For those looking for a good ole fashioned Christian-themed blockbuster but thought The Chronicles of Narnia too childish or Fireproof too horrible, The Book of Eli may be a perfect fit. Never before has so much bloodshed and so many decapitations come together in the name of The Book (well, at least if you don’t count real life).

Denzel Washington plays Eli, a soft-spoken loner in a desolate land, intent on always moving west toward an unknown destination. But a single man strolling in an apocalyptic setting is ripe for the vigilante groups that stalk the dust-covered road. When the two opposites clash (as they often do throughout Eli), Eli puts away his calming words and “we can work this out” attitude in exchange for a gigantic machete and a cache of guns.

The hand-to-hand fight sequences are excellently choreographed, from the single-shot opening donnybrook to the melee in the bar. Blood erupts from amputated limbs and heads rain down like a ticker-tape parade.

Eventually Eli runs into the villain, a smarmy kingpin named Carnegie (Oldman), who has a simple goal: bring him a book; specifically, the tome that left Earth in such a shambles. Well, guess who has it? Yeah, that guy. Conflict ensues.

The message of the movie is subtle, hidden behind the typical bad guy wants something the good guy has storyline. Usually this involves a futuristic device or the ignition code for a nuclear weapon, but here it is something more at hand, something more basic…just a book. And it’s a book we all know, have seen before, possibly even read. Why is it so valuable?

It is not the book itself, but its potential influence over others that give it weight. Like other powerful tools, the book is not inherently good or bad, it is merely an instrument and its effect is derived from whoever wields it. It’s a great discussion point wrapped inside images of violent action and bleak wastelands; these scenes, albeit slightly modified, could have played out thousands of years ago - and would have been even more to the point – over the same ideals.

Actually, the message of Eli is interesting, and does a much better job of presenting it to the general public than any other quasi-religious movie to date. Adding in the excessive violence may be the colorful wrapping paper that disguises an unwanted gift, but it is done well, especially given Denzel’s non-existent prior experience. However, much of the story felt rushed to make it to the next bit of action; flimsy non sequiturs built up just to find a reason to fight. It’s a tough subject to tackle, but one that needs more attention. Unfortunately, Eli was not the savior they were hoping for.

And the twist ending is ridiculous.