Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

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

Best Buy Exclusive

We normally don't review store exclusive titles that are also being widely distributed by way of a standard edition sold at all outlets, but with the immense popularity of the 'Star Wars' franchise and Episode VII in particular, we've decided to offer a real-world glimpse at the four store exclusives available to buy beyond the standard wide release, which has been reviewed here. Skip below to the "Supplements" section on this page for a review of the Best Buy exclusive.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For a full video quality review, please click here.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For a full audio quality review, please click here.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Best Buy's exclusive SteelBook variation is likely to be the favorite of the four store exclusives. Blu-ray.com's collection statistics have it in nearly 900 collections at time of writing, almost double the Target, Wal-Mart, and Disney versions combined. And why not. It's a beautiful SteelBook. Best Buy has tastefully affixed a sheet that offers the same back cover information as the wide release slip and that announces store exclusivity on the front. It's held on by a dab of adhesive that's easily, and cleanly, removed. The case is typical SteelBook construction. Its smooth and reflective surface is a fingerprint magnet, the only real drawback to an otherwise impressive release. It features an embossed Star Wars text on the front bottom-left side; the larger front area prominently features a close-up image of Kylo Ren with lightsaber drawn. The back presents a detailed image of Captain Phasma, and the SteelBook's glossy surface does justice to the shiny Stormtrooper armor. Inside are the three standard discs -- the movie and extras on Blu-ray, the movie on DVD -- and a Disney digital copy voucher. The Blu-ray discs share the right side in a staggered formation while the DVD sits alone on the left. Under the discs is one of the iconic stills from the movie, featuring the Millennium Falcon in combat with TIE Fighters just above the terrain on Jakku. It's a little hard to see in all its glory with the clear plastic tabs sitting atop, but it's something nice to look at when cracking open the case. This is easily the most gorgeous of the exclusives, and its emphasis on villains plays counter to the Wal-Mart version, which highlights heroes.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What a beautiful SteelBook. It's nice enough that even those who don't normally go for the SteelBook might find themselves drawn to the dark side and fixed on its elegance. There's nothing special in the case, but it's a presentation that will likely become the centerpiece of any SteelBook collection, no matter how large or small.