We are one week away (at least here in the United States) from the Blu-ray release of The Force Awakens arriving on retail store shelves for us to consume en masse on April 5. The folks over at Blu-ray.com, a website that I cannot recommend highly enough for the quality of their reviews, have posted their thoughts on the Episode VII Blu-ray. Nobody on the web breaks down a Blu-ray release as thoroughly as these guys do, so be sure to take the source link below for their in-depth review.
I sense something. A presence I’ve not felt since…a long time ago, in a galaxy that feels far, far away in some respects but, with the brilliance of The Force Awakens as the next chapter in the storied Star Wars saga, right here and right now in others. Star Wars has never not been relevant since the original film’s blockbusting debut back in 1977, but its revitalization in 2015 with the long-awaited seventh franchise film, and the first to release since George Lucas transferred control to Disney, has been nothing less than a re-awakening of the core fan base and the franchise’s worldwide appeal alike. Not since 1999, in the months and days and hours leading up to The Phantom Menace’s release to theaters, has there been so much palpable excitement in the air around a movie, a feeling of youthful revitalization and unadulterated hope for a film franchise that has, unlike any before it or any since, so perfectly married whimsical fantasy, keen dramatic storytelling, and movie magic as well as Star Wars. Those prequel films, and the first two in particular, didn’t quite live up to fan expectations, but part of the problem was that they looked the wrong way, choosing to gaze backwards in time rather than push the series forward. They re-introduced a previously established universe and lore rather than evolve them in a meaningful way. There’s something magical about the way forward, fully exploring the unknown rather than being led through a past with an inevitable destination clearly in sight. And The Force Awakens is filled with bold new strokes and striking happenings, all the while remaining ever faithful to the source and all of its biggest concepts and tiniest intricacies alike. More than any film since The Empire Strikes Back, The Force Awakens exudes Star Wars and all that those two words imply.
