[5.25/10] The Book of Eli (2010)

The Book of Eli (2010)

Short review: "The Book Of Eli" is a story about a post-apocalyptic world in which the human race has been mostly wiped out. It tells the story of one man, Washington, who must cross the United States and head west to an unknown location, all while protecting a book, with his very life. This man Eli is versatile in martial arts and marksmanship as well as archery. So the main premise for the film is 'Action', but it feels like a western for most of the time but with motorbikes and cars in a Mad Max kind of way. The action in the film is actually not bad, yet nothing impressive The performances are not bad either - Denzel Washington carries the movie easily. Gary Oldman supports in his usual psychotic manner as a power hungry leader intent on stealing the book from Eli. The cinematography is good as is the location sets. It felt bleak although the lack of colour in the film sometimes made it almost a black and white film. Now the problem with this film is that despite the star studded cast, the script doesn't seem to have what it takes to exploit their talent. Also, the film is tapping on religious undertones, and in doing so, it tries to carry a message, and it does so poorly. In summary, "The Book Of Eli" is well-acted and visually great, but severely missed the mark on what it was trying to do.

• My Rating: 5.25/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 45% (5.3/10)
• IMDb: 7.2/10