‘THE BOOK OF ELI’ directed by Allen and Albert Hughes, is set to premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Monday, January 11th, which means us common folk have mere days till it reaches a theater near us.

From the looks of the trailer, Denzel looks ready to kick some major ass. Unlike other films with successful actors that portray the protagonist in a post-apocalyptic world, ‘The Book of Eli’ is neither a remake nor an adaptation from a novel, which is refreshing in this seemingly film re-boot age. Gary Olman, who has been playing Mr. Nice Guy as of late, returns to what he does best, playing the villain. Though I am happy that Mila Kunis, who also stars in the film, is finally breaking out beyond ‘That 70’s Show‘ and ‘Family Guy‘ (she voices the role of Meg Griffin), I am curious about her being cast in this film. Directors might have seen her role in Max Payne and figured she can kick butt, which she can, but aren’t there any other actresses over 30 that they could find to balance the age difference between her 50 year old co-stars. Ah, but it’s the age old (no pun intended) Hollywood casting stigmata that apparently will never die. It’s too bad, but, I am sure Mila will rock the role. The film is scheduled to be released Friday, January 15th and if the film’s buzz is any indication, it looks like it will do well at the box office.

Here is the synopsis of the film:

In the not-too-distant future, some 30 years after the final war, a solitary man walks across the wasteland that was once America. Empty cities, broken highways, seared earth—all around him, the marks of catastrophic destruction. There is no civilization here, no law. The roads belong to gangs that would murder a man for his shoes, an ounce of water…or for nothing at all.

But they’re no match for this traveler.

A warrior not by choice but necessity, Eli (Denzel Washington) seeks only peace but, if challenged, will cut his attackers down before they realize their fatal mistake. It’s not his life he guards so fiercely but his hope for the future; a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years and is determined to realize. Driven by this commitment and guided by his belief in something greater than himself, Eli does what he must to survive—and continue.

“The Book of Eli” is directed by the Hughes Brothers (“Menace II Society,” “Dead Presidents”) from a screenplay by Gary Whitta. It is produced by Joel Silver, Denzel Washington, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove and David Valdes.

The film is Rated R.

View the trailer below…

Will you be seeing ‘The Book of Eli’?