Book Of Eli

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  • MacG
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    So I just finished watching this. Definitely not a great film...but also not as bad as I was lead to believe it would be.

    I knew the "twist" concerning Eli going into it and, yeah, it simply doesn't work. In fact, it's pretty insulting to the audience. I don't care if the dude has been blind for 30 years, there ain't no way he's gonna have those mad skills with a knife and gun. From a strictly filmmaking POV, it's downright insulting when you rewatch Denzel's performance: the dude was hitting eye lines left n' right.

    I hate religion, so the religious overtones & fact the Bible was the pic's MacGuffin intrinsically irked me, but it wasn't as offensive as I thought it would be.

    Love how the filmmakers decided to just gloss over how Solara got out of the cave after Eli locked her in.

    I know Eli is supposed to be one tough m.f, but the dude gets shot in the gut and then just goes on like it was nothing for (what I have to believe is) several days thereafter? Huh?

    Nice to know that 30 years after we nearly nuked ourselves into oblivion there's still gas to fill the tanks of various motorcycles and trucks n' cars.

    And then to echo what peztoz said:

    Wasn't the cause of the apocalypse religion? If you lived through a religious war that destroyed your home, your family, basically everything you knew and loved, would you really dedicate your life to saving the bible?
    These complaints aside, BOOK OF ELI held my interest. Thought it had a nice visual palette, the action was well choreographed and the music was quite nice.

    Leave a comment:


  • Adam Isaac
    replied
    Re: Remake?

    Originally posted by nathanq View Post
    I've seen the Zatochi films, and if I were to compare them to The Book of Eli, would greatly insult the Zatochi films. The Zatochi films were actually good, and not some evangelical garbage.

    Word.

    Leave a comment:


  • peztoz
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    Originally posted by sasqits View Post
    I do not understand the reviews that are knocking this film for being overtly pro Christianity, or pro religion. If anything it is overtly neutral, leaving the viewer to decide what he or she believes.
    -SPOILERS-


    Wasn't the cause of the apocalypse religion? If you lived through a religious war that destroyed your home, your family, basically everything you knew and loved, would you really dedicate your life to saving the bible? Oh but a voice told him to do it, yea that would change my mind.

    Can anyone explain a blind man single-handedly killing armies and dodging bullets, it's obviously divine intervention of some sort.

    If god did not play a part in this film, Denzel would be dead, Oldman would have got the book and Kunis would have been raped over and over. I would have much rather watched that than this religious bullshit.

    I think I'm just pissed off with the fact I walked in expecting a completely different film. I'm suppose to believe having faith in god will allow me to achieve the impossible, I don't need to pay money to learn that, I can go to church.

    Leave a comment:


  • sasqits
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    Is this heavily religious, Telly?

    SPOILERS ----------------



    I was hesitant to watch the film b/c I thought I would be turned off by the religious themes, but I was not. I do not believe in any organized religion but I could still relate to many of the film's themes.

    Sheesh, he even tells us twice that he's been told by God he'll live and achieve his goal. Well then, what the hell am I doing finishing this film?
    So you believed him and did not think he might be crazy. Why would you finish 99% of mainstream movies b/c we know the hero always lives and achieves his goal. I would wager that is true for any screenplay you've written.

    The character did not have internal conflict or question his quest b/c he was acting on blind faith. It was one of the themes of the movie.

    Was he right? Did his book save humanity? The film wisely leaves that up to the viewer to decide. What do you want to believe?

    I do not understand the reviews that are knocking this film for being overtly pro Christianity, or pro religion. If anything it is overtly neutral, leaving the viewer to decide what he or she believes.

    Leave a comment:


  • nathanq
    replied
    Re: Remake?

    Originally posted by Fortean View Post
    Has anyone, here, who has seen this film, (or read the screenplay), also seen the ZAITOICHI films?

    Is this not simply a post-apocalypse American version?
    I've seen the Zatochi films, and if I were to compare them to The Book of Eli, would greatly insult the Zatochi films. The Zatochi films were actually good, and not some evangelical garbage.

    Leave a comment:


  • Fortean
    replied
    Remake?

    Has anyone, here, who has seen this film, (or read the screenplay), also seen the ZAITOICHI films?

    Is this not simply a post-apocalypse American version?

    Leave a comment:


  • Jules
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    Is this heavily religious, Telly?

    Leave a comment:


  • Telly
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    I finally caught this last night.

    Overall I give it 2 out of 5 stars. It should have starred Kirk Cameron so I would have known what I was getting into. Actually, I should have known since the one autograph I got from Denzell said, "God Bless" with no autograph. Awesome, thanks.

    *MINOR SPOILERS*

    Anyway, my biggest concern was the lack of antagonist or conflict. I mean, once Eli decimated Gary Oldman's first round of men I was like, okay, so now what? Oh, Gary throws out his bench players? Well, if Eli can smoke his main dudes in two seconds, what chance do his bench players have? It was like, every time they came at him, he whacked everyone in two seconds.

    Then it was just 60 year-old Oldman and his right hand man who clearly didn't really want to kill Eli anyway! So, we have this gimp who "really wants the book" verse this super-powered ninja. Big deal. I mean, the chick with zero skills managed to wipe out half of Gary's men and his vehicles in one minute flat, sending Gary back home with his tail between his legs because they were "out of gas". Ridiculous. And why did his henchman have this sudden interest in having the girl? They NEVER developed that enough, nor even touched on it before or after he was whacked. Weird.

    The end was retarded.

    Sorry, this one made me mad. I wanted so much much more. I love this genre and hate when people screw it up so we don't get many more whacks at it for a while.

    EDITED: I just realized what bothered me the most. There was zero character arch. Eli had one objective and it NEVER wavered for a moment. He never questioned his goal nor did he run into any critical moments that could have altered that goal internally. It verified how important it is to have that moment where your protag questions everything, or runs into a cross-roads of sorts where he dives in and there's no turning back. In this film, he made that decision way before the film began. So what? We want to be there when he comes to these crossroads, it's how we become connected and involved. It's how we care. I have no emotional connection to man who shows me zero internal turmoil and gets EVERYTHING he wants with little conflict or barrier the entire way through. Sheesh, he even tells us twice that he's been told by God he'll live and achieve his goal. Well then, what the hell am I doing finishing this film?

    Terrible.
    Last edited by Telly; 06-25-2010, 10:38 AM.

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  • cupertinoCA
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    i haven't seen this movie but the script is just great.

    Leave a comment:


  • Tsinogatorp Eht
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    Originally posted by stuy View Post
    Hated it. It couldn't make up it's mind what kind of movie it was. The ending dragged on and on.
    Wow. I finally saw this in a European theater. Thought the same thing. Luckily for the explosions and gunfights, I had something to wake me up.

    Leave a comment:


  • joe9alt
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    Originally posted by stvnlra View Post
    I was under the impression that there was another writer who worked on this-- even tho Gary got sole credit.

    Maybe I'm thinking of another movie...

    Anybody know for sure?
    Anthony Peckham.

    Leave a comment:


  • bioprofessor
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    Just saw it this morning (10 am) with my wife. Total of eight of us (not bad for the am) in a huge theatre. We liked it a lot. Good story.

    When we walked out of the theatre, it was 20 F, bright sun, about a 40 mph wind, a few salt-caked cars in the barren parking lot... felt like we'd just entered Eli's world.

    Leave a comment:


  • instant_karma
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    Saw it. Liked it.

    Leave a comment:


  • NikeeGoddess
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    Mr. Whitta must have been beside himself with excitement when he received the call that Denzel and Oldman had signed on. What a dream cast for any writer, let alone a first-timer!
    you got that right. i would have jumped up and down so high i would have broken my neck on the ceiling.

    Leave a comment:


  • EvilRbt
    replied
    Re: Book Of Eli

    Mr. Whitta must have been beside himself with excitement when he received the call that Denzel and Oldman had signed on. What a dream cast for any writer, let alone a first-timer!

    Leave a comment:

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