Most
mainstream reviews for THE BOOK OF ELI (Denzel Washington, Gardy Oldman,
Jennifer Beals) claim that “faith-based sermonizing” in the movie is
super-excessive, but that’s only because post-Christian America (and Europe)
have become so unchurched that any mention of things biblical would seem
over-the-top. The world, by and large, is now removed by a generation from
those who grew up under the influence of the Word, In reality, many
Bible-believing Christians would likely leave the theater early due to the
violence and profanity in this flick. But then again, directors Albert and
Allen Hughes have crafted a wonderfully realistic movie that captures a
combination of intensity and the reciting of the power of the Word of God. THE
BOOK OF ELI tells a tale of the not-too-distant future, some three
decades after the final war, when a solitary man walks across the wasteland
that was once America. Everywhere he walks, he encounters empty cities, broken
highways and a parched earth—all marks of catastrophic destruction. What
remains of the roads now belong to gangs that would murder a man simply for his
shoes or an ounce of water. However, our traveler, Eli, seems to seek only
peace—as long as he’s not challenged. Guarding a book he has carried for over
30 years, Eli fights to survive and protect this secret tome from those who
desire it for all the wrong reasons. “One day I heard this voice, like it was coming
from inside me,” explains Eli. “It led me to a place . . . I found this book, buried deep in the
rubble, and the voice told me to carry it west.” Unfortunately, another man in
this film (Carnegie, played by Oldman) understands the power of this Book and
is determined to make it his own. Together with Carnegie’s adopted daughter
(Solara, played by Mila Kunis), Eli continues west to the “promised land” of
which the voice spoke. Some
Christians might tend to be overly sensitive these days, while most pagans are
too sensitive to even consider any type of references to God’s Word. THE BOOK
OF ELI does an excellent job relating a great message with great acting, and
whether one waits for the DVD or catches this movie on the Big Screen it’s an
important story to be heard.
Movie Reviews 
