Category: The Rise of Skywalker

  • StarWars.com Details The Rise of Skywalker Bundles and Exclusives

    StarWars.com Details The Rise of Skywalker Bundles and Exclusives

    The other day, StarWars.com posted an article about the upcoming digital and physical releases of The Rise of Skywalker. Here’s the breakdown.

    The Rise of Skywalker Digital Release

    The Rise of Skywalker will be released digitally on March 17th. As its customary for new film releases, this is two weeks ahead of the physical release. It will be available in HD and 4k Ultra HD. It has a bunch of the same features as the physical release except the following:

    The Maestro’s Finale – Composer John Williams reflects on his body of work for the Star Wars saga and shares insights on scoring Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

    It makes no difference which retailer you buy the digital movie from. With Movies Anywhere, your purchase will be available on most devices and platforms.

    The Rise of Skywalker Physical Release

    As usual, the majore retailers each have their own exclusive version, all set to be released on March 31st both online and in-store.

    Best Buy

    Best Buy came out on top with not only one, but two exclusives.

    First up is a SteelBook with some iconic scenes on both the inside and outside of the case. The asking price for the The Rise of Skywalker SteelBook is $34.99. This bundle has the 4k UHD, Blu-ray, and Digital Code.

    Their other, way better exclusive is this:

    Here’s a bigger picture of what you get:

    This is THE deal to get: Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga contains ALL NINE movies in 4k. This is the first time any of the Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy films have been released in UHD. This should be the Maclunkey cut unless Lucasfilm messed with that scene again. Outside of Disney+ this is the only way to watch, let alone own, all 9 movies in UHD. Not only will you get physical discs, but you’ll also get digital copies as part of the bundle. But wait, there’s more! You’ll also get what looks like an art book and some sort of letter. Details are scant on what they are exactly, but the proof is in the picture. The price for the Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is $249.99. Again, this is exclusive to Best Buy.

    Target

    The Target exclusive of The Rise of Skywalker 4k UHD – Blu-ray – Digital Code bundle throws in a Filmmaker Gallery Book. There is also some exclusive content but the site doesn’t list exactly what that might be. They are asking for $34.99 before any REDCard discount.

    Walmart

    Walmart’s exclusive Episode IX bundle has a neat gatefold opening that holds all of the discs inside. Their price is $34.96.

    Don’t have a 4k TV? I just noticed this 9-film Blu-ray package from Walmart for $129.99. You get 18 discs of movies and bonus content inside a nice display box:

     

    Non-exclusive Vanilla TROS Version

    If the exclusives aren’t your cup of tea, you can always opt for the vanilla versions.

    Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Code “Multi Screen Edition” is $24.99. Buy from Best Buy | Target | Walmart

    4k / Blu-ray / Digital Code version “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” is $29.99. Buy from Best Buy | Target | Walmart

    No matter which version you choose, they all contain the following features:

    • The Skywalker Legacy – The story lives forever in this feature-length documentary that charts the making of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
    • Pasaana Pursuit: Creating the Speeder Chase – Dive into the making of the movie’s epic landspeeder chase and discover how this spectacular sequence was brought to the screen.
    • Aliens in the Desert – See what it took to create the Pasaana desert scenes, from the sheer scale and complexity of the shoot to its colorful details.
    • D-O: Key to the Past – Explore the ship that connects Rey to the mystery of her missing parents and get to know the galaxy’s newest, irresistible droid.
    • Warwick & Son – Warwick Davis, who played Wicket in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, dons the Ewok costume once more; this time joined by his son Harrison.
    • Cast of Creatures – The team behind the film’s memorable creatures reveal the puppetry, makeup, prosthetics and digital magic that bring them to life!

    tl;dr: The Rise of Skwyalker comes out on digital platforms on 3/17, physical on 3/31.

    Tons of purchasing options. If you click through any of the links above and make a purchase, FBTB may earn a small commission. And as always, FBTB greatly appreciates your continued support.

    Images lifted from the StarWars.com post The End of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Comes Home and various retailer product pages.

     

     

     

  • Top 10 Reasons Why I HATED Rise of Skywalker

    Top 10 Reasons Why I HATED Rise of Skywalker

    I hated Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker. How much did I hate it? Let me count the ways with a Top 10 list.

    Quick warning before you read this list: there is are some curse words at the bottom of this list. It’s the first time I’ve ever sworn in a post. Yes, that’s how much I hate this movie.

    Image lifted from Den of Geek

    10. The dagger literally pointing the way

    So this dagger that has a rune inscribed on it also happens to point to the exact location on the Death Star wreckage where the Sith wayfinder is but in order to pinpoint the exact location the Death Star has to be wrecked on a planet in a certain way and the holder of the dagger has to stand in a very specific spot. Come on.

    9. Characters who die but don’t really die

    I kinda thought TFA raised the stakes by offing Han. Luke was next to go in TLJ. And while I think Leia should have died in space in that movie, that’s a whole other topic and this article isn’t about that. Chewie dying at the hands of Rey, literally, would have been a tragic way to go out but JUST KIDDING! He’s alive. C-3PO having his memory wiped to retrieve a vital piece of information was a sad moment but JUST KIDDING! Because apparently R2-D2 serves as a Time Machine backup and he’s not really gone.  I think the film would have had a much more meaningful and emotional impact if they died and stayed dead. Come on.

    8. Rey’s parents were actually somebody

    The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi tried to establish that Rey came from nothing. And that was one of the messages that TLJ tried to establish in that the power of The Force could reside in anyone. But JUST KIDDING! Rey’s grandfather was actually Emperor Patchouli, meaning her parents were actually somebody and not just nobody. Come on.

    Emperor Porcupine’s family tree. Image lifted from 9gag

    7. Pancreas had a family

    Emperor Pumpkinpie doesn’t strike me as a person would would fall in love, court a woman, and have children. Nah, he’s more of a take-what-he-wants kind of person, so the idea that he had a family just doesn’t gel with me. He probably had illegitimate children with unwilling partners throughout his life. It kinda makes sense that Rey’s parents dropped her off on Jakku to protect her from dear old granddad, but still. How is this guy having children other than through violent crimes against women? Come on.

    6. Palmpilot coming back

    This makes no sense whatsofreakingever. I thought Darth Maul coming back after being CUT IN HALF was ludicrous, but Emeperor Pastrami coming back after he exploded on the Death Star, fell down a chasm, AND after the Death Star he was in exploded and fell to the forest moon of Endor is even worse. Come on.

    5. Leia being a Jedi master this entire time

    This just kind of happened with absolutely no indication of such a status from the previous two movies. Not even a hint. I shouldn’t be surprised though given how much Rise just destroyed the already established mythos from all 8 previous movies. Having Force Ghost Luke along with Force Ghost Yoda be Rey’s trainers would have been way more believable. I am probably in the minority in this, but having this little detail pop up seemed more fan service than actual plot device. It really added nothing to the narrative and raised more questions than it did anything else. Come on.

    4. The inconsistent death of Jedi

    Why did Leia disappear when she died? Look, some Jedi evaporate upon death, some don’t. A theory we, the staff, have worked out is that the Jedi that disappear upon death, do so because they are willing to give themselves to the Force: Luke when he did the Force projection; Yoda because he was just tired of Luke; Obi-Wan when he saw Luke and The Gang make their way to the Falcon and it was the only way to escape Vader and stll be a presence in Luke’s life. Vader became a Force ghost after the fact. We don’t really know if there was a body in that suit of armor that Luke was dragging around, and maybe there was, but pretty sure he died of mortal wounds from Emperor Pinocchio’s zappy fingers. Qui-Gon, all of the Jedi that fell victim to Order 66, and even Leia in Rise, all fell unexpectedly. So why did Leia’s body disappear when Ben kicked the bucket? Come on now. Makes no sense.

    3. The thing that Finn wanted to tell Rey when they were sinking in the quicksand

    JJ Abrams said that the thing that Finn wanted to tell Rey was that he was force sensitive. Really? Come on. It would have made more sense AND be more believable if he wanted to tell her he was in love with her. We get that he was force sensitive. It’s practically shoved down our throats during the entire movie.

    Image lifted from Forbes

    2. The complete sidelining of Rose Tico

    Kelly Marie Tran suffered from online bullying after TLJ to the point where she deleted her Instagram account. It was terrible, sad, and I felt bad for her. She had a pretty significant role in TLJ, but she was COMPLETELY sidelined in TROS. Rose Tico had 1 minute and 16 seconds of screen time in any capacity during the 2 hour 22 minute pile of hot garbage known as Rise. This is not how you sustain character development and not how you stand behind an actress with semi-major character. Come on.

    I can totes see why Rey hooked up with Kylo now. /sarcasm

    1. The kiss

    Oh, COME ON. This was hands down the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen in a Star Wars movie. Worse than when Leia Mary Poppins-ed her way back to the ship through space. Worse than a midichlorian scan. Worse than Jar Jar Binks. I’d take any of those over this contrived scene. There was no chemistry, no indication of feelings other than adversity between the two up until their final confrontation of Emperor Pontificator. A hug would have felt more natural and have way more of an emotional impact if during the hug Ben just evaporated and she was left holding a his clothes with tears running down her cheeks while screaming, “Ben! NOOOOOOOO!” But the kiss? Fuck that noise.

    ***

    I mean, really, if I had to distill this list down to just a single reason, the kiss is the absolute dealbreaker for me. I know people who liked and enjoyed the movie. And I’m happy for them that they enjoyed it. I just wish I could have been one of those people.

    Bonus Video

    Just something I enjoyed. It 100% echoes all the things wrong with Rise:

  • Rise of Skywalker Trailer (and Happy Food Pictures Day!)

    Rise of Skywalker Trailer (and Happy Food Pictures Day!)

    I think there’s also a holiday of some sort in the US (a Happy Thanksgiving would be in order), but I believe it’s now traditionally observed as the day people post pictures of their cooking efforts on Instagram and Facebook.

    Oh, and also a new trailer / TV spot for Rise of Skywalker. Not gonna lie, I’m not even going to watch it, so I can’t really comment on it. I’ve got my tickets, and I’m so into a Star Wars mood with the Mandalorian and Disney+ I am hyped beyond belief. So, Happy Rise of the Skywalker / Thanksgiving / Food Picture day, everyone!

    This is from last year, but I am working on trying to one-up it this year.
  • Final Rise of the Skywalker Trailer, Tickets on Sale Right Now

    Final Rise of the Skywalker Trailer, Tickets on Sale Right Now

    The end of the Skywalker Saga is here, for whatever that marketing means. The final trailer dropped tonight, and mercifully, Disney has made it available on YouTube for the hundreds of millions who would rather avoid watching the crime that is the Jets this season.

    Tickets are also for sale right now, up on Fandango… find your theater of choice, look forward to the movie, and avoid all the spoilers between now and then.

    You can also buy tickets through our affiliate partner, Atom Tickets. Any sales generated from clicking through that link may grant us a small boon of a few pennies. As always, your support is greatly appreciated.

  • Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker Teaser

    Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker Teaser

    Okay, seriously, what the what on the title? This reveals little past the title and Rey going almost full Jedi (seriously, leaping a TIE with a sword… mad props). My advice right now is read nothing into the title reveal… it feels about as relevant as the last two (a line or two of dialog, rather than the plot)… and just go listen to that music.

    Seriously, I still have goosebumps and way too many emotions listening to the Princess Leia theme tinged with almost a battle feel. Excuse me while I go watch this a few dozen more times and dissect it far too much.

    Oh, and… LANDO!

  • J.J. Abrams To Helm Episode IX

    J.J. Abrams To Helm Episode IX

    What once was old is new again… of course that kind of saying usually applies to things that make a comeback after a couple of decades. Bell bottom jeans… mom jeans… of course the mullet never really made a comeback… but in this case it’s a just a couple of years since J.J. last directed Episode VII, The Force Awakens. Today, StarWars.com is reporting that the veteran director will be returning to write and direct the final chapter in the sequel trilogy. He’s gone on record before saying he had wished he stayed on for VIII, so maybe the script is THAT good to make him want to come back to finish off the sequel trilogy.

    Episode VIII, The Last Jedi opens in theaters on December 15th, 2017. I’m assuming Episode IX will open sometime around December 2019.

    Edit: StarWars.com tweeted the release date for Episode IX. It will be in theaters on December 20th, 2019.