THE BOOK OF ELI (USA 2010) **
Directed by the Hughes Brothers

Yet another film set in post-apocalyptic earth, destroyed from war and other familiar reasons, The Hughes Brothers’ only distinguishable feature in this well-worn genre is stylish Matrix-styled action.  Unfortunately, the tactic does not work.

Not only does stylized action sequences not work, but the Hughes get too serious with the subject matter – all philosophical and such even adding wise sayings from Eli’s book with plot twists littered throughout the film.  But everyone one is familiar with the readings of the book, more commonly known as the Bible, the words of which the characters do not seem to recall.  The slow rendition of poems like Psalm 32’s “The Lord’s my shepherd…” is deadpan humour made unfunny and repetitive.  The Hughes take their time to explain what is happening or has happened – not that anyone is interested after a while. 

The film begins with a solitary man, Eli (Denzel Washington) walking the barren landscape seen so often in films like 28 DAYS LATER, the MAD MAX films and the recent John Hillcoat’s THE ROAD.  The story is rather plain and the Hughes treat Eli as a no-name Clint Eastwood character.  They rip off every kind of film thinkable from the Clint Eastwood films, the Matrix films and every film of this genre.  Even the action segments bear a similarity to the Michael Bay TRANSFORMER movies.  The bad guys are an assortment of rogues led by Gary Oldman, who has played villains of this kind before.

If one wants to see an action end-of-the-world movie, the similar DAYBREAKERS now-playing is a much better movie.  At least that film does not pretend to be an epic.