The Book of Eli

Welcome to a world where KFC moist-wipes can get you anything!

Swift shot: Decent post-apocalyptic journey with some rapid-slash fight scenes and an intriguing twist.  Mila and Denzel manage well, and Oldman comes across as a believable villain – not so much a monster as an uber-realist.  With harsh, gritty paneling this is definitely a must see for graphic novel fans.

After “the Flash” and “the War”, a walker, Eli (Denzel Washington) sets out on a thirty year journey to deliver a special package of knowledge and hope.  What he carries west with him is a weapon, a book, lethal in its application.  Eli is wary to veer from his path and tries to shed himself of company.  But, he becomes inextricably linked with Solara (Mila Kunis), the “daughter” of his most dedicated foe, Carnegie (Gary Oldman), who runs a make-shift town where water is doled out to maintain control of his twisted flock.

Like you, I wanted to know why I should treat this post-nuclear survival film any differently than the countless offerings of the eighties.  Countless times, armor-clad station wagons and modified motorcycles transported droves of menacing neanderthal packs of wolves driven by savage urges.

So, what makes The Book of Eli any different?  Not much, really, except the overall message of hope throughout the film, a chance for some form of redemption and enlightenment in a world plagued by hopelessness, where survival is purely instinctual.  There are interesting characters strewn throughout and even a cat manages to survive the carnage somehow.  There is some shameless product placement too – but it actually is designed more to gain authenticity than dollars – so it is forgivable.

You could wait to rent this one, even though the action is pretty intense at times, with limbs being hacked and tossed about like some grotesque human salad – you don’t need to see it on the big screen and odds are the behind the scenes stuff will be as fun to watch as the film itself.  On a personal aside, as I walked out of the theater an old blue-hair Boca bitty remarked to the usher, “That was the worst film I have EVER seen!”  I couldn’t help thinking, what the hell was she expecting, Ben Hur?  Funny how free movies bring out the harshest critics.  I enjoyed it, because I wasn’t expecting to be blown away, but I was expecting to be intrigued . . . and I was.