The Book of Eli 奪天書

Starring Denzel Washington, as Eli, the chosen protector of the book, as well as Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis, Eli is a literate African-American in a ravaged land, once the United States, now a home to roughnecks and illiterate fools that tarnish the land.

Directed by the Hughes Brothers, “The Book of Eli” is how you would imagine civilization to be if it were hanging by a thread. This, the film does well, as the scenes are dramatic, desaturated and chaotic. It's like a ghost town, full of metal carcasses.

We follow Eli as he walks through the town with a dead cat as his supper. He sleeps in an abandoned house, listening to a 30-year old iPod that somehow still works. He soon encounters bandits who try to take his backpack, but swiftly end up at the mercy of Washington's blade.

Eli carries in his possession a valued item — a book, the last remaining copy of The King James Bible. However unlike the man, his wisdom, or his book, the film's narrative does not follow an intelligent plot. Instead, it slashes, it burns, and it destroys.

The movie is filled with mindless fighting and it makes you wonder whether Eli is actually reading his bible or just pretending to, because he dispatches any bystander who gets in his way without a second thought; not a particularly Christian behavior. He travels west towards some unknown destination, and in a desperate search for water he enters a town which still has a plentiful supply.

Gary Oldman reigns supreme in “The Book of Eli” as Carnegie, over the small town, controlling his minions and running the show. His men are looking for a book that he wants, but they do not have to look far as it has found them. Eli's book, quite predictably is the one he is after, but the journeyman is reluctant to part with it.

Brilliantly acted and in control throughout, Oldman and Washington control the show. Mila Kunis, the annoying girl from That 70's show and Family Guy, plays a slightly less annoying hooker. She does well, but still feels like leftover baggage next to the two heavyweights.

Unfortunately, the script is somewhat perplexing, as instead of reading scripture, Eli chooses to quote Johnny Cash. Also, there appear to be several totally irrelevant sequences, like Carnegie struggling to open the book for some time. No reason for this, totally pointless to the story.

However, the worst of all is the inherent lack of attention to detail. Glaringly obvious errors pit the film from beginning to end, in both the script and filming.

For example, we never find out how Eli's iPod still works after all this time, or why everyone has to show their hands if they want to buy something. Why is it that water is so scarce, yet fuel and bullets are in abundance? Where do the main characters get their immaculate sunglasses from, not to mention that they have incredibly good dental hygiene? More importantly, why does Carnegie need the book so much, if he is already in control of his town?

All in all, the film is too erroneous, even to the point that a glaring obvious continuity error occurs in a cut scene, where Kunis suddenly acquires dirt on her face, from nowhere.

Error strewn, and placid at best, the film treads water but it soon finds itself out of its depth, with only Oldman and Washington to keep it afloat. The film fails to consistently convince due the aforementioned flaws and it therefore destroys itself from the inside before Eli can complete his celestial task. Thoroughly disappointing.

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