cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
Directed by Hughes Brothers (Albert, Allen)
Written by Gary Whitta
Distributed by Warner Bros / Columbia Pictures
Release date: JAN 15, 2010
The near future. America is a vast, desolate wasteland. Once-majestic cities are now crumbling deathtraps, and the roads have become nightmarish, brigand-infested highways. Armed with only a shotgun, a samurai sword and his wits, ELI (Denzel Washington) has been traveling this world for years, defending himself from the violent gangs and scavengers competing for limited resources. Arriving in a ramshackle outpost somewhere in what used to be California, Eli finds trouble with an egotistical tyrant, CARNEGIE (Gary Oldman), who rules over his town and his people with an iron fist. Eli befriends the beautiful SOLARA (Mila Kunis), Carnegie’s stepdaughter, and learns of Carnegie’s plans to take control of the region using fear and brutality. Eli manages to escape the town and Carnegie’s clutches, but Solara follows him. Though he initially sends her away, Eli has a change of heart and goes back for Solara, narrowly rescuing her from a gang of hijackers on the unforgiving road. However, Carnegie is still hot on their trail, and Eli must fight his way across the dangerous wastelands, traveling to the shattered ruins of San Francisco and to a climactic, earthshaking showdown with Carnegie and his men. It is here that Eli finally realizes his destiny: to deliver the knowledge that can offer mankind hope, bring civilization back from the brink of destruction and save the future of humanity.
THE PANEL ROOM
So the reviews have started trickling in, and on the whole it does not look good for the makers. It is being given a harsh thumbs down from most sectors, except for our good ol' Roger Ebert who seem happy with almost anything these days. But the rest makes it clear that THE BOOK IS ELI is something you should not be reading much into.
...
The first film from the gifted Hughes brothers in nine years, is a major disappointment, a mishmash of ideas courtesy of neophyte scribe Gary Whitta. Emmanuel Levy C
The Book of Eli is the first Hughes brothers movie that feels stripped of drama, imagination, sensibility Owen Glieberman D
One of those amazing cinematic disasters that come along once in a while as evidence of just how far the ego of stars and filmmakers can go. Frank Swietek F
Very watchable. You won't be sorry you went. It grips your attention, and then at the end throws in several WTF!
Roger Ebert 3/4
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