Escape to the Movies: Book of Eli

[Alex_P]

the action was awesome and the twist in the movie that is, you know, an actual twist was amazing.

Spoiler: Roger Ebert says you shouldn't talk about this movie at all if you plan to see it.

Carnegie gets the Bible.
Turns out Eli memorized the Bible.
Also it turns out Eli was always blind (nevermind his feats of marksmanship that transcend even Zaitochi-style blindness superpowers).
Carnegie can't use the Bible because it turns out Eli's Bible is in Braille (nevermind that each Braille letter is about the size of your thumbnail and you have to print them on really thick paper to hold the indentation).

Did I get that right?

Seems like a crappy twist to me.

-- Alex

 

[clzark]

the action was awesome and the twist in the movie that is, you know, an actual twist was amazing.

Spoiler: Roger Ebert says you shouldn't talk about this movie at all if you plan to see it.

Carnegie gets the Bible.
Turns out Eli memorized the Bible.
Also it turns out Eli was always blind (nevermind his feats of marksmanship that transcend even Zaitochi-style blindness superpowers).
Carnegie can't use the Bible because it turns out Eli's Bible is in Braille (nevermind that each Braille letter is about the size of your thumbnail and you have to print them on really thick paper to hold the indentation).

Did I get that right?

Seems like a crappy twist to me.

-- Alex

I liked it. I apologize for having an opinion. sorry I don't get excited from "just kidding, the main character was dead all along"

--Batman

 

[Alex_P]

I liked it. I apologize for having an opinion. sorry I don't get excited from "just kidding, the main character was dead all along"

Never said I liked Sixth Sense.

Eli does deserve some points for an ending that actually tries to fit into the theme of the rest of the movie, which instantly puts it far above movies like Signs. But, well, it's also an ending that undercuts a bunch of the stuff you just saw on screen, making it little more than a giant retcon. That's careless and dickish on the part of the writer.

-- Alex

 

[clzark]

I really, really liked the movie. I found the plot enjoyable, and the fact that the book is a bible isn't a twist...you find out very early in the movie. even then it should be obvious from the trailer. the action was awesome and the twist in the movie that is, you know, an actual twist was amazing. bob is just butt sore about it having religion in it. although if he had actually paid attention to the movie like a good reviewer he would know that the antagonist wanted to have the bible to manipulate the "weak-minded." it isn't a purely "oh the bible's so great" movie. if you're going to hate a movie because you don't agree with it's religious views, you've got issues

Really? You're actually saying this?

Not agreeing with whatever's views is the main reason for people disliking it. Avatar, the apparent hippy tree-hugging (although I can't say I noticed it too much). Triumph of Will, nazi propaganda. (Or whatever that old propaganda movie was called). Independence day, just... bad.

Religion isn't sacred, neither is any other view. Nobody's gonna stop you from making a movie about it, but quit whining about others criticizing it.

I see the point you're making, that they have the right to dislike a movie, but hating a movie because you disagree with some religious, political, or whatever view it has is a stupid reason to hate on something meant to entertain, in my opinion. just like those radical catholics or whoever it is that hate harry potter because magic is evil or something. but I need to clarify something...are you complaining about my complaining? isn't that hypocritical? why can people bash the movie for having a religious undertone, but I can't point out that's a dumb reason to hate a movie?

 

[clzark]

I liked it. I apologize for having an opinion. sorry I don't get excited from "just kidding, the main character was dead all along"

Never said I liked Sixth Sense.

Eli does deserve some points for an ending that actually tries to fit into the theme of the rest of the movie, which instantly puts it far above movies like Signs. But, well, it's also an ending that undercuts a bunch of the stuff you just saw on screen, making it little more than a giant retcon. That's careless and dickish on the part of the writer.

-- Alex

well, the sixth sense isn't the only movie that's pulled that lame twist (the others, the frightening, I'm know there's others but I haven't seen them, my point being that that twist isn't entertaining anymore) but now I think I see what you mean...that they kinda just pulled one out of their ass for the sake of having a twist?

 

[PlasticLion]

I really, really liked the movie. I found the plot enjoyable, and the fact that the book is a bible isn't a twist...you find out very early in the movie. even then it should be obvious from the trailer. the action was awesome and the twist in the movie that is, you know, an actual twist was amazing. bob is just butt sore about it having religion in it. although if he had actually paid attention to the movie like a good reviewer he would know that the antagonist wanted to have the bible to manipulate the "weak-minded." it isn't a purely "oh the bible's so great" movie. if you're going to hate a movie because you don't agree with it's religious views, you've got issues

Really? You're actually saying this?

Not agreeing with whatever's views is the main reason for people disliking it. Avatar, the apparent hippy tree-hugging (although I can't say I noticed it too much). Triumph of Will, nazi propaganda. (Or whatever that old propaganda movie was called). Independence day, just... bad.

Religion isn't sacred, neither is any other view. Nobody's gonna stop you from making a movie about it, but quit whining about others criticizing it.

I see the point you're making, that they have the right to dislike a movie, but hating a movie because you disagree with some religious, political, or whatever view it has is a stupid reason to hate on something meant to entertain, in my opinion. just like those radical catholics or whoever it is that hate harry potter because magic is evil or something. but I need to clarify something...are you complaining about my complaining? isn't that hypocritical? why can people bash the movie for having a religious undertone, but I can't point out that's a dumb reason to hate a movie?

The argument in the review is not that religion is bad, but that it is used as a shortcut to making a movie. Now is "religion is a shortcut" a veiled attack on religion? Maybe, I assume a critic who would like to say, "I hate God," , might instead say, "religion is a shortcut."

But I don't think MB is bashing this movie because it has a religious undertone. He just missed the more subtle moments.

I've never seen a post apocalyptic bad guy shampoo his girlfriend's(or wife, slave) hair. Carnegie didn't entirely fit the bad guy mold.

In the beginning Eli hides while Carnegie's gang kills a man then (I assume rapes) and kills a woman. He keeps saying, "Stay on the path." However, later in the movie Solara(Kunis) is about to be raped and Eli saves her. Did he do it because it was part of the path? Or did he do it because he had forgotten just what the Bible was about until Solara asked him about it?

Didn't see Legion this weekend. I saw "To Save a Life." I was rick rolled by a Christian friend. Now that (for better or worse) is a preachy Christian movie.

 

[Alex_P]

well, the sixth sense isn't the only movie that's pulled that lame twist (the others, the frightening, I'm know there's others but I haven't seen them, my point being that that twist isn't entertaining anymore) but now I think I see what you mean...that they kinda just pulled one out of their ass for the sake of having a twist?

Definitely! Pulling the twist out of your ass sucks. I feel like a lot of modern movies throw in a twist where they just didn't need it.

Also, the twists they pick tend to be really one-note. It's like "Here, let's change something up -- and, oh, we're done!" I want movies that explore that change more. Like, I can imagine M. Night Shyamalan doing Fight Club: the movie would basically stop abruptly two-thirds of the way in, and you'd never actually see Edward Norton's character confront the revelation he receives; and it would suck. It's good that the movie actually goes on to see him confront Tyler Durden.

One of my favorite movies is The Prestige. It's full of twisty bits. You could say that it has a "twist ending", maybe even more than one. But the secrets revealed at the end of the film are utterly inseparable from the rest of the story, not a tacked-on surprise. They secret of Borden's trick explains his actions throughout the entire movie. Moreover, Angier and Borden's approaches to the Transported Man explain the metaphor at the heart of the film. The finals twists complete the promise at the beginning of the movie; they don't stick out like proud nails.

On the topic of Book of Eli: Ebert wrote that the ending was, at the least, surprising, and so odd that it almost peeled away from the rest of the movie to stand on its own, which stopped it from actually ruining the film [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100113/REVIEWS/100119990/1023]; that's kind of a weird way to look at it, but it seems to have worked for him, given the three-star rating it earned.

-- Alex

 

[emenar]

I just saw this movie last night and it isnt anywere near preachy or anywere near a cross between veggitales and anythin else including the left behind movie which iv also watched and read all the books.

This movie is what seems to me like a zombie apocalipse without zombies and instead includes other massive amounts of violence includin cannibalism.

What really annoys me is ppl watchin trailers and then basing the whole movie on them and already goin in to see it with a mind set on "oh this is obviously the bible, and mentions God, this is bound to b crap". Out of those of us who had went i was the only one who had seen a trailer and it was onyl a 15second one and all i remember in it is a guy firing an rpg at a house. Why dont ppl just go to see a movie and let every bit of it surprise them! i had no idea it was a bible when i seen it and it didnt make it a crap movie or any worse at all. If it happened to be a magic book, or it had a magic key or weapon in it (seriously what worse plot line could u have than that) then that woulda just giving it a VERY bad twist.

This is actually one of those movies that keep to the plot. As for the ethics in it, there are tons of movies with them, in fact im sure Avatar probably had more. Eli in this is not some wimpy wee guy runnin round with a big leather bound bible, hes actually some some pretty awsum fighting in there, and as far as mercy goes, hes not cruel, he doesnt actually want to kill these ppl hes forced into it.

And anyone saying anythin about his powers and that God is on his side and thats how hes all so awsum and that makes it a bad story and its obvious whos gonna win (MB)... and u dont find that getting all nuked up by radiation and turning into a green superpowerful creatureish thing; cosmic rays giving u elastic abilitys, turning invisible or on fire; being an alien commin from another planet being only hurt by cryptonite; or even being thousands of years old and having superpowers and being drunk most the time.... with all those sorts of plots on how ppl got their powers etc how is this any worse or better just cos God gave them it. What if it had been a ancient force, aliens, a norse god, a greek demigod comming back again after thousands of years....

Dont be put off about this movie cos moviebob says its crap. Its barely anythin like he says, go in without any opinions on what u think it will b like (like what u should do with every movie) and get ur own opinion on it. I thought it was epic and a good start to 2010 (even if its almost the end of jan). Seriously, walkin away from a rape scene when he can obviously stop it really shows hes not a veggitale character

 

[Asirrelle]

Seriously skippy, you thought the 2nd Punisher movie was good? I mean that's right up there with the Max Pain movie and, I haven't seen it but surely, the Farcry film. I thought the first Punisher film was alright, but the second one... not so much.
Still, each to their own!

 

[clzark]

Definitely! Pulling the twist out of your ass sucks. I feel like a lot of modern movies throw in a twist where they just didn't need it.

Also, the twists they pick tend to be really one-note. It's like "Here, let's change something up -- and, oh, we're done!" I want movies that explore that change more. Like, I can imagine M. Night Shyamalan doing Fight Club: the movie would basically stop abruptly two-thirds of the way in, and you'd never actually see Edward Norton's character confront the revelation he receives; and it would suck. It's good that the movie actually goes on to see him confront Tyler Durden.

One of my favorite movies is The Prestige. It's full of twisty bits. You could say that it has a "twist ending", maybe even more than one. But the secrets revealed at the end of the film are utterly inseparable from the rest of the story, not a tacked-on surprise. They secret of Borden's trick explains his actions throughout the entire movie. Moreover, Angier and Borden's approaches to the Transported Man explain the metaphor at the heart of the film. The finals twists complete the promise at the beginning of the movie; they don't stick out like proud nails.

On the topic of Book of Eli: Ebert wrote that the ending was, at the least, surprising, and so odd that it almost peeled away from the rest of the movie to stand on its own, which stopped it from actually ruining the film [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100113/REVIEWS/100119990/1023]; that's kind of a weird way to look at it, but it seems to have worked for him, given the three-star rating it earned.

-- Alex

okay I can understand that. despite not being needed, however, I enjoyed the twist.

the Prestige is an amazing movie. frickin amazing, especially the ending. I love how it ties in with Bale's wife pointing out that it seems like there are two sides to him. I don't know, something about that little comment summing up a major part of the movie is entertaining to me.
off topic, but I really like that movie

 

[clzark]

I see the point you're making, that they have the right to dislike a movie, but hating a movie because you disagree with some religious, political, or whatever view it has is a stupid reason to hate on something meant to entertain, in my opinion. just like those radical catholics or whoever it is that hate harry potter because magic is evil or something. but I need to clarify something...are you complaining about my complaining? isn't that hypocritical? why can people bash the movie for having a religious undertone, but I can't point out that's a dumb reason to hate a movie?

The hypocrisy game can go on forever =p

Stop complaining about my complaining about your complaining, foo! All I'm doing is pointing out that you pointing out that apparently it's a dumb reason to hate a movie because of its horrible religious undertones and setting is, well, pretty dumb.

A lot of things are meant to entertain. Like, let me make a totally super controversial example. Midget furry porn. It's made, obviously, for entertainment (and thanks to rule 34 it definitely exists). Yet you'll find a whole lot of people that'd be nothing but happy to bash the hell out of it. Why? Because there's nothing wrong with hypocrisy and bashing, we're all hypocritical bastards and if one thinks he or she isn't - it's a lie.

I meant it's dumb to complain about a message a movie has, and to not like a movie solely because it has a message you disagree with, as the main purpose of a movie/book/t.v. show is to entertain, not preach. but uh...you got me with the midget furry porn. I would probably bash the living hell outta that

 

[Mojojuxxy]

I meant it's dumb to complain about a message a movie has, and to not like a movie solely because it has a message you disagree with, as the main purpose of a movie/book/t.v. show is to entertain, not preach. but uh...you got me with the midget furry porn. I would probably bash the living hell outta that

But from what I've read no one is saying that. They are saying that the religious aspect of the film is used as a 'shortcut' in storytelling, that's not an attack on religion, just bad film making. Now it seems everyones coming out and crying about persecution when I've read/listened/watched nothing that would suggest any significant majority are complaining about the movie simply because it had a religious theme.

 

[llamaquest101]

I actualy really enjoyed this film. It was smart, fun and not nearly as cheesy as it should have been. I don't even mind the strong christian overtones, instead of being forcful and seeming like an attempt to convert everyone to they're faith it looks at it from more of an outward perspective of the effect religion can have on the desperate.

 

[Mechanix]

It's pretty sad how many people here take Bob's review as fact. Go form your own opinions.

Probably the worst review I've seen Bob do. Honestly, he really just hates this movie because it's supposedly pro-religion (which it isn't; it's pro-faith). This movie was nothing short of fantastic acting and a good moral. And the twist at the end was completely unexpected. He walked into this movie wanting to be disappointed.

Oh, and "When God gets involved, it's obvious whose going to win". Wow, that's the worst quote I've heard. I guess every movie with God in it sucks then.

 

[Sakon]

I'm shocked just shocked that people got upset over his panning of the religious overtones of this movie!!!


Actually... not at all. Heck people go into a frothing mess over Twilight so getting pissy about religion is to be expected.

Now a lot of the people who have complained about him 'mentioning the plot and little else in the review' seem to have stopped paying attention beyond his less than thrilled view of god and the bible being involved. He said how the characters weren't fleshed out, he said how they were one dimensional, he complained about the uncreative setting and overused elements. To me... that sure as heck sounds like a darned solid review. If a movie is dull enough it can be hard to give a decent review of it.

I've watched all of his videos and never heard him mention his own religion so its a huge leap to suggest he's an atheist or anything else.

Stop being so sensitive you religious 'spiritual' types. Sheesh, unless someone is actively lauding faith ya'll act like they're trying to burn bibles and ban religion.

 

[Gir1yG4m3r]

I actually wouldn't mind what seems to be a silly plot. Does the ambiance, dialogues and fighting sequences interesting at least? This review doesn't really answers that. I remember having the same type of comments about Payback with Mel Gibson. Everybody was saying how stupid the premise was, but I ended up being a huge fan of the movie. No matter how silly his motivations were, you had no choice but to believe that it was possible. That and the fact that the movie was greatly directed and had a nice style reminiscent of old Steve McQueen movies. So in conclusion I would simply say that the Book of Eli still holds (in my opinion) something worth seeing. Again, I would have the see it to actually have my final thoughts on it.

Bob brings up some extremely good points that I held throughout the movie. The fighting sequences were quite nice, dialogue was rather good, and the way it was shot was quite beautiful. The premise was kind of interesting, so I tried to keep an open mind about it. I really enjoyed the music, which will usually decide whether I like a film or not. The acting was good, but it didn't save me from wanting to walk out of the theater.

I am honestly trying to do everything I can to point out saving factors of the film.

For the first two thirds of the film, it is just so serious and tense, that you don't get any relief from it. I'm very open to all genres of movies. I found myself bored, looking around the theater, wondering how everyone was reacting. It was slow-paced until maybe the last bit of the movie, when he meets Mila's character. Finally there was a little bit of a lighthearted innocence to be found. A little bit of humor. It was the first time you saw smiles on everyone in the theater since the commercials. Denzel did a great job of acting, but it didn't help the fact that things were just so lulling and serious. Mila's character was a bit of a saving factor for me, and then when they met the older couple with the awesome house. The movie had my attention for a little while, seeing a little bit less serious fight going on.

To be very honest, my bf and I had just watched Six String Samurai, and were excited about the whole "after destruction of most of the world" thing. I was also curious about the film due to its striking resemblance to some of the scenery in Fallout 3. We saw the commercials, and thought," Hey that looks rather artistic and full of action. Let's see it because we've had really good luck with post-apocalyptic settings lately."

We were both very very bored. I tried to focus on detail and cinematography to keep awake. The only reason I stayed is because I was curious about the ending. I loved the whole "preserving humanity's history" because of the little museum in Rivet City in Fallout 3.

In all, I think that Bob's review was very accurate. I couldn't really agree more with it. I'm not saying it due to a bias in any way, I'm just stating the facts that I observed during my movie-watching experience. It really depends on what kind of movies you like. Some people like slower movies that are more dry and dark. That's fine, you'd probably like this movie. People expecting an action-packed,gritty journey, I don't recommend it.