The Book of Eli, a review

I watched "Book of Eli" last night and thought I would share a review. I might make a few enemies, but this was not a good movie. There are two groups of people who love this movie: Denzel fans (of which I am not), and Christians who will ignore the obvious flaws of this turd of a movie because they think it redeems itself with its theological and Bible-loving persepective.

It was poorly written and poorly paced. The dialogue left much to be desired. The characters were not effectively developed enough to have any emotional connection to them. However poorly written the movie is, Gary Oldman's character, Carnegie, has the one line of the movie that made sense. "this is not just a book, it's a weapon aimed at the hearts and minds of the weak and desperate. It will give us control." This perspective has been taken throughout history when it comes to religion and this movie nailed that on the head.

Overall, the movie was too ambitious for the skill level of the writers. It didn't know if it wanted to be preachy, cheesy, or just a B-movie. IT was part western, part apocalyptic sci-fi. It desperately wanted to be both Mad Max and The Road, and it didn't live up to either. Visually, it looked good, and the fight choreography was decent. There is one scene that really stands out for cinematography: the gun fight at the old cannibals' house.

If you watch this movie, pay attention to that scene. The camera doesn't cut for quite a long time (one of my favorite filming trends). It shifts from the protagonists to the antagonists, from inside the house to outside the house, without a cut for editing. And it looks good doing it!

However, one scene does not a fine piece of film make. I haven'tmade my contempt for Denzel a secret, so believe me when I say this: He is the best thing about this movie. If I had to give this flick a grade, it would be a C+ at best. If you want a better movie with more emotion and better characters, rent The Road. You'll thank me later.