The Book of Eli

The Book of Eli

Given that ol' Denzel is headlining, along with no-so-hard-on-the-eyes Mila Kunis riding side-kick, it is likely fair to say that most folks went out and watched 'The Book of Eli' a good six months ago. But not me. Oh no. Until the day comes that first-run theaters provide couches, local micro-brews, AND accommodate boxers-only attire, I'm afraid that I shall remain a DVD release man. At least that is how I intend to justify the untimeliness of my reviews for the foreseeable future.

That said, I was incredibly stoked to finally get a chance to view this film. With A-list actors, big budget financing, and a post-apocalyptic scenario, I knew that at the absolute least, it should look damn pretty. And it did. Admittedly, there were a few of those annoyingly blatant product placements (mmm.., nothing like a nice warm 30 year old Busch to satisfy that post-apocalyptic thirst), but it was all around very satisfying eye-candy.

Beyond its visual success, however, I think the film was a little more run-of-the-mill. It certainly did have some entertaining combat, a reasonable mix of characters, and a pace that kept the story moving along well enough. However, it also had a pretty strong 'Mad Max' flair to it that, despite my enjoyment of the classics, came across as a little cheesy to me.

Along that vein, I also didn't find any of the performances particularly remarkable either. While I don't think that any of the actors fell painfully short in the delivery of their roles, I also didn't feel any of the strong emotional resonance that the scenario could have conveyed.

Admittedly, I'm judging this film shortly after having viewed 'The Road', which I felt was incredibly successful in these regards. So, perhaps If I hadn't just seen the fore-mentioned masterpiece, I may have been inclined to gush a bit more about 'The Book of Eli'.

*Warning* Spoilers

Reservations with the veneer of the film aside, I did very much enjoy the questions it raised regarding its central object of focus, the Bible. Far from being of a particularly fundamentalist inclination, the thought of a film about a man defending the word of the almighty against the godless heathens tends to make me a little worried about the volume of propaganda to which I am about to be subjected. And yes, it certainly was there (it was our protagonist who was preaching and protecting).

However, albeit through the role of the villain, the film did flat out declare the flip-side of the coin, that the book (and correspondingly, religion in general) is very much a weapon as well. As our lead antagonist recognized, the "word of God" can be an extremely powerful tool. Independent of goodness or moral integrity, it is a means to unification and control. Be it hope or fear, it is a power that any suitably charismatic individual can wield to achieve ends of their own choosing.

So, even though it was the story's hero, defender of the weak and innocent, who championed the virtues of the good book, the film did a fair job of pointing out that you better take a close look at who is doing the preaching before dropping to your knees in praise.

Anyways, despite my complaints, I really did enjoy 'The Book of Eli'. I thought it was a solid production and found it to be highly entertaining. If you're a fan of Mr. Washington, bloody sword-play, and viewing the gritty beauty of a post-apocalyptic world from the comfort of your decidedly pre-apocalyptic living room, you should check this film out.