Review of The Book of Eli (2010) by Brandon W — 18 Sep 2016

The Book of Eli is directed by the Hughes Brothers, and it stars Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis in a apocalyptic film about a man who was told to bring a specific book to the west, while having to deal with people that are willing to take his book away from him, whatever it takes.

I was going to type the review earlier on as I was watching this film months ago, but I didn't get to finish it as the movie expired on demand from DirecTV. Luckily it doesn't matter as I managed to finally get to finish the film recently, and I'm surprised that I didn't get to watch it earlier on as this is honestly a fantastic film.

Denzel Washington is probably a bit more subdued in this than his usual roles that he plays, but he's still great in it as an intimidating person that really shouldn't be messed around with as he's on a mission.

Gary Oldman is always having a fun time playing a bad guy, although he doesn't play it over the top as his character plays as a relaxed man that wants to get a specific book that he had in his childhood, so you weren't quite sure at first whether he's a bad guy or not.

I was a bit worried that Mila Kunis was going to act as the annoying sidekick to Denzel Washington's character, but there was never a moment that I didn't find her annoying in this, and actually felt sorry for her as the movie progresses.

I really like apocalyptic setting that it takes place at because it looks very genuine, and it kind of looks pretty with the nice shots that they use for the mostly lifeless world that the characters have to live in.

This is Atticus Ross's first featured length film as a composer, and it made it feel like he has done this before, which he kind of did in a segment in New York, I Love You, but not as a full length movie, which he did amazing in this with Leopold Ross and Claudia Sarne that brings in a lot of life and oomph to the empty world that the movie gives in to.

The action scenes are a lot of fun to watch with the camera going around or in the action from what the other characters are doing, which I haven't seen that lately, and it has a lot of style in them that I really like.

The writing by Gary Whitta is well written that kept me interested in what's going on, and I was surprised to find out that it's the same person that co-wrote a very boring film called After Earth with M.

Night Shyamalan. I know some people had problems with the plot, but I thought it was fine, and while it might reach its grasp with some viewers, it didn't bother me and kept being invested with the film.

I remember that there was going to be a twist at the end, but I wasn't quite sure what it was, which made me guess some answers. When it got there, I was close, but was wrong, and I liked the twist that it brought me.

I was honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed it, knowing that it didn't do well critic and user review wise, but I guess The Book of Eli was more of my taste than I thought, so I think it's a very underrated film for that one.