If you are a massive Star Wars fan, then chances are you were disappointed with the April Blu-ray release of Episode VII - The Force Awakens. While the release had spectacular audio and video along with some great bonus features like "Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey," there was no 3D release and no commentary track for the film. That has been fixed and given some extra love with the Star Wars: The Force Awakens 3D Collector's Edition Blu-ray release, which is now available to buy! Let's talk about why you should pick up this release today.
The Force Awakens 3D
I know 3D movies are typically a love or hate kind of thing, but here is my perspective on it: If a movie is released in 3D in theaters then you should see it in 3D, because you may not have a chance to see it again in that format. Luckily, we don't have to worry about that with The Force Awakens as we finally have it to watch at home and although it isn't quite as good as the 3D theater experience, it is still pretty awesome. The depth created by 3D along with the amazing picture and audio quality just surround you in the movie in an extremely unique way. If you don't have a 3D TV at home, find a friend who does and take this over to watch - you won't be disappointed.
Bonus Features
If you paid attention above, you may have seen where I said the original Blu-ray release had some awesome bonus features. Well, they took the bonus features to the next level with the 3D Collector's Edition and it is nirvana for all of us Star Wars geeks out there. Let me break down my favorites:
- The Scavenger and the Stormtrooper: A Conversation with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega - There is no doubt that J.J. Abrams made a brilliant casting decision with Finn and Rey, and to sit and listen to the chemistry between John Boyega and Daisy Ridley outside of the film is even better. The two stars share some great stories along with a couple new clips never seen before and it will leave you loving the two characters more than before.
- Foley: A Sonic Tale & Sounds of the Resistance - I'm lumping these two features together, because they both involve sound, but they are also both wildly fascinating. 'Foley: A Sonic Tale' explores the foley artists who worked on The Force Awakens and if you don't know anything about foley then you are missing out. It is an amazing art that is taken for granted in the movie world. 'Sounds of the Resistance' follows up and shares some of the work done on the sound design and blending with the score. Plus, it has a clip of Ben Schwartz doing his voice work for BB-8 and that makes it worth it for me.
- Deleted Scenes - The deleted scenes on this Collector's Edition aren't the strongest extra features, but because the clips were mostly finished and scored it makes them worth watching. Most are extremely short, but the clip to look for is the one that would've been Leia's first onscreen appearance in the movie that was cut to build up to her dramatic reveal.
- Commentary by J.J. Abrams - This was one of the biggest selling points of this Collector's Edition and it didn't disappoint. There is no one who knows more about The Force Awakens than Abrams and he shares everything you could want to hear over the course of the 2 hour and 15 minute movie with very few gaps. Seriously, if you've never listened to a movie with commentary before, this should be your first. It is fascinating and will make you appreciate The Force Awakens in a brand new way.
