The Book of Eli - A powerful and entertaining movie.

Washington is a mad divinely protected prophet walking to the Promised Land. Thin on dialogue and big on action and visuals we are gradually clued in to the critical facts - not the least being that Eli is invincible. It makes sense in this desolate dehumanized world to present the Good vs. Evil struggle in such clear simple and graphic terms. Sepia, blue and gray. The main characters are as many symbolic types as human - and this story could as easily told in any style - graphic novel, play and short story. As film unfortunately because of the way everything is revealed from karate fight to karate fight and the pretext for a fight has to be set up over and over again, it drags a bit.

Because Washington is such a superb actor, he gives life to a film that threatens to become a long Sunday sermon. Gary Oldman injects his evil sparkle to the mix at a time when the story needs it most.

The music was effective with all of the low register instruments it could manage.

The final critical revelation about Eli and his purpose is cleverly concealed/revealed till the very last in a few brief images.