Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Eli walks alone in post-apocalyptic America. He heads west along the Highway of Death on a mission he doesn't fully understand but knows he must complete. In his backpack is the last copy of a book that could become the wellspring of a revived society. Or in the wrong hands, the hammer of a despot. Denzel Washington is Eli, who keeps his blade sharp and his survival instincts sharper as his quest thrusts him into a savage wasteland...and into explosive conflict with a resourceful warlord set on possessing the book.

The Hughes Brothers deliver a powerful post-apocalyptic journey with this one. Washington plays a walker who carries the last existing copy of the bible. Oldman plays a thug who wants the book to inspire the last survivors of our world to rally behind him as no faith is left in the world. The film features amazing art direction and depicts a harsh and drab world where people wander aimlessly in life searching for any meaning and hope. This would be an interesting companion piece to the recently reviewed film, The Road, but plays a bit lighter and with a bit more Hollywood twist. Overall I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

The Book of Eli was shot with the Red One 4K digital camera that we’re seeing more and more with recent productions. This lends to an almost insane clarity onscreen with sharp detail and impressive depth and dimension. The post production work lends to a drab landscape that features incredibly blacks and shadow detail, but little in the way of color. Razor sharp imagery is an understatement. The DTS-HD Master Audio mix is also impressive, though not quite to the level of the film’s visuals. The moody score really opens up the main soundstage and provides plenty of mood for the film. Directional cues are served up a plenty and dynamic range in the action sequences is quite good.

Extras include some interactive onscreen film to storyboard comparisons as well as insight into the film with the director’s and stars. A look at the themes of the film and the haunting score are also included. Like all of Warner’s new releases, a DVD copy and digital copy for your portable device are also included.

This one was better than expected and delivered a nice balance of action and story. The visuals are stunning and the Blu-ray delivers the A/V experience in spades. Recommended!