SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital)
Release Date: October 17, 2017
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Video: 2.39:1 2160p Widescreen
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1 Core), French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French (Canada) Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Thai Dolby Digital 5.1
THE RATINGS
The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
4K Quality - ★ ★ ★ ½ ✰
4K Quality - ★ ★ ★ ½ ✰
Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Special Features - ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰
Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
_____________________________________________________________________________
THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
The Spidey Sense of 4K UHD!
The Spidey Sense of 4K UHD!
Reviewed by Gavin King
What a blast of a movie. More than just one of the best superhero movies of the year, Spider-Man: Homecoming is one of the best superhero movies, period, literally overflowing with dynamic action, endless humor, and a surprisingly big heart. Director Jon Watts (Cop Car) may not have the biggest experience with the superhero genre, but Spider-Man: Homecoming portends huge promise for the filmmaker in the near future with films of the type, with huge encores to his skilled work behind the camera and obvious care for the true spirit that makes Spider-Man the innocent everyday hero moviegoers have come to appreciate him by. The film does feature those expectedly entertaining big-stakes battles between hero and villain - boasting bright visuals, big sound, and tight camerawork - but even better is the character study of an average high-school kid trying to make it through sophomore year, the struggles that come with it, and balancing it with a secretive superhero agenda. It's an absolute delight of a movie, the quintessential modern spectacle film, and one that won't soon be forgotten for many, many years to come; a sequel is already in production.
15-year-old Peter Parker (Tom Holland) lives a smooth-sailing high school life, buoyed by his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and his impending crush on a fellow girl named Liz (Laura Harrier). To his classmates, he's your typical sophomore getting his classwork done and the like, another face in the insanely populated crowd of high schoolers squeezing their way through the dense hallways. To him, however, he's a lot more than the average student. His secret identity is the - drumroll please - friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, a persona he takes in as bliss every single chance he gets. His mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) doesn't see the true superhero in him, though. Stark feels that Peter still needs to sprout a little more in the maturity department before earning the much-respected name of being an Avenger. Little to Stark's belief, Peter is soon going to prove his self-worth and strength (physically and mentally) through a number of challenges that portend his way, whether it be at the Washington Monument, the Staten Island Ferry, or, most fierce of all, an out-of-nowhere villain that goes by the persona of "The Vulture" (Michael Keaton) whose greedy stance on power and alien technology finds Peter the perfect target as.
Certainly audiences will flock to Spider-Man: Homecoming for its titular high-stakes battles between the hero and the villain that were so pronounced in the film's trailers, but the movie is actually a lot more than that, and in a hugely good way indeed. The movie proves successful not just in the superficial sense of filmmaking basics but additionally in its character studies that are often overlooked by the flash onscreen. Sure Peter relishes life as the Spider-Man darting around from building to building in Queens, but in real life he's not just a "superhero" who sets goals to save cities from grave danger and destruction. He's human, like all of us, and he deals with a handful of life's struggles that get thrown his way. He's slowly but surely coping with the challenges of growing up that his mentor Stark makes so potent to him. He's going through anxiety as he works up the nerve to ask a girl he likes to the upcoming homecoming dance. He's trying hard to keep his secret identity as a superhero a secret with his best pal Ned. It's arguably the most human depiction of a protagonist in a superhero movie to date. It's actually less of a cartoony superhero standby and much, much more of a deeper, though no less entertaining, look on main characters beyond their exterior standouts. Not every superhero is a dude in a bombastic costume focused on saving the world from an evil curse, and Spider-Man: Homecoming solidifies that statement beyond belief.
In addition to expertly crafted character models, the entire movie's events flow completely fluidly. Not a single moment flies by where the viewer feels bored, exhausted, or lingering with inside thoughts of, "God, when is this scene going to end?" It's quite the opposite, actually, because each scene, no matter how intense or subdued, always finds a way to snap the viewer into a state of focus and excitement for the characters. Surely the big action spectacle hooks viewers with the superficialities - impressive visual effects, gargantuan sound design, and large-stakes tension - and, for the most part, they're incredibly engaging. They're the typical superhero battle sequences done in all the right ways, filled to the brim with those aforementioned technical checkpoints to be sure but also bursting with meaningful hero vs. villain dialogue that aren't one bit forced in phoned-in in typical superhero movie fluff. Again, there's purpose to each line uttered from each character's mouth, no matter how large or small the peril surrounding them may be. But even smaller moments, such as Peter sitting in the science classroom or a small exchange between Peter and Liz in a hotel hallway, each play an integral and vital piece of the puzzle in making the film truly memorable and remarkable. Every single scene never fails to entertain or put the viewer in consistent focus, and the magic that goes into meshing each moment and scene together seamlessly makes the film seem less like 2 hours and 10 minutes and more like a flying-by 1 hour and 35 minutes, roughly.
Rounding out the incredible narrative structure and fluid, steadfast pacing is an immensely likable central cast. Tom Holland is arguably the best portrayal of Spider-Man yet. Devotees who've grown used to following up with Tobey Maguire as the main character throughout the consecutive years may have a slight bone to pick with this reviewer for time's sake, but there's absolutely no mistaking the honesty, joyfulness, and subtlety Holland replicates to his performance as a 15-year-old Spider-Man in the most relatable way possible. In this way, a handful of viewers may take Peter Parker as more of an approachable adolescent going through the mysteries of life rather than your typical blockbuster hero fighting crime in all sorts of locations. Michael Keaton is equally outstanding as the film's core villain, The Vulture (a.k.a. Adrian Toomes). Toomes is just a guy who wants to evolve with the ever-changing updates in technology with a little bit of bite. He's enraged, sure, for being thrown out of general operations by the Department of Damage Control, but he wants to use his evolving tech for different, more interesting purposes. Keaton nails the role of The Vulture / Toomes not just in that always-mentioned stereotypical villain sense but additionally in a deeper, yet never at the expense of enjoyment, character outlook. Jacob Batalon is especially charming as Peter's closest friend, Ned, a naive but chill dude who's expectedly impressed with Peter's secret identity as the Spider-Man but also immersed in the core friendship he and Peter possess.
The one. The only. Spider-Man!
15-year-old Peter Parker (Tom Holland) lives a smooth-sailing high school life, buoyed by his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and his impending crush on a fellow girl named Liz (Laura Harrier). To his classmates, he's your typical sophomore getting his classwork done and the like, another face in the insanely populated crowd of high schoolers squeezing their way through the dense hallways. To him, however, he's a lot more than the average student. His secret identity is the - drumroll please - friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, a persona he takes in as bliss every single chance he gets. His mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) doesn't see the true superhero in him, though. Stark feels that Peter still needs to sprout a little more in the maturity department before earning the much-respected name of being an Avenger. Little to Stark's belief, Peter is soon going to prove his self-worth and strength (physically and mentally) through a number of challenges that portend his way, whether it be at the Washington Monument, the Staten Island Ferry, or, most fierce of all, an out-of-nowhere villain that goes by the persona of "The Vulture" (Michael Keaton) whose greedy stance on power and alien technology finds Peter the perfect target as.
Certainly audiences will flock to Spider-Man: Homecoming for its titular high-stakes battles between the hero and the villain that were so pronounced in the film's trailers, but the movie is actually a lot more than that, and in a hugely good way indeed. The movie proves successful not just in the superficial sense of filmmaking basics but additionally in its character studies that are often overlooked by the flash onscreen. Sure Peter relishes life as the Spider-Man darting around from building to building in Queens, but in real life he's not just a "superhero" who sets goals to save cities from grave danger and destruction. He's human, like all of us, and he deals with a handful of life's struggles that get thrown his way. He's slowly but surely coping with the challenges of growing up that his mentor Stark makes so potent to him. He's going through anxiety as he works up the nerve to ask a girl he likes to the upcoming homecoming dance. He's trying hard to keep his secret identity as a superhero a secret with his best pal Ned. It's arguably the most human depiction of a protagonist in a superhero movie to date. It's actually less of a cartoony superhero standby and much, much more of a deeper, though no less entertaining, look on main characters beyond their exterior standouts. Not every superhero is a dude in a bombastic costume focused on saving the world from an evil curse, and Spider-Man: Homecoming solidifies that statement beyond belief.
Friends 'till the end.
In addition to expertly crafted character models, the entire movie's events flow completely fluidly. Not a single moment flies by where the viewer feels bored, exhausted, or lingering with inside thoughts of, "God, when is this scene going to end?" It's quite the opposite, actually, because each scene, no matter how intense or subdued, always finds a way to snap the viewer into a state of focus and excitement for the characters. Surely the big action spectacle hooks viewers with the superficialities - impressive visual effects, gargantuan sound design, and large-stakes tension - and, for the most part, they're incredibly engaging. They're the typical superhero battle sequences done in all the right ways, filled to the brim with those aforementioned technical checkpoints to be sure but also bursting with meaningful hero vs. villain dialogue that aren't one bit forced in phoned-in in typical superhero movie fluff. Again, there's purpose to each line uttered from each character's mouth, no matter how large or small the peril surrounding them may be. But even smaller moments, such as Peter sitting in the science classroom or a small exchange between Peter and Liz in a hotel hallway, each play an integral and vital piece of the puzzle in making the film truly memorable and remarkable. Every single scene never fails to entertain or put the viewer in consistent focus, and the magic that goes into meshing each moment and scene together seamlessly makes the film seem less like 2 hours and 10 minutes and more like a flying-by 1 hour and 35 minutes, roughly.
Rounding out the incredible narrative structure and fluid, steadfast pacing is an immensely likable central cast. Tom Holland is arguably the best portrayal of Spider-Man yet. Devotees who've grown used to following up with Tobey Maguire as the main character throughout the consecutive years may have a slight bone to pick with this reviewer for time's sake, but there's absolutely no mistaking the honesty, joyfulness, and subtlety Holland replicates to his performance as a 15-year-old Spider-Man in the most relatable way possible. In this way, a handful of viewers may take Peter Parker as more of an approachable adolescent going through the mysteries of life rather than your typical blockbuster hero fighting crime in all sorts of locations. Michael Keaton is equally outstanding as the film's core villain, The Vulture (a.k.a. Adrian Toomes). Toomes is just a guy who wants to evolve with the ever-changing updates in technology with a little bit of bite. He's enraged, sure, for being thrown out of general operations by the Department of Damage Control, but he wants to use his evolving tech for different, more interesting purposes. Keaton nails the role of The Vulture / Toomes not just in that always-mentioned stereotypical villain sense but additionally in a deeper, yet never at the expense of enjoyment, character outlook. Jacob Batalon is especially charming as Peter's closest friend, Ned, a naive but chill dude who's expectedly impressed with Peter's secret identity as the Spider-Man but also immersed in the core friendship he and Peter possess.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 4K Blu-ray - Video Quality
Spider-Man: Homecoming swings its way onto 4K UHD Blu-ray with a 2160p presentation that is neither great nor awful. To be fair, the film was finished on a 2K digital intermediate and reportedly shot at a resolution below 4K (2.8K, to be exact). This means it's another 2K upscale, and the results are negligible at worst and mildly noticeable at best. Detailing sees a moderate, though not by any means groundbreaking, upgrade from the already terrific-looking 1080p Blu-ray. The Spider-Man suit enjoy a modest, very fine uptick in detail leveling, showcasing a slightly more refined texturing to the suit, though not by a long shot. It's instead a very subtle upgrade that's nowhere near the cream of the crop of the UHD field but nevertheless pulls out clear mild up-rezzes. This tradition continues on in the UHD, whether on skin textures, citywide environments, the rocky structure of the Washington Monument, and a few other upticks that, again, are far from extraordinary but present enough that fans will likely take note of. The HDR color palette, again, doesn't really change much. If anything, the changed color scheme sees a very light increase in vibrancy and saturation (most notably, yet again, on that oh-so-recognizable red suit). Black levels do see an increased depth. They're not as milky or pasty as the 1080p Blu-ray (though, again, such instances of pastiness were minor) and are appreciably darker and inkier. Again, there's no banding or other compression artifacts to be found anywhere. This definitely isn't a disappointment of a UHD, but it's not the beacon of 4K Blu-ray greatness that viewers have come to expect from releases like Storks and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Please note that this release contains Dolby Vision, which I do not yet have the capability of displaying in my home theater system yet. This review will likely be updated once I get Dolby Vision all ready and set.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 4K Blu-ray - Audio Quality
Spider-Man: Homecoming also receives a nice little boost in the audio department, thanks to its highly forceful Dolby Atmos lossless soundtrack which isn't a huge leaps-and-bounds improvement over the Blu-ray wonderful 5.1 soundtrack, but does feature some surprises of its own to make it a nicely fuller, slightly more enveloping listen. Battle sequences are a bit bassier, more flush, and more grounded in the soundstage; not a single moment whizzes by where the listener is left disappointed in the audio presentation's prowess. The stage is more friendly to surround information, to add on, which in turns improves the overall immersion factor of the Atmos listen. The overhead channels don't feature an absolute onslaught of top-end activity, but they do come into play with some nicely integrated complimentary roles such as environmental nuts-and-bolts as well as dialogue reverb in locations that demand it - as well as, of course, the occasional fun action effect overhead, too. The 5.1 track's baseline effects prove just as impressive here, with the same expertly-prioritized music, robust and immersive ambient noise, and clear, crisp dialogue. Fans are going to go spidey-crazy over this one, no doubt.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 4K Blu-ray - Special Features
All bonus features are only included on the 1080p Blu-ray disc, included with this combo pack.
The Spidey Study Guide This is pretty neat; an optional trivia track for the film that gives you little facts, facets, and details about the origins of Spider-Man, the making of the film, and lots more.
Gag Reel Laugh yourself silly with these chuckle-worthy outtakes from the reel!
Deleted & Extended Scenes Includes the following: A Film by Peter Parker (Director's Cut), Cafeteria, Return from ATM, Triskelion Cleanup, Anxious Toomes, Aaron Still Stuck, Go It Alone, Happy Calls His Mom, Midtown News Final Segment, and Mr. Harrington Lessons in Love.
A Tangled Web In this featurette, we take a closer look into the character origins of Spider-Man and his role in this movie, how his character arc differs from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and much more. For fans of the Spider-Man character, this one's for you.
Searching for Spider-Man This piece extends on the previous featurette's focus on Spider-Man's main role and how his simpler outlook makes him so different from the rest of the Marvel heroes. Additionally, we look at how Tom Holland got the role of Spider-Man, and the challenges he had to approach when he was on set.
Spidey Stunts Not only does Tom Holland make an exceptional role for Spider-Man for his personality traits, but he's also an impressive stunt master, too! Take a peek at how Tom braved several daunting stunts that the film's script called for.
Aftermath This interesting piece delves deeper into Toomes' story. After the New York attacks in The Avengers, the filmmakers utilized their creativity to extensive measures to explore how Toomes could use the scrapheap from the site for his tanking business.
The Vulture Takes Flight Very much like A Tangled Web, this piece looks into The Vulture's original comic book origins and how the filmmakers transferred those to big screen spectacle.
Jon Watts: Head of the Class This is essentially a sing-your-praises piece on the film's director, Jon Watts. And to think the man behind the indie Cop Car could transfer so well to Marvel movie form!
Pros And Cons of Spider-Man A fun rattle-them-off piece with Tom Holland (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) and Jacob Batalon (Ned) as the two think of the good and not-so-good points about being Spider-Man.
Rappin' With Cap Four breezy PSA's from Captain America himself. Includes the following: Safety First, Food for Thought, Brain Power, and Your Changing Body.
Photo Gallery A collection of on-the-set pictures, concept art, and more. The slideshow can either be done manually or automatically by pressing the green rectangular button on the remote control.
Trailers for Spider-Man: Homecoming VR Trailer and An Inside Look at Marvel's Spider-Man | PS4.
Previews for additional Sony films.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 4K Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation
Spider-Man: Homecoming is arguably the finest superhero movie in decades, and it makes one hell of a strong point for calling it the best Spider-Man movie yet. Of course, the action entertains immensely, and the cast performances are spot-on for their accompanying characters, but all it takes is a little narrative studying and magnification of the finer point details hidden within the sound and sight to truly appreciate what an amazing film it absolutely is. With this kind of emphasis on more prominent themes, it is undoubtedly certain the core storyline will resonate deeply not only with fans of the franchise who have been anticipating this one for years to come (and rightfully so... what a movie) but also those in the audience who can relate to Peter Parker's tough life as a high school sophomore just simply trying to inch along the perils of adolescent life and puberty. With bold, impressive visual effects, strong performances, consistent humor, and a wonderfully-realized core storyline, Spider-Man: Homecoming is destined to become a superhero classic in the books for years to come, and it's more than likely to join the rates of The Avengers as one of the finest superhero movies of the century. Sony's UHD Blu-ray isn't the best out there in terms of standout 4K HDR quality, but fans should find it relatively pleasing if not absolutely spectacular. The Atmos track, though, is all kinds of awesome. All of the supplements are still on the 1080p Blu-ray disc. Again, not the greatest UHD upgrade, but it's worth the trade for the Atmos track, though. Still, this iteration of Spider-Man: Homecoming earns my highest recommendation, largely from the strength of the film itself.
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