You might be jaded already with a number of big budgeted science fiction films that are set after some apocalyptic disaster that wiped out most of humankind, and having the protagonist become some sole, lonely survivor up against others who have banded together for worse, and without law and order and faced with severely limited resources to survive, cannibalism in a wild wild west environment becomes the order of the day, with those having weapons commanding over those who don't, and a clean bed, warm food, women and clean water are precious, tradable commodities.

I assure you that The Book of Eli, despite what so many others have said, remain refreshing, with Denzel Washington in a charismatic starring role opposite Gary Oldman back to his villainous best, both being top draws in the film. Written by Gary Whitta who had fused key religious elements into science fiction, his effort triumphs against recent others such as Legion, and gets a better execution by the Hughes Brothers Albert and Allen who are sorely missed since their last film From Hell some 9 years ago, a film I enjoyed (despite the butchery here),bringing back their signature way of telling a tale through dark, brooding atmospheres. The first few minutes of the film which introduces Washington's Eli, is nothing short of brilliance relying solely on his enigmatic, silent presence, clearly surpassing that of Will Smith's turn in I Am Legend.

Washington's Eli is what carries the film, a man fixated in his sole mission for some 30 years already, doing so based on one word - faith and a vision and instruction given unto him. He's the modern day missionary, executing his god-given task without question, believing that he fulfills his calling with as little fuss as possible. He truly believes that he's being protected from harm, and of course that also meant through the use of a shotgun, pistol and one hack of a machete (pardon the pun and intentional misspelling),dispatching bandits like spreading butter on warm toast. As such he's indestructible almost, giving himself some reputation into a small town he wanders into, especially when he has in him a possession of the titular book that seems to hold the hope to mankind's salvation.

And Gary Oldman's Carnegie is the anti-thesis to Eli the messenger. For Carnegie, possession of the book is key for his power consolidation, because being able to influence the weak, the desperate and those in despair, would translate to loyal obedience. And in some ways this is quite true, in the way the power and influence religion has over the masses. In fact, Carnegie's explanation to Eli on the need for the book, is something which you'll find hard to dispute about, because even if one aspires to be a false prophet, one will require firstly the scriptures from which to twist from, since groping verses from the air just doesn't cut it even to the simple minded.

As seen in films like There Will Be Blood, false prophets are abound, and this is one of the stronger aspects of the film blatantly made so explicit. You cannot help but to think about the same concept in today's context, where one's perceived knowledge and ability would bring about tremendous power and followers because of the seeding of hope and salvation in one's mind, and top marks given if one can influentially enslave the mindsets of desperate others through faith, something which Eli also has problems trying to explain to his new follower of sorts, Solara (Mila Kunis).

For action junkies, you'll not be left out by the handful of battle sequences, where the hand to hand combat scenes have Washington showing off what he had learnt from a student of Bruce Lee, and reportedly doing so without the use of a stunt double. And if slicing and dicing opponents in close quarter combat is not your cup of team, there are also those which are laden with gun fights that just rip everything apart in their way, although I prefer the more elegant alternative of the use of the bow and arrows, with the Hughes Brothers knowing a thing or two about shooting proper action sequences that you can actually follow comfortably.

Testosterone-laden action aside, In some ways the film also touches upon the importance of culture, without which we're reduced to nothing but savages, knowledge being buried in books and encyclopedias that no longer exist save for those still in collective memory. The final act, together with its sucker punch makes it all the more satisfying and poignant even, giving you compelling reason to want to watch this a second time with that little bit of background knowledge to observe performance and nuances that had probably gone unnoticed. That said, there are still a minor loophole here and there, but as Eli puts it, it's accredited to nothing more than faith. Highly recommended!

Welcome to another edition of Adam's Reviews!! **queue in intro music**

"Cursed be the ground for our sake. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for us. For out of the ground we were taken, for the dust we are... and to the dust we shall return."

Today movie review is the science-fiction post-apocalyptic flick The Book of Eli (2010) starring my man Denzel Washington who plays a lone traveller wandering the wasteland of America that may be result of a nuclear war years earlier. We are introduced to a bleak, plain and glaring landscape with a few abandoned cars, broken highways, a chaotic society where food and water are scarce which can be purchased through trade of whatever you may carry - for example wet wipes. The lone character is heading west and is on a mission. He is seeking the fulfilment of his mission given to him by God by protecting the only surviving King James Bible.

The lone man comes across a town where it is run by a power hungry man, Carnegie, played by Gary Oldman, who rules the town with the use of fear and rationing the drinkable water. Carnegie is determined to rise above everyone and expand his authority, however he needs a useful instrument or in this case a book. When he finds out the lone man has the book he will do anything to take the book for his own personal use.

The lone man's name is unknown until the very end, hence using the word lone man. This movie has heaps of biblical references, not including quoting scripture and teaching the new generation on how to pray and how he heard the voice of God. The story of a lone man's difficult journey must rely on his faith in order to protect the words of God through the Bible seemed farfetched however the movie exceeded in the storytelling by making it entertaining and simple with the main theme of this movie is even though in a world where compassion is secondary to survival and self-interest, one man's journey and mission overcomes these challengers due to having faith and believing in one's self. Even amidst a bleak life, one can rise and accomplish anything. The Kali style fight sequences, where the lone man has quick hands with literally his hands, knifes and machete are awesome, in particular the fight scene in the tunnel and in the bar where it may be dark however the illuminated backdrop gives the scene a visual striking - just feels like it's from a comic book. The movie literally gripped my attention from the lone man listening to old school jams through the use of his iPod, to the old cannibal couple towards the end playing "Ring My Bell" by using a phonograph and how the filmmakers used a Western style in the movie; where a lone man comes into town and confront the local badass.

Great performance by Washington who carries the film as the man who is fixed in his sole mission from God and the idea that without knowledge and culture we are reduced to nothing but savages. The middle part of the movie did drain a little, not sure what happened but the pace felt it paused until crossing path with the old mad couple. The final 10 minutes of the film blew me away, an awesome twist which I did not see coming, it felt like a sucker punch and was like woahhhhhh whattttt!!! Any movie that provide that level of entertainment is definitely worth the watch, overall 7.5/10.

There are a few reasons why I wanted to see The Book of Eli. One was Denzel Washington, who I consider a very compelling actor. The second was Gary Oldman, who I consider excellent and underrated, and I loved his performances in Dracula and Immortal Beloved especially. Finally, the concept really intrigued me. These three components had all the ingredients for an above decent movie. So did I like The Book of Eli? Yes I did like it in some ways, but parts disappointed me.

The Book of Eli is great visually, the cinematography, editing and scenery are top drawer, and the action sequences are violent, gory, well choreographed and quite brief. The story is an intriguing one, there were one or two scenes that didn't quite work for me, but I liked the first 15 minutes or so, I found them atmospheric and brooding. And in terms of supporting performances/cameos I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Gambon and Frances DeLa Tour here, while Gary Oldman is a charismatic and ambitious villain. I did feel that he struggled slightly with the accent at first, but as the film went on he was fine. The direction was pretty good too.

However, despite these good things I was disappointed in some aspects, and no it has nothing to do with it being religious propaganda. The pacing I found very sluggish, so some scenes felt rather ponderous, and it wasn't until twenty five minutes or so in until we were given any backbone to the story or any other major characters. The score I also found somewhat generic and repetitive, and while there were some good moments the script was lacking. I was also disappointed in Denzel Washington, he looked really charismatic and brooding, but there were times when he spoke constantly in a very monotonic level, though I am not sure whether that was the intention or not. Also I feel his performances in Cry Freedom and Remember the Titans were better. As the naive Solara, Mila Kunis is eye candy if little else. Then came a very odd and abrupt ending, the whole film just felt unfinished.

Overall, a flawed film but I think it is watchable. 6/10 Bethany Cox