Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens – Blu-Ray Movie Review

Princess Leia, now General Organa, is searching for her brother Luke Skywalker who has been betrayed by a trusted apprentice and is now in hiding. A map to his location comes into the possession of Poe Dameron, a pilot for the Resistance. Also seeking the map is Kylo Ren, a dark lord of the force and leader of the First Order, an offshoot of the Empire. At the center of everything is a mysterious young girl, Rey, who stumbles upon the droid carrying the map. She is quickly befriended by Finn, a Stormtrooper who has deserted his post.

After escaping the planet Jakku, they meet Han Solo who agrees to help them get the droid to the Resistance’s secret base. Meanwhile, General Hux and the First Order ready a terrible weapon capable of destroying an entire solar system. With intelligence gathered from Finn, the Resistance mounts a last-ditch attack against the weapon in hopes of saving the fragile Republic from total annihilation.

Specifications

20th Century Fox
2015, Color, Rated PG-13, 2 Hrs 15 mins
DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, 2.40:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
Directed by J.J. Abrams

Rating

Entertainment:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Violence: Yes
Sex: No
Language: No

The plot sounds oddly familiar doesn’t it? Good and evil sparring over vital information that can turn the tide in a conflict. Mysterious characters who find themselves caught up in a destiny that can either save or destroy the galaxy. I’m certainly not the first reviewer to draw parallels between episodes VII and IV. But that’s OK. It’s a formula that works and honestly, the Star Wars franchise sorely needs a film to take things back to their roots. The re-boot by J.J. Abrams is brilliantly done. The familiar elements are there and several new mysteries are introduced that will keep fans hungry for more. This universe has so much to offer and this film is a great start. I’m sure there will come a day when Star Wars movies outnumber Marvel’s offerings.

With modern special effects and phenomenal performances from both new and old actors alike, The Force Awakens is just two hours and fifteen minutes of movie-watching fun. There’s no attempt at the artistic here; it’s a cinema experience that will appeal to a wide variety of viewers. You don’t need to be a sci-fi fan to appreciate it. It truly does have something for everyone. I highly recommend adding it to your library as it is a Blu-ray that will be enjoyed again and again.

The image is super-clean with fine detail and terrific contrast. Tiny nuances like the texture of metal on Luke’s lightsaber handle or beads of sweat on a character’s face pop from the screen. Motion is handled beautifully as well with thoughtful camera work. I didn’t see even a single moment of judder. My only nit-pick is red details like panel buttons or actor’s lips seem a little over-blown at times. It’s extremely minor but it is noticeable. Otherwise, the picture is at reference level.

Audio is similarly detailed with terrific depth and bass that will shake your room’s very foundation if you have a powerful sub-woofer. The DTS-HD Master Audio encode is near-perfect but in my opinion, the levels are a bit polite. Bumping up the volume helps but I wasn’t quite blown away. The very best part is John Williams’ iconic score. It blends elements from the original films along with sensational new material. He is truly a gifted musician and composer.

The making-of feature is over an hour long and details the film’s creation extremely well. You also get seven other shorts that cover more specific subjects. One of them is a clip from the famed table read where the principal cast got together for the first time. Also included are six deleted scenes