Audio Video News

Forty-three years after Star Wars captured the imagination of movie-goers around the globe, the nine-part story has finally reached its conclusion with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But as readers of this magazine well know, no movie is really consummated until it appears on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc.

The countdown to disc is on with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker slated to make its debut at the end of the month — Tuesday, March 31 to be exact, two weeks after the movie is released to the streaming world on March 17. The Ultimate Collector’s Edition disc, which will include a digital copy, costs $29.99 and can be pre-ordered at bestbuy.com. Best Buy is also offering the Limited-Edition Collectible Steelbook, a three-disc set that costs $34.99.

For the few who don’t know, in The Rise of Skywalker the remaining traces of the Resistance movement assemble in their quest to overthrow the First Order, once and for all. Each member of the Resistance must contend with both their own demons and how the events of the past have affected them, learning to overcome their struggles to create a unified front. Meanwhile, the Jedi and the Sith approach their final face-off, bringing centuries of contention to a head. At the heart of it all is Rey (Daisy Ridley), the former orphan who stands as the Resistance's last hope as the galaxy's remaining Jedi knight.

This riveting conclusion to the Star Wars saga is supported with a rich selection of bonus materials, including a feature-length, making-of documentary that goes behind the scenes with the filmmakers and cast plus extended features that explore the epic landspeeder chase, creation of the Pasaana desert scenes, and the ship that connects Rey to the mystery of her missing parents. In other bonus segments, Warwick Davis reprises his role as Wicket the Ewok and we learn how the film’s 584 creatures and droids were created and brought to life for the film.

The digital release will also include a segment highlighting legendary composer John Williams, who scored every episode in the Skywalker saga.

To coincide with the March 31 Blu-ray release, the eight remaining Star Wars films will be released on 4K UHD for the first time: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Best Buy will also offer the limited-edition Skywalker Saga box set (far right in opening photo) containing all nine movies and a multitude of extras spread over 27 discs.

4K UHD Specs
Run time: Approximately 142 min.
Rating: PG-13
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio: Dolby Atmos (disc and on some digital releases)
Subtitles: English, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, and French