Movie
Easily the best Spider-Man movie made thus far. It will be hard for Sony to beat this should they move forward with another Tom Holland trilogy. It also had the worst kept secret leading up to its theatrical release. Holland would be joined by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to take on the multiverse of villains from their respective worlds.
Faced with his identity revealed, Peter turns to Doctor Strange whose modified spell opens a doorway between universes bringing the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Electro, Sandman, and the Lizard face-to-face with Tom Holland’s Spiderman. All the original actors, except Sandman and Connors, return to reprise the roles they made famous.
Poor Peter 1 goes through hell and then some in this movie. He literally loses everything in order to grow and graduate from Spider-Boy to Spider-Man all while still trying to be the good guy.
I’ve now watched this movie four times and can’t wait to see it again. Thank you Jon Watts and Kevin Feige for taking Spider-Man on this journey.
If you’d like a more in-depth review, check out our theatrical review from massive Spider-Man fan, Jonathan.
Video
Wow. Wow. Wow. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has been crushing it with their recent releases. Fitted with Dolby Vision, which wasn’t mentioned in the press release, this presentation is incredible. The HDR is unreal. Where it shines is with Doctor Strange’s magic in the crypt. The vibrant orange doesn’t get lost in the dark cavern and details on the walls and pillars are always visible (when in focus). It’s vivid yet looks natural during the outdoor scenes. You can make out the detailed textures on the costumes and the actors faces.
This is one of the top video presentations I’ve seen this year.
Audio
If you thought the video was good, get ready for the audio ride your ears are about to go through. It doesn’t take long for your system to go to work with Spider-Man swinging through the city with MJ in tow. While not extensive, it fills the sound stage and the Atmos heights are dynamically active with the helicopters and webs moving all about.
The action sequences are when the LFE comes to life and your subs get the best workout. Doc Ock on the bridge is one of the best moments for your subs and depending on your system the Spider-tingle in Happy’s apartment goes LOOOOWWWWW.
The dialog is always clear, and the score fills the room the right way.
Extras
The best part of being a reviewer is being forced to watch the bonus features. There are some dandy’s in here that were quite enjoyable to watch, and one that wasn’t as good as I was hoping. You’ll have to pop in the Blu-ray to get to anything more than the preview for other Sony Pictures films.
Bloopers & Gag Reel – Has some good chuckles.
Alternate Reality Easter Eggs – I caught many of these, but not all of them.
The seven features are a great watch. I recommend watching these as they’re not overly long.
- Action Choreography Across the Multiverse
- A Multiverse of Miscreants
- A Spectacular Spider-Journey with Tom Holland
- Enter Strange
- Graduation Day
- Realities Collide, Spiders Unite
- Weaving Jon Watt’s Web
The Sinister Summit – Villains Panel: Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Jamie Foxx sit down for a discussion of their sinister characters. It felt like Foxx was the third wheel here just taking in the stories from some revered actors.
A Meeting of the Spiders – Heroes Panel: The three Spider-Men talk suits, coming back, and the reverence they have for each other. It was a bit of a meh watch with a few fun moments.
Three Stories From The Daily Bugle featuring J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) doing what he does best.
- Spider-Menace Strikes Again
- Spider Sycophant
- Web of Lies
Stunt Scenes Previsualization
- Apartment Fight
- Shield Fight
There are a few items missing especially some VFX spots. Perhaps the pandemic affected those with most people working from home as opposed to in an office that would be easier to shoot. We’ve reached out to MARZ VFX to try to speak with the team who worked on de-aging Willem DaFoe.
Conclusions and Final Thoughts
Is this Sony Pictures Home Entertainment release your next demo disc? The short answer is yes. Spider-Man No Way Home hits all the marks when it comes to its Dolby Vision HDR and the Dolby Atmos audio track.
Extra features are plenty, but still missing a commentary and some VFX breakdowns, especially with the de-aging of Alfred Molina and Willem DaFoe.
