THE BOOK OF ELI (English/18PL)
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
Release Date: 25 February 2010
Distributor: Sony Pictures, Warner Bros (US)
Running Time: 118 minutes
Director: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
Producers: Joel Silver, Susan Downey, Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Denzel Washington
Writers: Gary Whitta
Casts: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Jennifer Beals, Mila Kunis
Plot: Directed by The Hughes brothers, it's about a lone man who fights his way across America just to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind. "Book Of Eli" stars Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis and Gary Oldman.
THE VERDICT
The Book of Eli is a book belongs to Eli, but little could you have not guess that it has something with religious manuscript anyway. The marketing team has been brilliant enough to tell you that you should "believe" and "religiously" watch this movie. Oh, I just threw that away didn't I? Can somebody guess what is the Book of Eli?
The story sets in 30 years after an apocalypse event that none of us knew for sure what happened back the day. My roughly guess is that an explosion of some form of cosmic ray happened thus damaging the eyes of those who survives till this day. Why not, since everyone is wearing "Rayban" sunglasses, so it roughly tells you that! Eli has been walking from east to west for the last 30 years, carrying with him a sacred book. While crossing the wasteland, he bumped into peoples who are ragingly will do anything to take his sacred book away for the personal agenda.
Now, let us be critical shall we? The Book Of Eli is presented in a half-engaging plot that delivers some moment well, but most of the time, the plot went on dragging at a very slow pace. It took quite some time for the movie to develop and in fact, the story should not run at 118 minutes though. The problem with the story is that it tries so hard to create a dark surrounding for the movie - just like many other previous attempts before. Although I have to say that there is so many differences in this movie as compared to the recent apocalypse flicks lingering around, this one has genuinely grips the attention and makes me think so much throughout the movie. There are so many mysteries and questions thrown out in the beginning but you find yourself racing against the time to have those answered before you really get boring.
The movie feels so dystopian, something that you can't find in any other apocalypse movie. In others, you will expect a wasteland with lesser human, more creepy creatures and been intensely saving one ass. In this movie, it felts so different - more human, no creepy creatures (just a bunch of people who will go at all cost to butcher you for one pathetic cheap thing). more illiterate and intensely saving the sacred book. I thought it is unique but the story lacks so much needed actions, engaging dialogs that really connects the characters and a clear goal about surviving the apocalypse. Uneven but you may indeed enjoy some parts of the movie. Besides, towards the final ten minutes, you will get lots of WTF moments and that basically answered most of your unanswered questions earlier.
Perhaps, it would be a mistake that Denzel Washington is playing the title role of Eli. Simply, I thought that his performance was not up to the standard he always be in. As if, there is no point putting Denzel himself when the story commitment is less focus on the humanity on him. There is a time, I feels that Eli was not sure which human he is - hero or anti-hero! If you expect so much from this movie because of Denzel Washington, let me assure you to not to.
Pretty amazing that Hughes brothers have brought something different to this movie. The world is in ashen sepia world. Everything must be portrayed to have ashes and dark ambient world that makes more gloomy. Good job I have to say, there isn't much of effects or musical score used to add in some extra point and that is a good news. However, The Book of Eli behaved like a misfire flick that has no plot direction, boring and lack in engaging scenes.
THE RATING:
Story - 2.5 stars
Casts - 3.0 stars
Cinematography - 3.5 stars
Effects - 3.0 stars
OVERALL - 3.0 stars
GREEN-TEA-O-METER: 11.5