Star Wars fans will finally be able to bring home the latest chapter in the sci-fi saga on April 5 when Star Wars: The Force Awakens releases on Blu-ray. But though the decision to buy the film is a no-brainer for many, there is yet another choice to be made: which version to buy.
There will be five different home versions of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on launch day, with four of them being retailer exclusive versions that come with various extras. So what does each version come with, and which is the best deal?
Don't worry, we're here to help. To make it easy, we're going to list what each version includes before offering up our opinion on which retailer has the best exclusive. That way you won't have to agonize over which version to go with. You'll have all the information (and our opinion) at your fingertips.
For starters, here is what all of the versions include regardless of retailer: the film on Blu-ray and DVD, digital Google Play and iTunes copies of the movie along with a core collection of special features.
Now let's dive into the differences. Best Buy's exclusive is straightforward but cool regardless. While no extra special features or goodies are included, the film comes in a stylish steelbook case sporting the faces of Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma. Open the case up, and you'll see the now-iconic imagery of the Millennium Falcon battling it out with TIE fighters over the deserts of Jakku.
The Wal-Mart exclusive version is much the same in that it comes with an exclusive box, but with an added bonus. Buy The Force Awakens at Wal-Mart, and you'll snag an exclusive BB-8 slipcover along with a collectible trader disc.
Target's version of the film is the only one to include exclusive special features on the disc, in addition to "an exclusive collectible package" that folds out to show detailed character art. According to the Target website, its version of The Force Awakens includes "...over 20 minutes of bonus content, including a never-before-seen interview with the film's breakout stars, Daisy Ridley (Rey) and John Boyega (Finn). You'll also get a behind-the-scenes look at how the actors trained for their incredible stunts and fight scenes, interactions between the new and veteran cast members, a closer look at how the props team designed and produced some of the film's new weapons, and lots more."
Last but not least, you can buy the film straight from Disney. Doing so will snag you some exclusive lithographs for your collection.
Or you can shun all the retailer exclusives and simply buy the standard version that will be available everywhere else. If you can only buy one, our money would be on the Target exclusive version. Though lithographs are nice and there is no denying the coolness factor of Best Buy's exclusive steelbook case, having 20 minutes of extra special features seems like the clear winner.
You can check out our review of the film's deleted scenes here.
