Book of Eli (2010)

Tagline: Some will kill to have it. He will kill to protect it.

Curiosity: Denzel Washington fights Gary Oldman over the Bible, only instead of using words, they use guns and swords. Also this is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Plot: Thirty years after nuclear war destroyed the world, Eli (Washington) is on a mission to protect what might be the last known copy of the King James Version of the Holy Bible. A mass book burning after the war has essentially reset history - a whole generation of people has grown up without an understanding of religion or science. There is no context. When local entrepreneur Carnegie (Oldman) learns about Eli, he does everything in his power to obtain the book. What follows is a battle of wills with some cool fight scenes and hammy dialogue about if religion should be used to instill faith or obedience.

Thoughts: Eli is better than I would have guessed. I’ll give it that. Directors/brothers Albert and Allen Hughes have a thin filmography, but their visual sense is pretty got-damn great. Nine Inch Nails/How to Destroy Angels collaborator Atticus Ross provides excellently NIN-ish music. The fight scenes are brutal yet economical – Washington moves with fluid movements. Sometimes that gets a little over the top, like when he starts plugging guys off buildings without even really aiming, but overall it looks cool. Of course, Washington makes everything look good. Oldman gets a little ridiculous, but the role kind of demands he do so.

Less successful is costar Mila Kunis. Just about every review I’ve read says she was miscast, and my girlfriend and I agree. Loved her in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but watching her act next to Washington and Oldman is just awkward. She’s just not on their dramatic level yet.

Kunis doesn’t sink the movie, though. There are plenty of issues with the film – the story is sometimes a little undercooked, especially near the end – but nothing truly ruins Eli. It’s a solid post-apocalypse movie.

Reflection: Now I feel guilty about not renting The Road. The book is so good! I’m afraid!