Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman's post-apocalyptic neo-Western movie is a flawed but worthwhile re-watch 16 years later
It's flawed; the dated action cinematography and a poor performance from Mila Kunis prevent this film from rising to the next step. But Denzel's combat moves presage his later performances in "The Equalizer" franchise, while Gary Oldman's vintage villain performances remind us of some of his greatest hits.Where to watch: Buy or rent "The Book of Eli" on Amazon"The Book of Eli" was a movie I was really looking forward to in my Denzel Watchathon. Not because I think it's one of his seminal works; the movie was poorly reviewed at the time, and I don't recall leaving the theater stunned by anything other than the movie's final twist.
- ▪It's flawed; the dated action cinematography and a poor performance from Mila Kunis prevent this film from rising to the next step.
- ▪But Denzel's combat moves presage his later performances in "The Equalizer" franchise, while Gary Oldman's vintage villain performances remind us of some of his greatest hits.Where to watch: Buy or rent "The Book of Eli" on Amazon"The Book
- ▪Not because I think it's one of his seminal works; the movie was poorly reviewed at the time, and I don't recall leaving the theater stunned by anything other than the movie's final twist.
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| Publication time | Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:30:00 +0000 |
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Entertainment Movies Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman's post-apocalyptic neo-Western movie is a flawed but worthwhile re-watch 16 years later Opinion By Malcolm McMillan Published 26 September 2026 'The Book of Eli' has so much potential and occasionally even lives up to it When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Alamy) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The Tom's Guide verdict: 'The Book of Eli' (2010)Rating: 3/5 starsVerdict: Three stars might be generous, but the potential of this movie and the world it builds has me grading it on a slight curve.
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