Movie Review: Book of Eli

*SPOILERS*

So, I just recently watched Book of Eli. I have to say I really enjoyed it. Well, everything except the ending, but I'll get back to that later. The movie is about a wanderer, played by Denzel Washington, taking a book west. He doesn't know where he is going, just that he is going west.

The movie starts just like any other post apocalyptic film but with Denzel Washington. He's walking around doing the "I'm scavenging the earth looking for food and stuff" thing and that's cool. Though, I keep wondering how he keeps all his clothes so clean. It doesn't bother me to much but its just one of those things. You look at everyone else and they are covered in dirt and then there's Denzel. He might as well have been in a pinstripe suit. Once I got over that, though, the movie really picks up.

There are two points that really stick out for me in the film: this line that Denzel says before killing a bunch of dudes under a bridge and a scene where hes "escaping" from the villain of the film, played by Gary Oldman, for the first time. Denzel always has a way about delivering lines, for example, that line from man on fire where he puts C4 in the guys ass on a timer; the last thing he says is "I wish I had more time" but how he says it makes him sound so effing cool. Anyway, this was one of those moments. The "escape" that I mentioned stands out because it's not much of an escape at all. It's pretty much Denzel walking away while killing everyone. That scene was only maybe twenty minutes into the film and right after it I leaned over to my friend in the theater and told him I would be happy with the film if it ended right there. That's how impressed I was with it.

now don't get me wrong, this movie doesn't say Oscar potential. Its an action film disguised with religious overtones but if you want to watch a bad ass killing people despite his motives or you want to see a dude kill a bunch of people in the name of god for a greater good then check this out.

Oh, Gary Oldman was pretty sweet too. I'm not terribly in love with him, though, he is in so many great films I had to mention him. I'm sure if the movie was more fresh in my head I would have more to say about him but does it say something that I don't?

OK, good stuff aside, now I can get to things I disliked about the film. I'm going to start with Mila Kunis. She plays this girl that is in the town where Denzel meets Gary. She is the daughter of Gary's lady friend. All I know about this lady friend is that her name is Jennifer Beals and that she was in the TV show the L word. Back to Mila. I didn't like this chick at all. I don't find her that attractive and she has never done anything to blow me away. Really, I think she just hasn't picked a bold enough role in a film so I hold no respect for her yet. I get over all these things pretty quick normally but in this case the one thing that really bothered me and accentuated those things I previously mentioned is in a interview with Mila I saw prior to watching the movie she mentions that in so many films the female is in the background where as in this film she will accompany Denzel in the foreground as a strong independent woman. I'm paraphrasing of course but despite what she said this is the impression she left me with. I thought about this every time she was on the screen and she disappointed me every time. Especially at the end.

Forgiving all those unspeakable sins that Mila did (mostly lie) the worst part of this movie was the ending by far. It ends with Denzel dieing and Mila over his grave giving a flower or something. Then a man asks Mila "what are you going to do?" and she says shes going to go home. Now when Denzel was alive she couldn't handle dick about shit and after he dies shes empowered? shes heading back to her "home" where she was practically a slave despite being able to stay at this haven that her and Denzel find. Gary even forces her to go have sex with Denzel at one point, luckily Denzel is a man of god and doesn't fuck her till she cries... because she would because shes a little baby that cant handle anything. To top off this ridiculously cliche ending she puts on Denzels backpack which was with him throughout the movie and pretty much represents him. I guess to take his place or something and save her mother.

In closing this movie was pretty good but the ending sucked so much that if I watched it again I would just turn it off after Denzel dies.

Ummm 7.5 Denzels out of 10