Blood, guts and the last copy of the Bible

Anyone seen “The Book of Eli” yet?

I’m still trying to figure out what the latest Denzel Washington pic is all about. It’s clear that Denzel is the new Road Warrior and that Eli’s treasure, the last copy of the Bible, is sought by Gary Oldman, who doesn’t want to read it but use it as a weapon. But is is worth seeing?

The LA Times, whose review I discussed at GetReligion, indicates yes:

Eli’s first full-on slaughter of bloodthirsty roadside thugs is shown in a cleverly sustained single take, in silhouette. Very satisfying. Gory, but satisfying.

For some, this genre picture will come with the bonus of its conspicuous and heavy-duty religiosity.

It is about the Word and who controls it. But “The Book of Eli” works, even if the preservation of Christianity isn’t high on your personal post-apocalypse bucket list. Establishing its storytelling rules clearly and well, the film simply is better, and better-acted, than the average end-of-the-world fairy tale.

Read the rest of that review here.