Having never been a fan of the Hughes Bros, this critic wasn't expecting much from their latest, "THE BOOK OF ELI." However, "THE BOOK OF ELI," even with its flaws, is not only a good film, it's a "great" film!

Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a man on a mission, in a post-apocalyptic world. Eli is trekking across the wasteland of Earth, after something causing a "hole in the sky" killed most inhabitants, leaving only the ones out of its view to survive. It's not just a barren landscape, it's an incredibly bleak one as well. The color palette is subdued in a way that evokes film-noir with subtle color. Eli is determined to complete the uncertain task he is at, and while venturing alone, he continuously meets blood-thirsty criminals, and his uncanny fighting abilities dispense of them before they can harm him. Eli, while certainly painted as the hero to root for, has no qualms about using violence. It's to the Hughes Bros' credit, that the scenes of violence, while effective, are never as disturbing as what one may have expected after seeing their debut film, "MENACE 2 SOCIETY."

When Eli ventures into a desert town along his journey west, he comes face-to-face with the main villain(Gary Oldman), whom just so happens to be using his criminal empire in the aim of finding a certain book. It's made obvious Eli is carrying it, and the majority of the plot that follows pits Eli against this villain and his hordes as they seek to capture the book he's carrying, by any means necessary.

A beautiful girl,(Mila Kunis) ends up joining Eli and becoming a strong ally in the process.

"THE BOOK OF ELI" achieves most of its goals extremely well.  While post-apocalyptic, it never succumbs to the cheezy-ness found in film like the "I AM LEGEND" remake. The acting is great. Even Gary Oldman's penchant for eating the scenery, is generally restrained. But, the script and direction are handled like a expensive Swiss Watch and the result is no less striking.

WARNER BROS.has provided the correct 2.39:1 aspect ratio for this VC-1 encoded 1080p blu-ray. While colors are intentionally dulled, the detail achieved in scene after scene, is incredible.  Deep, inky blacks ensure none of the detail is swallowed up in shadow. While not every scene jumps off the screen, "THE BOOK OF ELI" succeeds in ranking as one of the best looking blu-rays released in 2010.

WARNER BROS. has provided a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, immersing the audience right from the start and never letting go. Surrounds, discrete and bass effects make combine together in a manner making this one of the best blu-rays ever released, and well worth adding to a home collection.

The immersive qualities of this lossy blu-ray mix, help make it one of the best quality blu-ray releases of 2010.

Various featurettes are included, and the majority well-worth while!

In addition to interviews, there are also an examination of the film's powerful soundtrack and much more! Add the dvd and digital copy coming with the pre-pack edition, and it would be annoying "not to see "THE BOOK of Eli" on blu-ray.