Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Force Block extension now blasts evil ‘The Last Jedi’ spoilers in Chrome

Kevin Parrish
By

Force Block
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The eighth installment in the Skywalker saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is just a few days away from flooding movie theaters. Early reviews are starting to arrive, some of which herald it as the best Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back. That’s a tall order to fill, but if you want to judge for yourself without any pre-show spoilers, there is a Chrome extension just for you.

Called Force Block, the extension first arrived on the Chrome Web Store at the end of 2015. Creator Matt Tyndall realized that he couldn’t escape spoilers related to the seventh episode, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, without shutting off his internet connection. To get around that possible mind-numbing disconnect, he proceeded to create a Chrome extension.

Recommended Videos

“Luckily, J.J. Abrams and Disney have kept the story buttoned up for us so far, giving us a unique chance of experiencing the movie like many did when A New Hope first premiered,” he said. “But once the film starts making its way into the hands of those outside the innermost circles, well …”

Related

According to Tyndall, Force Block will analyze web pages using “smart pattern detection.” During the scan, the extension relies on a database of Star Wars terms and will flag the page if too many tagged terms reach a specific threshold. The page will go dark, save for one message stating that “the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of spoilers.”

Once the warning appears, you have the option of continuing, and to prevent the extension from blocking the page in the future. Force Block experienced more than 100,000 downloads by the time Priceless Misc added support for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in December 2016. Now it protects Star Wars fans against evil spoilers stemming from The Last Jedi, as well.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters on Friday, December 15. The Resistance is still battling the New Order while Rey (Daisy Ridley) serves as Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) latest Padawan on the planet Ahch-To. The film supposedly tackles a lot of questions raised by The Force Awakens, but early reviews say the tone, action, and dramatic storytelling echoes the greatness of The Empire Strikes Back. Given the lackluster reception of the prequels and the A New Hope-style storyline in Episode VII, The Last Jedi appears to be the best post-Empire film to date.

But as Tyndall pointed out prior to The Force Awakens, many fans want a spoiler-free experience just like many of us observed when Star Wars originally hit theaters in 1977. That is where the Force Block extension comes in although no Star Wars movie will ever make the same impact as the original Episode IV film did 40 years ago.

Once The Last Jedi arrives and thoroughly dazzles your eyeballs, the Chrome extension can always be removed. Instructions for doing so can be found here.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kevin Parrish
Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
How to alphabetize lists in Microsoft Word
Microsoft word document.

Microsoft Word is a powerful word processing application that's capable of creating complex and compelling documents. It can also perform very simple but useful tasks, like alphabetizing a list.

Here's how to alphabetize lists in Microsoft Word.

Read more
How to change margins in Google Docs
Laptop Working from Home

You may find that Google Docs has a UI that is almost too clean. It can be difficult to find basic things you're used to, such as margin settings. Don't worry, though, you can change margins in Google Docs just like with any other word processor through a couple of different means.

Read more
Snag a year’s access to Norton’s ‘Secure VPN’ while it’s 75% off
A close-up of a computer monitor displaying a generic VPN.

For one of the best VPN deals today, check out Stack Social which currently has Norton Secure VPN available for just $20 for a one-year subscription instead of the usual price of $80. Protecting up to five devices including all your iOS and Android devices, as well as your laptop or desktop, it’s fantastic value for such strong peace of mind. If you’re in the market for a new VPN, keep reading while we explain why it’s worth buying Norton Secure VPN.

Why you should buy Norton Secure VPN
You won’t see Norton Secure VPN in our look at the best VPNs, but don’t fret as it’s still a major name in the security world featuring prominently in looks at the best antivirus software. With Norton Secure VPN, you get real-time threat protection for up to five of your devices along with online privacy.

Read more