Escape to the Movies: Book of Eli
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I don't think that'd go over well in the West, so I doubt the studios would allow it. But, having read the Bhagavad Gita and the Qur'an, tho, I can tell you that I would be surprised if you couldn't substitute another religious work for the Bible in the movie most likely. While many of the details of the various religious texts are culture-specific, many of the principles put forth are very similiar.Kimarous said:
Another reason to see the movie: is it definitively 'Christian'? Hmmmm... I think I may just take off from work and go see it this afternoon.
That premise would work pretty damn well for a book, I think. It does sound kind of cool, if you subtract God actually coming down and talking to the dude--Bob's right on that point, it sucks the tension out. Still, it's almost the same premise as The Road (the part about carrying the flame, I mean), but I can see how as a movie that...wouldn't work so well. Too bad. The fight scenes always looked kind of silly to me anyway.
Nice review, although I was disappointed that you didn't use a picture of the Blue Brothers for the phrase 'on a mission from God'... Too obvious, perhaps.
Honestly, not the same at all. I can't really say why without huge spoilers.JimmyBassatti said:
I don't see how any of this makes a difference in the movie?
A week ago, you were praising Avatar whose basic plot, characters, and even dialogue were so blank, recycled, and uninspired that I felt like I had already seen the movie way too many times as I was watching it, just based on the visuals alone, and yet here we are with a movie that sounds like all it did was the same thing minus giant blue furries and 3D glasses to protect your eyes from all the nerd-spank that was flying around in the theatre, and you boo hoo the entire thing.
For me, the movie looks like just a throwback to the post-apocalyptic movies of the 80's, just with better actors, better special effects, and better action sequences. Really, it's not like the story of Thunderdome or Road warrior or heaven forbid, a Boy and his Dog were worthy of praise, but sometimes it's just the atmosphere that sells it. After playing games like Fallout and watching The Road warrior a million times, it's always fun to see a new spin on the "back to the stone-age" story of a post-apocalyptic world.
I guess to me it sounded as if involving "God" or *gasp* "Religion" in anyway that doesn't lampoon or insult those who believe in such things torpedoes a film. What's wrong in a man having convictions in his faith? What's wrong with believing in God? Why has it suddenly become en vogue to assail those of faith with intolerance and disapproval?
For me, i love post apocalyptic films, the idea of people surviving on even after a world-ending disaster.. the struggle for life by people who may have spent a large portion of their lives listening to Coldplay and wetting themselves at the suggestion of a new "iphone".
So I'll probably go see this based just on that merit alone, because quite frankly, I dont need some mind-blowing plot or twist endings to enjoy a film about a walking badass making his way across the lonely world on a personal quest after the destruction of civilization, carving a brutal path of death and destruction along the way.
A week ago, you were praising Avatar whose basic plot, characters, and even dialogue were so blank, recycled, and uninspired that I felt like I had already seen the movie way too many times as I was watching it, just based on the visuals alone, and yet here we are with a movie that sounds like all it did was the same thing minus giant blue furries and 3D glasses to protect your eyes from all the nerd-spank that was flying around in the theatre, and you boo hoo the entire thing.
For me, the movie looks like just a throwback to the post-apocalyptic movies of the 80's, just with better actors, better special effects, and better action sequences. Really, it's not like the story of Thunderdome or Road warrior or heaven forbid, a Boy and his Dog were worthy of praise, but sometimes it's just the atmosphere that sells it. After playing games like Fallout and watching The Road warrior a million times, it's always fun to see a new spin on the "back to the stone-age" story of a post-apocalyptic world.
I guess to me it sounded as if involving "God" or *gasp* "Religion" in anyway that doesn't lampoon or insult those who believe in such things torpedoes a film. What's wrong in a man having convictions in his faith? What's wrong with believing in God? Why has it suddenly become en vogue to assail those of faith with intolerance and disapproval?
For me, i love post apocalyptic films, the idea of people surviving on even after a world-ending disaster.. the struggle for life by people who may have spent a large portion of their lives listening to Coldplay and wetting themselves at the suggestion of a new "iphone".
So I'll probably go see this based just on that merit alone, because quite frankly, I dont need some mind-blowing plot or twist endings to enjoy a film about a walking badass making his way across the lonely world on a personal quest after the destruction of civilization, carving a brutal path of death and destruction along the way.
Hyena, Moviebob's complaint wasn't that the Book of Eil was a Bible; he mentioned how it could be awesome and still have a Bible. His problem was that it was handled in an unimaginative, predictable way. As in, "if you've seen a trailer for this movie, or even just know the title, and haven't figured out that it was a Bible, you might want to remove yourself from the gene pool".
Speaking as an atheist, I have no problem with including religious messages in movies, but as long as it's done well and not just pointless moralising - which you could get from any nutjob with a cardboard sign boycotting funerals - that uses the rest of the movie as an excuse to exist. Including God, as Bob says, as an active participant rather than just an abstract concept occasionally referred to, kind of removes the tension.
I'm probably not going to see this film; I think I'm apocalypsed-out for now. After Fallout and so on, it seems almost everything takes place in the ruins of a deceased civilisation. There's probably some really interesting sociological points to be made about our modern fixation with the end of the world, like that maybe on some level we're all anticipating the fall of the Western Empire or something, but I'm not in the mood for that right now. I want some entertainment that's actually entertaining.
Speaking as an atheist, I have no problem with including religious messages in movies, but as long as it's done well and not just pointless moralising - which you could get from any nutjob with a cardboard sign boycotting funerals - that uses the rest of the movie as an excuse to exist. Including God, as Bob says, as an active participant rather than just an abstract concept occasionally referred to, kind of removes the tension.
I'm probably not going to see this film; I think I'm apocalypsed-out for now. After Fallout and so on, it seems almost everything takes place in the ruins of a deceased civilisation. There's probably some really interesting sociological points to be made about our modern fixation with the end of the world, like that maybe on some level we're all anticipating the fall of the Western Empire or something, but I'm not in the mood for that right now. I want some entertainment that's actually entertaining.
having never actually watched a post apocalypse movie (i know, i know, i do suck) this might be as good as any to try first, but i must say i really don't like Mila Kunis, because i will forever associate her appearance with the god awful show "that 70's show" and her voice with Meg.
I'll probably wait until it goes in to the cheap category at blockbuster before watching it.
I'll probably wait until it goes in to the cheap category at blockbuster before watching it.
I knew this movie was gonna blow. However If I were making a Fallout movie, I'd definitly hire the set designer, he pretty much copy pasted all the scenery from Fallout 3.
I didnt take that away from the review the way you did. I heard someone rant on for about 3 and a half minutes about how the fact that GOD was involved in the plot and not in some sort of metaphorical sense completely ruined the film for him. I'm going to have to see it myself to really make a determination, but honestly, just because GOD tells him to go do something and it's ACTUALLY GOD TELLING HIM to go do it, so he goes to DO it isn't going to ruin the movie for me.Leodiensian said:
It's like they say, it's not the destination it's the journey, and the movie seems to serve up enough emotional images of a torn asunder world, a desolate, violent and brutal existence for the survivors, and genuinely exciting action sequences, and frankly, that alone would be enjoyable. I wouldn't care one bit if at the end of it all, he reaches a door in the middle of the desert, walks through and ends up at the pearly gates with Ernest Borgnine playing Saint Peter going "Ah, about time you arrived, let me welcome you to heaven!"..
I don't need some deep philosophical ending where the book turns out to be something OTHER than exactly what it's said to be, and a twist ending where it turns out that everything we learned about the main character is not what it seemed. Just like I'm not going to flock to see it just because it praises GOD, yippeee!
It just looked like a cool movie and lord knows, I've tossed away money on other movies with less substance (Transformers, Terminator Salvation..). I think I could still enjoy this.
Of course it's not the first time Movie Bob and I have been at odds on a film.. I thought the Road was great and Punisher War Zone was as terrible as Hitman.
Perhaps if he had concentrated on the film itself, and exercised his vast knowledge of cinema to point out flaws that brought the movie down, but the only thing I took away from this review about why it's a bad movie is because it involved a "REAL BIble" and "God".
He never really gets into WHY the characters don't work, NOTHING about the camera work, little description of the action sequences, the art style, the atmosphere, the dialogue, the on-screen chemistry of the actors, the set pieces.. you know, the stuff a movie SHOULD be based on. Instead we get "He carries a bible cause GOD told him too! This movie is crap! Who would do something so stupid as to have FAITH in an apocalypse?!"
Like someone else said earlier, it smacks of elitism and an obvious disdain for Religion and anyone "stupid enough" to believe in them.
Being on the fourth page as I type this, I doubt that this post will even be glanced at, but I must write this for the sake of my own sanity.
I just got back from seeing this movie. Literally walked in the door, watched the review, and began reading the comments. Bob, I am ashamed at you. You talked nothing of the movie. The twist that you were looking for was there the whole time. And, no, it did not "render 99% of the rest of the movie totally pointless". I usually enjoy your reviews, but this was hardly a review. It was more of a "this movie is about the bible, I hate religion" to me.
To those of you saying that you absolutely will not see this movie based on Bob's description, sorry you're missing out. He did absolutely no justice to this movie whatsoever. Basing seeing this movie off of one person's opinion on it, whether they are paid to publish this opinion or not, is stupid. Have a mind of your own for once. There are, I'm sure, plenty of movies you have seen or games you have played where the reviews tore the content in question up, that you still love, cherish, and hold dearly.
This movie was astounding, even if the plot wasn't terribly deep, or the characters weren't amazingly dynamic. It is an awesome, post-apocalyptic action flick. I recommend you see it. But hey, like I said, you probably won't.
Oh, and to all of you not seeing it now because you know that the book is the bible: you are not cool because you are acting atheist. You are not cool because you are atheist. You are not cool for not conforming to some sort of religion. If you are one of these people, and you cannot accept religion, or at least respect it, I pity your closed-mindedness.
I just got back from seeing this movie. Literally walked in the door, watched the review, and began reading the comments. Bob, I am ashamed at you. You talked nothing of the movie. The twist that you were looking for was there the whole time. And, no, it did not "render 99% of the rest of the movie totally pointless". I usually enjoy your reviews, but this was hardly a review. It was more of a "this movie is about the bible, I hate religion" to me.
To those of you saying that you absolutely will not see this movie based on Bob's description, sorry you're missing out. He did absolutely no justice to this movie whatsoever. Basing seeing this movie off of one person's opinion on it, whether they are paid to publish this opinion or not, is stupid. Have a mind of your own for once. There are, I'm sure, plenty of movies you have seen or games you have played where the reviews tore the content in question up, that you still love, cherish, and hold dearly.
This movie was astounding, even if the plot wasn't terribly deep, or the characters weren't amazingly dynamic. It is an awesome, post-apocalyptic action flick. I recommend you see it. But hey, like I said, you probably won't.
Oh, and to all of you not seeing it now because you know that the book is the bible: you are not cool because you are acting atheist. You are not cool because you are atheist. You are not cool for not conforming to some sort of religion. If you are one of these people, and you cannot accept religion, or at least respect it, I pity your closed-mindedness.
if anyone was surprised by this review, that it was a story about a man and his bible you realy need to watch more trailers. but that aside just beocsue it was religious and partualy steriotypical it wasnt an absolutly horrid movie. the acting was fairly well done, and the action was enjoyable to watch. even with the story of a man on a mission from god i didnt find it to be overly preachy. but i knew what to expect when going in. it certianly isnt a movie for everyone though, but there are worse ways to spend 2 hours.
Not that it should matter, but I'm not an Atheist 
My issue with the use of religion in this movie is that it's heavy-handed yet also profoundly silly. Christianity in "Eli" is used like magic spells are in "Harry Potter": Eli teaches a person who's NEVER even heard of religion before to say grace, and immediately they're a better, more confident human being than before. The bad guy wants The Book for the same reason: "The Words" will give him power (and the movie agrees with him.) Aside from being a flat-out distortion of the religion in question, that's just GOOFY - especially in a movie trying so hard to be gritty and "real."
FWIW, here's the part that I DIDN'T want to spoil in the review (click at your own risk) that more or less colored why the particular treatment of religion in the movie didn't work for me:
My issue with the use of religion in this movie is that it's heavy-handed yet also profoundly silly. Christianity in "Eli" is used like magic spells are in "Harry Potter": Eli teaches a person who's NEVER even heard of religion before to say grace, and immediately they're a better, more confident human being than before. The bad guy wants The Book for the same reason: "The Words" will give him power (and the movie agrees with him.) Aside from being a flat-out distortion of the religion in question, that's just GOOFY - especially in a movie trying so hard to be gritty and "real."
FWIW, here's the part that I DIDN'T want to spoil in the review (click at your own risk) that more or less colored why the particular treatment of religion in the movie didn't work for me:
In the last five minutes of the movie, we discover that The Bible is in brail - Eli is blind. The implication, then, is that everything from Eli's uber-awesome swordsmanship to his supernatural survival instincts to his "sense" of his ultimate destination - a colony of post-nuke librarians dedicated to preserving and restoring books - are all "the hand of God."
Nevermind the fact that this means that God has guided Eli on his path in the longest and most dangerous manner possible for NO discernable reason, it renders ALL of the tension moot: Eli is the only one who can read the book, and he's been memorizing it so he can dictate to the librarians, so at ANY time he could've just tossed it to the bad guys and kept walking - there's LITERALLY been no point to the entire "protect the book" premise of the whole film.
Nevermind the fact that this means that God has guided Eli on his path in the longest and most dangerous manner possible for NO discernable reason, it renders ALL of the tension moot: Eli is the only one who can read the book, and he's been memorizing it so he can dictate to the librarians, so at ANY time he could've just tossed it to the bad guys and kept walking - there's LITERALLY been no point to the entire "protect the book" premise of the whole film.
VenomFangX or whatever he's calling himself now he's "left" Youtube will obviously be going to see this one along with his entourage of Creationist cronies.
If only the book was Eli's diary as he chronicled his journeys across the wasteland which was picked up by some other traveler who followed the journey to the letter it might be a little more interesting.
As such, I'll be skipping this, not too big on the whole "God" thing, personally (but Boondock Saints was awesome).
If only the book was Eli's diary as he chronicled his journeys across the wasteland which was picked up by some other traveler who followed the journey to the letter it might be a little more interesting.
As such, I'll be skipping this, not too big on the whole "God" thing, personally (but Boondock Saints was awesome).
Just got back from seeing it...I really didn't think it was that bad. In fact, I actually quite liked it. The acting was great, action was entertaining and the post-apocalypic landscape look stunning. But then I didn't see any trailers for it, so I think I enjoyed it more not knowing what was happening from the start.