Today’s quick review: The Book of Eli. Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a man on a journey across a post-apocalyptic wasteland to deliver a book in his possession to an unknown location. His travels take him through a run-down town ruled by Carnegie (Gary Oldman) and his gang of thugs. While there, Eli befriends Solara (Mila Kunis), a girl enslaved by Carnegie. But when Carnegie discovers Eli’s book, the leader sees an opportunity to use its contents to expand his grip over the town. To have any hope of making it West with his book, Eli must first escape Carnegie and his formidable gang.
The Book of Eli is a post-apocalyptic drama with a bit of action. As far as the post-apocalyptic genre goes, the film is fairly typical. The setting is a vast desert wasteland cloaked in an omnipresent sepia filter and populated by bandits, cannibals, and the meager remains of human civilization. The plot takes almost half the movie to get off the ground, and neither the characters nor the writing are exceptional. The few action scenes are quick and satisfying fights—Eli is handy with a knife—but these are not the focus. Instead the focus is on Eli’s journey and the mysteries surrounding it.
Where The Book of Eli shines is its payoff. For all that the plot could have been more intricate or faster-paced, its resolution is handled well, with a couple of satisfying twists along the way. The concept at the core of the movie is strong enough to carry the rest of it, and competent execution and good acting make up the rest. Denzel Washington is his usual resilient self, albeit with a gentle streak not usually seen in his action movie persona. Gary Oldman does a good job with his character but is underutilized. His role as a book-obsessed gang leader would have been a minor part in a movie with a different structure, and the character could have been given a bit more depth to make use of Oldman’s acting talents.
While by and large The Book of Eli is standard post-apocalyptic fare, decent execution, good action, and a strong finish make it a worthwhile watch for those who are interested in the premise. Those who aren’t drawn to the genre, who prefer a bit more action, or who want a more unique version of the post-apocalypse should look elsewhere.
6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for a mediocre take on the post-apocalyptic genre bolstered by a satisfying payoff.