The Book of Eli, the latest film from the Hughes Brothers (Menace 2 Society, From Hell) follows the travels of Eli (Denzel Washington), a man who has been on a quest to deliver a “special but rare” book to the West Coast of the post apocalyptic United States for roughly 30 years. Along the way, he encounters a man by the name of Carnegie (Gary Oldman), the owner of a small town and the leader of a gang who has hopes of expanding into other towns. To do this, Carnegie believes this book is his key to expansion and without it, his dreams are simply a lost cause.

From the beginning of the movie it is apparent this film is full of style. Since the film is set in a post apocalyptic wasteland that is the United States, the colors of the film are bland and monotone, signifying a land that is for the most part dead (although there are apparently plenty of raiders waiting to rob people).

As we watch Eli travel, we see the results of the nuclear war that befell the United States roughly 30 years before: crumbling freeways, cracking highways, zero greenery, broken down vehicles and abandoned homes.

It is this attention to detail on the part of the Hughes Brothers that is arguably the most appealing aspect of the film as one can become so engrossed in the surroundings in the film that it's easy to zone out and take in the sights. While the attention to detail is great in the film, it is also its downside as well as it can become distracting. There were times when I became distracted with the surroundings of the film and was not paying attention to what the characters were saying. Whether that is a testament to the visuals being excellent or the story being boring at times is a matter of opinion, but during my viewing the visuals did not distract me so much that I became confused as to what was happening in the story.

The film does begin to slow and become a bit boring at times. One instance in particular is when Eli relaxes for the night. This is to be expected, as this is a problem that has plagued film in the post apocalyptic genre since the Mad Max series of films. However, the setting is after all a wasteland.

Survival and self reliance are the most important qualities a person would have to have in a post apocalyptic setting (and the film demonstrates this well) and as a result, downtime in a story in this type of setting must be expected.

The story for the most part complements the visuals well. It is somewhat of a simplistic story but a strong one at that. It does have some religious tones as well. These religious tones come off as incredibly well done, as it is in no way preachy and will give the religious as well as the non-religious alike an appreciation for the points the film attempts to make.

The Book of Eli is definitely a different kind of post apocalyptic film. It is essentially a Western film in a post apocalyptic sett ing combined with religious tones. If at least one of these qualities of the film interests you in any way, I urge you to check out the film; it will definitely be worth your time. While I cannot promise you that you will be blown away, I can promise you that you will find something to like in the Book of Eli.