7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
A lone hero must fight his way across the wasteland of a post-apocalyptic America to protect a sacred book that holds the key to saving the future of humanity.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer BealsAction | 100% |
Thriller | 70% |
Sci-Fi | 36% |
Adventure | 36% |
Western | 10% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Bonus View (PiP)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Stay on the path.
Stories of the end of the world aren't exactly a new concept. Sure, recent history is ripe with films
that cover pretty much all the bases, from Mayan prophesies to alien attack, from nuclear holocaust to mystery event, from the year 2000 to global warming, from viruses to zombie infestation, but man's
obsession with the final hours dates back hundreds, if not thousands, of years, with an obvious
jumping-in point being the Book of Revelation, the last chapter in the Bible's New Testament and
said to
contain the signs and occurrences that would mark the final days of planet Earth.
But that doesn't mean a little nuclear apocalypse, a major asteroid impact, or something funky
getting into everyone's glass of water couldn't happen in the meantime. It's not truly the end
times until there's absolutely nobody left to fulfill some destiny, complete some task, save some
life, or renew faith in a greater good. The Book of Eli is another in a growing line of darkly
apocalyptic films, though it radically differs in course from the more run-of-the-mill aliens and
rising waters and concerns itself with a surprisingly deep, honest, and spiritual overtone that
examines
the importance of protecting that which is still good in a world filled with nothing but evil so that
future
generations may read, learn, embrace, and spread the good news rather than the bad.
Follow a feeling.
The Book of Eli wanders onto Blu-ray with a superb 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer that's been sourced from the film's original digital elements. Like The Road, The Book of Eli takes on a dingy, gray, cold, and desolate visual scheme. It's certainly not nearly as pronounced here, though; this is a far more balanced image that features plenty of light even through the picture's darker recesses that cover much of the film. This allows for greater detailing and texturing to stand out on-screen while the film retains that inhospitable visual scheme, and the Blu-ray delivers the picture's every nuance splendidly. Detail is so fine that viewers could count the number of individual speckles of dust that are seen floating about a bright light source offset against a dark background in one early scene. Even such diminutive objects look sharp and natural, and float in such a way so as to heighten the transfer's strong sense of depth that's readily evident in most every scene. The transfer also manages to capture even the finest of details in pebbles and grains of dirt and sand that make up the post-apocalyptic landscape, while also showcasing the finest lines and pores on faces, caked-on dirt and grime that covers an older iPod, and the wear-and-tear seen on war-torn environments and well-used weapons. The picture's color scheme is reserved at best, the film taking on a predominantly gray tone accentuated by deep and penetrating blacks that are perfectly balanced against the brighter in-frame elements. Blacks are strong and inky and rarely drown out finer detail and never appear unnaturally bright. The film demands to be seen on larger screens to better appreciate the scope of the landscape and the wonderful production design, and the Blu-ray allows for a sharp, crisp image at any reasonable high definition size. Flesh tones are accurate insofar as they remain true to the picture's bleak visual tone, and only a slight bit of banding in a few scenes interrupts what is otherwise a wonderful Blu-ray transfer from Warner Brothers.
The Book of Eli explodes onto Blu-ray with a powerhouse DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is one smooth track; it's big, crisp, and wonderfully detailed, with every speaker in the arsenal coming out to play and engaging in Action movie mayhem in several scenes that will leave audiences breathless with the realism of everything from gunshots to crashing vehicles. Said gunshots ring out with a precision and realism rarely found in movies; there's a sense of honesty to the gunfire where it's not over-exaggerated but rather frighteningly natural. Bullets zip through the listening area during several shootouts and traverse through the speakers with alarming ease; this one might have listeners ducking for cover. Indeed, imaging is superb as various sounds -- whether gunfire, vehicles moving from one side of the screen to the other, or any number of environmental effects -- make their way about the soundstage with an ease and efficiency that's been captured to this level of perfection in but a few other soundtracks. Ambience both light and moderately heavy is supremely impressive as well; whether gusting winds or creaks and pops inside worn and unstable structures, listeners will feel like a part of the environment in most every scene. The DTS track also delivers a potent low end that's incredibly deep and impeccably precise and tight. Rounded out by pitch-perfect dialogue reproduction, The Book of Eli sounds even better than it looks and delivers a reference-quality listen.
Warner's Blu-ray release of The Book of Eli delivers a healthy collection of extras, headlined by WB Maximum Movie Mode, an interactive picture-in-picture feature that offers cast and crew interview clips that cover a wide array of information, including the film's origins, visual style, special effects, the use of matte paintings, set design, shooting locales, casting, story and themes, and more. Often appearing in the picture-in-picture window in conjunction with the interviews are storyboard-to-screen comparisons, 3-D preview graphics, concept art, and much more. Viewers may also press "enter" when prompted to view additional full-screen behind-the-scenes featurettes as they relate to specific moments in the film, presented in 1.78:1 1080p images. Note that these shorts are also available to view immediately under the "Focus Points" tab on the main menu screen. Although the secondary video does not run consistently over this film, this is a strong supplement that fans will enjoy. Next is A Lost Tale: Billy (1080p, 5:02), a short film in graphic novel style that tells a story of a young Carnegie. Behind the Story features two extras, Starting Over (1080p, 13:03) and Eli's Journey (1080p, 17:54). The former features several individuals speaking on the process of living in and ultimately rebuilding the world after an apocalypse, while the latter looks at the film's visual schemes and its characters, the quality of the actors, the film's themes of faith, the design of crucial props, and more. 'The Book of Eli' Soundtrack (1080p, 4:59) features Co-Director Allen Hughes and Composer Atticus Ross speaking about the film's score. Also included is Warner Bros. BD-Live functionality and a collection of deleted and alternate scenes (1080p, 1:53). Disc two of this set contains DVD and digital copies of The Book of Eli. The digital copy, sampled on a second-generation iPod Touch, features an active but unconvincing soundtrack that's clear and strong with a decent sense of space but plays as incredibly unbalanced by exaggerating most every effect. Meanwhile, the picture quality appears stable with good detailing and only moderate blocking.
A picture that nicely balances action and adventure with a deeper purpose, The Book of Eli sets itself apart from others of its kind as a post-apocalyptic film with an obvious but welcome message on the power of faith, belief, and destiny, themes that are often more subdued in other films but obviously realized -- and to excellent effect -- here. The picture is packed with metaphors and imagery that might not sit well with all viewers but should satisfy those of a faith-based background. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release of The Book of Eli boasts a wonderful technical presentation and a fair assortment of extra content. Highly recommended.
Rental Copy
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
Corrected Disc / Mad Max 2
1981
Director's Cut
2009
2015
2013
2009
+BD with the 3 versions
1991
2005
2015
2004
2007
3-Disc Set
2010
Limited Edition
2004
2020
3 Disc Edition
2012
2010
15th Anniversary Edition
2005
20th Anniversary
2003
1990
Collector's Edition
2013
2011