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Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary #5
Star Wars: Das Erwachen der Macht: Die illustrierte Enzyklopädie
Die ganze Welt von STAR WARS: Das Erwachen der Macht mit brillanten Bildern, spannenden Details und überraschenden Einblicken. Das Buch enthält alle Informationen zu den neuen Figuren, Droiden, Fahrzeugen und Raumschiffen. Der Text stammt vom STAR WARS-Experten Pablo Hidalgo und erklärt spannende Details zu den Waffen, Kostümen und zur Ausstattung. Mit Fotos von drei exklusiv für dieses Buch angefertigten Requisiten vom Industrial Light & Magic -Modellbauer John Goodson.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published December 18, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
February 21, 2020
Reading this now that the whole trilogy and a couple of other movies are complete is disappointing, because some of the information is already out of date. (We know, for example, that Han Solo has not been carrying the BlasTech DL-44 “since before the Galactic Civil War.”) With “everything is canon,” and each new movie adding to or outright contradicting previous movies, books like this have a very limited shelf life.
What’s stranger is how much of The Force Awakens itself is absent in this book. One could guess that Pablo Hidalgo wrote this based more on the trailers than on the full film. There’s no page about Snoke, no pictures of Kylo Ren without his helmet, no clear explanation of who Kylo Ren really is, nothing about Luke nor the map to find him. But there is information and photos from scenes that were deleted from the film. Very odd. Why create a book that’s outdated the day after its publication?
If I’d read this book and not seen the movie, I would assume the movie is very silly and un-Star Wars-y. Which, it turns out, is true. And, like other SW visual dictionaries, this one has some captions that I hope are supposed to be hilarious, especially about hair. Hidalgo points out Han Solo’s “Former brown hair now entirely gray,” Rey’s “Simple hairstyle designed for desert survival,” and Poe’s “Tousled hair from wearing helmet.” I hesitate to joke that there should be a “Hair of Star Wars” book, because someday there probably will be.
What’s stranger is how much of The Force Awakens itself is absent in this book. One could guess that Pablo Hidalgo wrote this based more on the trailers than on the full film. There’s no page about Snoke, no pictures of Kylo Ren without his helmet, no clear explanation of who Kylo Ren really is, nothing about Luke nor the map to find him. But there is information and photos from scenes that were deleted from the film. Very odd. Why create a book that’s outdated the day after its publication?
If I’d read this book and not seen the movie, I would assume the movie is very silly and un-Star Wars-y. Which, it turns out, is true. And, like other SW visual dictionaries, this one has some captions that I hope are supposed to be hilarious, especially about hair. Hidalgo points out Han Solo’s “Former brown hair now entirely gray,” Rey’s “Simple hairstyle designed for desert survival,” and Poe’s “Tousled hair from wearing helmet.” I hesitate to joke that there should be a “Hair of Star Wars” book, because someday there probably will be.
December 31, 2015
Invaluable source for the new film. Explains a lot, but not everything (no Snoke or Luke). Gives a lot of characters their name, but not all of then. This is the one you need if you want to learn more about the film and characters.
December 31, 2015
I admit to clapping with glee when this arrived in the mail yesterday, and it turns out that this is what I was really looking for when I picked up the terrible Star Wars: The Force Awakens novelization. It carries the story outside of the movie and into the itty bitty details in a way that's cool and entertaining. I am mildly embarrassed that this book is intended for children--funniest giveaway? Explaining that Poe Dameron's hair is tousled from his helmet (lulz), but that aside it has all kinds of interesting expansion and explanation for the individual pieces of the movie. Do I really need to know that Maz knits her own socks? No, not really, but it didn't hurt to find out. I think what was most interesting is that they at least planned a scene with the New Republic Senate that was entirely cut. Those wounds from The Phantom Menace still burn, don't they? Anyway, if you're looking for a way to stay in the Star Wars universe just a little longer, I highly recommend this.
January 19, 2016
Libro destinato solo ai veri nerd di Star Wars, dubito che gli altri ci troverebbero qualche cosa di interessante.
Ottima la parte grafica, un po' meno per quanto riguarda le informazioni che sono poche e spesso non sono niente di nuovo rispetto a quello che sapevamo già (era necessario scrivere cose come che il generale Hux è pallido per via del tempo passato al chiuso o che Poe ha i capelli spettinati perché mette sempre il casco?). Sarebbe stato meglio avere una parte scritta più approfondita, ma essendo un libro che si basa sopratutto sulla parte visiva direi assolutamente promosso.
Ottima la parte grafica, un po' meno per quanto riguarda le informazioni che sono poche e spesso non sono niente di nuovo rispetto a quello che sapevamo già (era necessario scrivere cose come che il generale Hux è pallido per via del tempo passato al chiuso o che Poe ha i capelli spettinati perché mette sempre il casco?). Sarebbe stato meglio avere una parte scritta più approfondita, ma essendo un libro che si basa sopratutto sulla parte visiva direi assolutamente promosso.
February 17, 2018
Quite a nice collection of tidbits from the movie. Lots of aliens. Tech. Weaponry. It got too detailed when addressing some parts such as Poe's "tousled hair from wearing a helmet". Yep, complete with an arrow pointing to Poe's hair.
I also smiled when reading Thane Kyrell's name here. I guess reading other canon materials has its usefulness.
I also smiled when reading Thane Kyrell's name here. I guess reading other canon materials has its usefulness.
January 27, 2016
This book goes way beyond what could seem like a mere cash-in, eye-candy for the fans. It actually does a great job of explaining the political background to The Force Awakens, in a better way than either the movie or the novelization. The status quo and organization of the New Republic, the treaty that ended the Galactic Civil War, the rise of the First Order and Leia's creation of the Resistance as a response to it - everything that's missing from the movie is here.
Also, the item descriptions are often humourous, tongue-in-cheek, with a knowing wink - such as when describing Han's gray hair or his new/old jacket.
Also, the item descriptions are often humourous, tongue-in-cheek, with a knowing wink - such as when describing Han's gray hair or his new/old jacket.
December 14, 2018
I love every new little piece of information I can get about Star Wars so all of these guides are super cool 🤷
December 18, 2015
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary" allows fans to study the characters, creatures, droids, props, and other elements of the film. Having owned and read all the previous Star Wars visual dictionaries, I was excited to get this. It's exactly the same as the others - each major character gets 2-4 pages, while minor characters and locations get 1-2 pages. Included in each profile is typically over a dozen images related to that character. For example, the pages on Rey include her outfit, speeder, survival satchel, blaster, staff, and more.
After seeing the film and looking through this book, it's clear just how much the movie got right visually. The First Order uniforms, TIE Fighters, and stormtroopers are all very reminiscent of the Empire from the original films, but with slight differences that also make them unique. The same could be said for the Resistance, which shares many visual elements with the original Rebellion. As far as completely new creations go, I think BB-8 stands out as the greatest new character from a design perspective. I also really like the look of Kylo Ren's mask as well as his lightsaber, which looks more fierce than any of the others.
The book will be great for kids, but also suitable for adults who want to delve into the visual aspects of the film. (However, if you're more interested in concept art, then the book to get is The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens). I love the layout of these books - the photos are scattered throughout the page; it's visually dense but never confusing. Brief paragraphs of text as well as captions provide context and insight into the characters and their props/wardrobe/etc.
Review from MovieArtBook.com
After seeing the film and looking through this book, it's clear just how much the movie got right visually. The First Order uniforms, TIE Fighters, and stormtroopers are all very reminiscent of the Empire from the original films, but with slight differences that also make them unique. The same could be said for the Resistance, which shares many visual elements with the original Rebellion. As far as completely new creations go, I think BB-8 stands out as the greatest new character from a design perspective. I also really like the look of Kylo Ren's mask as well as his lightsaber, which looks more fierce than any of the others.
The book will be great for kids, but also suitable for adults who want to delve into the visual aspects of the film. (However, if you're more interested in concept art, then the book to get is The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens). I love the layout of these books - the photos are scattered throughout the page; it's visually dense but never confusing. Brief paragraphs of text as well as captions provide context and insight into the characters and their props/wardrobe/etc.
Review from MovieArtBook.com
February 4, 2016
Sumptuously designed, this is another in the line of Dorling Kindersley visual dictionaries set in the “Star Wars” universe . In general, I don’t tend to read these as this depth of backstory doesn’t particularly interest me (though the level of invention is amazing) but Dude wanted to read it and so I thought I’d give it a go. Well laid out, this works because there are plenty of wonderfully reproduced photographs throughout and I find it fascinating to look at the props and models in such detail (which you barely get to glimpse at the cinema), even if I sometimes skim the narrative. Clearly not designed for me, some of it is just silly (an arrow points to Harrison Ford’s head “Former brown hair now entirely grey” and Bala-Tik has a “ruthless gaze”) but then there are little sparks of nicely nostalgic touches to off-set it (current X-Wing pilots learn manauveres named after heroes of the Galactic Civil War, such as ‘The Skywalker Swoop’, ‘The Antilles Intercept’ and ‘The Porkins Belly Run’). If you want to know the difference between Kanjiklub members or Senate officials, this is the book for you but for everyone else, your mileage may vary. For what it’s worth, Dude really enjoyed it and I liked it.
December 28, 2015
Well, it certainly makes some elements of the film make more sense...
All in all, it is a fun little book that could have used a little... more. Maybe I'm spoiled by the Chronicles books from the first two trilogies, but I really feel this could have done with 25-30 more pages. It would have been cool to see images of all of the aliens in Maz's palace, for instance, but we are given less than half of them. I just feel that for the price, there should have been more content.
All in all, it is a fun little book that could have used a little... more. Maybe I'm spoiled by the Chronicles books from the first two trilogies, but I really feel this could have done with 25-30 more pages. It would have been cool to see images of all of the aliens in Maz's palace, for instance, but we are given less than half of them. I just feel that for the price, there should have been more content.
July 9, 2016
I'm complete trash for these books.
February 20, 2016
Beautifully illustrated book filled to the brim with great information and bits of backstory.
March 19, 2017
Жаждата за информация на Star Wars феновете е неутолима! Всеки аспект от вселената на Джордж Лукас предизвиква интерес и дава поле за изследвания – от извънземните „статисти”, които обитават фона в любимите ни сцени, през устройството на светлинните мечове, до галактически карти и координати на планетите. Трудно ще намерите детайл от филмите, за който вече да не е измислена предистория, да не са представени конкретни технически данни и пр. „Междузвездни войни” вероятно е единствената поредица в историята, за която са издадени толкова много томове с ръководства, наръчници, атласи, енциклопедии и какво ли не още. Една от най-известните и най-успешните серии сред тях е Star Wars Visual Dictionaries (или според превода на родните издания – илюстровани енциклопедии). Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
March 4, 2018
great little book that taught me a few things i didn't know about tfa. highly recommend for any star wars fan.
March 30, 2017
A must have coffee table book for Star Wars nerds everywhere. Pablo Hidalgo may know more about Star Wars minutiae than George Lucas himself! Just about every background and side character gets a name and a story in this book. Plus, the pictures were amazing. I loved it!
January 13, 2016
I hadn't purchased any visual dictionaries before, even though I've been a fan of Star Wars for a while. Needless to say "my trilogy" is the prequel trilogy which came out when I was 15, perhaps I wasn't quite as invested in it as I am now. After watching Episode 7 I read a lot about it and came across this so I had to get it straight away.
It's full of interesting facts and some trivial ones (or at least they seem trivial now). It was really fun to read it after watching the movie for the first time and then... well...watching it for the second time to notice a lot of the things you might have missed before. Of course I'll wait for the DVD release for my third-to-100th watches, I guess.
It's full of interesting facts and some trivial ones (or at least they seem trivial now). It was really fun to read it after watching the movie for the first time and then... well...watching it for the second time to notice a lot of the things you might have missed before. Of course I'll wait for the DVD release for my third-to-100th watches, I guess.
October 6, 2016
Pretty unremarkable, though some of the labels are especially funny (Finn's expression describes how he is fiercely dedicated to his new friends, a droid has legs so it can walk to where it is needed). There is some information that actually would have been really nice to get from the actual movie, but Star Wars has for years been a franchise obsessed with giving us very little information in the core texts and expounding on it ad nauseam in additional books, video games, tv shows, etc. There's a whole page, for example, dedicated to Kylo Ren's lightsaber, though I actually want quite a bit more information about it.
January 26, 2016
This is an excellent visual guide to Episode VII by Pablo Hidalgo.
There isn't any cohesive organization to it but the Index at the end is serviceable for quick searches.
Some of the entries give further insight into the events of the film, which I greatly appreciated.
I loved reading a little more about Maz Kanata (though was annoyed by the book's refusal to name her species), the Guavian Death Gang, Kanjiklub, Kylo Ren, etc.
The visuals were crisp and beautiful and demonstrated how subtle yet imaginative the characters, locations, and art direction were for The Force Awakens.
There isn't any cohesive organization to it but the Index at the end is serviceable for quick searches.
Some of the entries give further insight into the events of the film, which I greatly appreciated.
I loved reading a little more about Maz Kanata (though was annoyed by the book's refusal to name her species), the Guavian Death Gang, Kanjiklub, Kylo Ren, etc.
The visuals were crisp and beautiful and demonstrated how subtle yet imaginative the characters, locations, and art direction were for The Force Awakens.
April 2, 2020
Provides enough information for typical fan, but lacks exploration of elements of the movie.
January 31, 2016
This was really helpful after and before you've watched the movie because it helps to explain all of the little details that you didn't have time to dwell on while watching the movie. Took me a while because there's pictures and words all over the page in no particular order. Great read though. May the Force Be With You!
July 31, 2017
The author and publishers clearly put far more thought into the gear and aliens of the movie than the creators did. On some level, I realize that Kylo Ren's lightsaber has side ports because, "it looks kewl!", but it's nice to have a technical explanation. Wonderfully developed and very involving in the building the flavor and implied history of the movie. I love this book.
January 1, 2016
Great detailed book!
Only downside- no info on Supreme Leader Snoke, or Luke Skywalker. I understand that they're trying to keep info about them to a minimum but at least a picture of each character with "information unknown" next to it would've been better than nothing at all.
Only downside- no info on Supreme Leader Snoke, or Luke Skywalker. I understand that they're trying to keep info about them to a minimum but at least a picture of each character with "information unknown" next to it would've been better than nothing at all.
January 15, 2016
Give this book a peak if you had a lot of "WHO IS THAT?" "WHY ARE THINGS THIS WAY?" "WHY IS THERE A RESISTANCE STILL?" type questions.
This pretty much cleared up 99% of my mundane questions.
This pretty much cleared up 99% of my mundane questions.
January 25, 2016
A great resource to see who all the different ha rafters are in the Force Awakens.i have the previously ones and this one did not disappoint me in the least.
January 19, 2016
Loved this book. A bunch of awesome information for fans to eat up. I really loved the map of the galaxy.
July 19, 2016
Interesting tidbits and cool pictures. Star Wars is so rich in lore you could go down the rabbit hole nearly forever!
February 17, 2016
For the avid lover of Star Wars! I am totally geeking out!
February 19, 2016
I'm a nerd so..... I liked it.
May 27, 2016
I like this book because it shows you all the things (NO LUKE OR SMOKE) in Star Wars The Force Awakens.
August 23, 2016
Its sic
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews