted to cannibalism to survive. While Eli stops by a small relatively civilized town, he is confronted by the film’s villain played by Gary Oldman who is the leader of the town. He has been searching the countryside, looking for a special book, the book that Eli has pledged to carry across the country. The film revolves around Eli’s escape from the town, with a young girl in tow, and his journey across the country.
So that is the basic plot. There is a “surprise” ending at the end, but there is more going on than just the basic plot. The power of faith, fake religious leaders, miracles and hope are themes that are explored in this film in a very intelligent and effective manner. The Book of Eli can appeal not on the Christians, but the ideas in this movie can speak to people of any faith – or no faith. Its a very positive movie.
Its amazing that this movie was made, it really struck me on a deep emotional level. It will not be popular with the Pat Robertsons of the world due to its criticism of the misuse of religion. Some people will be far too jaded to accept this movie for what it is. I highly recommend this film to anyone; at least watch it once. I can’t wait to see it again.