"...and other stories" Gezien in: Pathé Maastricht, Maastricht d.d. 4-3-2010 Doomsday, Twelve Monkeys, Terminator,28 Days Later, Mad Max, The Quiet Earth, I am Legend, The Road, 2012 etc etc
The list of post-apocalyptic films is long, and the quality short. The Book of Eli unfortunately lies somewhere in the middle of the quality scale. No where near as appalling as Doomsday or 2012, but yet nowhere near as impressive as Twelve Monkeys or the more recent The Road.
The plot is thinner than Mila Kunis (although she is an attractive distraction), and revolves around the protection by a seemingly bored Denzel Washington of the last Bible.
Some of the fight scenes as he takes on the various bad guys trying to relieve him of the book are fun and impressive. Yet Washington's performance is so detached, it's hard to root for him entirely. I kept hoping Gary Oldman would punch him on the nose.
Oldman's performance is very much like his in 'Le cinquieme element'; the psychopathic almost comic bad-guy - a tried and tested formula for Oldman that he clings to for another payday.
The film culminates in a plot twist that, I admit, surprised me. You know the twist is coming from a long way back; but its exact nature was hidden well. You'll either love it or hate it!
Overall, the film is a preaching, self-righteous, patronising lesson from the Hughes brothers in moral and religious psycho-babble - saved by some fun parts, and a creditable performance by Kunis.
Just hangs on to 3 stars for me. Go see it, but then promise yourself to watch The Road. | 
