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"Creativity"

The Book Of Eli Review

Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis

Director: The Hughes Brothers

Year: 2010

The Book Of Eli is a gritty and very well done apocalyptic movie. I saw this first in theaters, then I rented it, then I had to buy it. The first few minutes in, I was wondering if this was Fallout 3 the movie. This movie has a lot of similarities to Fallout 3, but no this is not Fallout 3 the movie. In the end it’s just an apocalyptic movie. It’s been done before, but this is a very good take on it. First I’d like to just start with the tone and atmosphere. The movie is not bright and colorful, and yet it is still a breathtaking movie. Some of these shots they capture are really fun to look at. It doesn’t go from pretty picture to pretty picture, but it does more than get the job done on getting good visuals. It looks like the world burned to the ground, someone took a shit on the ashes, and yet it still looks really cool. The world is really gritty, and it has a look not scene that often. Also, possibly best thing about this movie is the attention to detail. Seriously, watch this movie and try to notice all the little things. The scenes you might of not have understood, or just thought was a scene they spoke very vaguely actually has a lot of symbolism. Not to mention the scavenging theme. I love how nobody has a thought of value, nobody owns anything, you take what you want, just be prepared to die for it. Even Eli even though he’s the good guy he does dickish things. He kills and eats cats and birds, he takes things off of dead bodies, and he ignores as two people die, one even gets raped. Yeah, Eli isn’t exactly a total saint. And that’s just cause he lives in this world, if you don’t eat some cats and kill some people you will die. But this movie has to be watched at least twice so you can see every little thing you might of missed, and it’s more than worth it. But how is the story and characters? Eli was my first ever movie character to review for my website, and I have all my details there. But in short he has a clear attitude and theme, and lives it to the fullest. Not to mention his big secret which is another reason why you’ll have to watch the movie again once you learn it. Besides that the only two characters to talk about are Carnegie and Mila Kunis’s character Solara. Carnegie was a power hungry yet clever business type kind of guy, and although there isn’t much new he is definitely a good take, and fit’s the movie perfectly. He has his own story of what’s going on in his head, which I like they put in. Plus Carnegie is played by Gary Oldman. He can play Sirius Black, Jim Gordon, and even Carnegie. Solara is much more than eye candy, she is a developed character, who really comes through in the last third of the movie. Besides that you only really have henchmen and two other side characters who played their part fairly well. These side characters have some story but, there’s nothing really all that important with them. But the acting is top notch, and this even Denzel Washington was on the best of his game. The story itself is a hunt, and it certainly is interesting. Although there isn’t much plot wise actually going on, less is more in this case. Every little thing has a purpose, and it really comes full circle. One gripe I heard was "It’s too religious focused, and alienated people who don’t believe in God.” Well, to be fair religion in this is only a theme and tool, nothing more. Eli is a religious person, but he doesn’t encourage his ideas, if anything he purposely keeps them to himself. Having the antagonist religious doesn’t mean anything, religion is just one of many of the millions of character gimmicks out there, so get over it. Also no matter what way you put it religion is a huge influence on people and culture, which in this movie is a much bigger idea than everyone should be going to church. Not to mention Eli himself uses a machete to kill a guy with a chainsaw, and still is a good guy. Also another great Eli moment, he had a guy who had him at gunpoint, but by the end of it the man was shaking and then they peacefully started trading their goods. Yep, that’s Eli. If I do have a problem is that although the scenery is fun to look at, it could use a little more. Just more of it, all you see is a house, a road, a town, and some other stuff at the beginning and end. But that’s just what the movie is. But what really nailed the story on the head was the ending. It went from "Oh wow really!” to "Oh snap!” to a fulfilling conclusion to this world, which is something I can always enjoy. Should it have a sequel? No, leave it be, and move on. I will admit they could probably conjure something up that could be sweet, but for the sake of avoiding what could be a disaster with Mila Kunis’s character going on adventure with her blind mother, let’s not and say we did. So in total, working if not interesting story, some great characters with not much else, a depressing yet awesome looking scenery, and at least one more watch just so you can study how Eli moves after a big reveal about his character. The Book of Eli was a really great movie, and gets a high eight. It could have had a little more going on, and maybe just something else. Ultimately though, it had no major flaw. It’s a great journey to follow Eli on his way west.

The Book of Eli gets a 4/5

Spoilers: Okay, sorry but rotten tomatoes doesn’t know shit. Another gripe I heard someone say about this movie was Eli being blind was a too far fetched twist. But watch the movie again, he does so many references to it, and it makes you totally want to watch the movie again knowing he was blind. And he does, watch the part where he gets shot, he totally looks like some random ass black blind guy that got shot. Besides that he tells multiple times what he is hearing and smelling what others can’t. Whether it be hearing the bird he’s going to eat before shooting it that Solara didn’t hear, or if it’s smelling shampoo from a fellow blind person. (Blindness was clearly a undertone of this movie) If anything is far-fetched it’s the grenade and bomb scenes, but even those I don’t have problems with. Also, I want to talk about the house scene. Sorry, but they made me feel sorry for two elderly cannibals. But when that old man’s wife dies and the music is dying off in the background, it’s sad. Also, was this that bad? It was a simple tale, one of a man doing whatever he can to walk west and give the bible to the world. He succeeds and learns a thing or two along the way, and the ending I thought was very fulfilling.