It'll make you think...

Can't wait to see "The book of Eli" when it comes out on Friday. I'm pretty sure it will fall into the category of a "great Christian movie that isn't a Christian movie." Check out this review:

Hollywood's 'The Book of Eli' casts Bible, Christian character as central

By Bob Allen

MALIBU, Calif. (ABP) -- The Bible plays a starring role in "The Book of Eli," a post-apocalyptic action film starring Denzel Washington that opens in theaters Jan. 15.

Washington, a two-time Academy Award winner widely known in Hollywood
for his Christian beliefs, portrays a lone warrior making his way
across a desolate American landscape defending the world's last
remaining copy of the King James Version of holy writ.

"This is a story about a man named Eli, who's been sent a message, who
hears voices from God that told him to take this book, the Bible,
across the country and to deliver it out West," Washington says in a
movie trailer posted on ScreenVue.com, which provides movie clips for
churches and ministries to use in their teachings.

Though in the vein of recent films like "2012," a blockbuster about
the end of the world as predicted by the Mayan calendar, evangelical
movie buffs are touting "The Book of Eli" as a rare major studio
release where the protagonist is unabashedly a Christian.

"How far are we willing to go in response to God's call?" Craig
Detweiler, director of Pepperdine University's Center for
Entertainment, Media and Culture, writes in a study guide written for
Christian viewers of the film. "What kind of sacrifices would we make
to defend the Word of God?"

The movie, which has Washington's character facing down villains
trying to stop him, earned an "R" rating for graphic violence and
coarse language.

"In following his mission he's been given by God, he becomes more and
more violent in order to get the job done," Washington explains in the
trailer. "This man, Eli, has a very difficult task, but he has faith.
And he makes mistakes, as we all do. Someone said there's no testimony
without a test."

The movie's hard edge may give some religious moviegoers pause. Angela
Walker, director of producer relations for ChristianCinema.com, wrote
that she pondered the movie's objectionable content for a month after
seeing an advance screening before deciding the film's spiritual
themes were redeeming qualities.

"Personally, I want to support filmmakers who explore questions of
faith in their films," she wrote. "For me, choosing to see this film
is casting a vote for Hollywood filmmakers to keep making films about
faith. It is telling them I will buy tickets to films they create
about topics I'm interested in."

Detweiler pointed out that no words of profanity come from
Washington's mouth. "He is clearly set apart as a holy character on a
godly mission," he said. "So he acts as one would hope a man of God
would act."

While Washington's character does resort to violence, Detweiler said,
it is always in self-defense against another character's aggression.

"It seems comparable to the situation most of us find ourselves in --
trying to follow God in a fallen world where profanity, violence and
temptation is all around us," Detweiler said.

Screenwriter Gary Whitta told ChristianCinema.com that he spent a lot
of time going through the Bible to find passages that Eli could quote
at appropriate moments in the film. Washington, the son of a
Pentecostal preacher who attends the West Angeles Church of God in
Christ in Los Angeles, added some verses of his own.

Washington -- ranked by Beliefnet as the second most powerful
Christian in Hollywood behind Mel Gibson -- described "The Book of
Eli" as both "a story about faith" and "a story about good and evil"
with parallels to real life.

"We're all a work in progress," he said in the trailer. "I think we're
all on a journey on this earth to be better human beings and to
hopefully follow the Word of God. That's about all any of us can ask
for is to do the best we can with what we're given."