7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Following the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016), Peter Parker attempts to balance his life in high school with his career as the web-slinging superhero Spider-Man.
Starring: Tom Holland (X), Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon FavreauAdventure | 100% |
Action | 98% |
Comic book | 83% |
Sci-Fi | 82% |
Fantasy | 76% |
Comedy | 1% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Arabic, Cantonese, Dutch, Indonesian, Korean, Malay, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
Bonus View (PiP)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Spider-Man: Homecoming is Sony's third big-screen adaptation for the popular Marvel superhero in well under two decades, dating back to 2002's Spider-Man, which spawned two sequels, only to be re-imagined in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel a few years later. This latest take on the character saw his debut in Disney/Marvel's Captain America: Civil War, where the webslinger was once again recast and retooled, this time as a protégé of billionaire playboy Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man. All of the Spider-Man films (and most comic book movies, for that matter) have been major financial success and to some degree have all been critical successes, too, so it's no surprise to see the studios continue to churn them out at breakneck speed. But here are just a few of the million-dollar questions: at what point does it all just begin to look and feel the same? How many scenes of Spider-Man using all his might and webs to hold up some in-peril bus or train or boat can audiences tolerate to watch? How many special effects-supported villains can he fight? Can there even be substantial characterization at this point? How many reboots will audiences accept? There seems to be no set answer to any of these questions (unless one considers "nearly $900,000,000" an answer), but considering that Homecoming is finally a "proper" Marvel Cinematic Universe film rather than just a standalone Sony property picture, it stands to reason that this iteration is the one that's going to last (feel free to laugh when the franchise is probably rebooted again in oh, say, 2025, because Spider-Man just can't be Spider-Man if he's a twenty- or, heaven forbid, thirty-something...can he?).
Spider-Man: Homecoming's UHD release contains both HDR and Dolby Vision color. Unfortunately, we are currently not able to review Dolby Vision but we are studying equipment options and will be upgrading in the near future. The HDR color palette doesn't fundamentally alter the movie's overall color scheme. It's a reserved, tasteful application, offering a modest boost in saturation and accuracy to the red and blue Spider-Man suit, the tradeoff being a smidgen of vibrancy. The added depth is well worth that trade, however, as there's an appreciable, but still relatively minor, increase in nuance. The same holds true for other shades seen throughout, notably the widely diverse colors in dense urban areas and school interiors. The 2160p 4K image is an upscale; the film was reportedly photographed at 2.8K and finished at 2K. The resultant UHD offers a fair, but not overwhelming, increase in textural clarity and sharpness. The Spider-Man suit is, again, a key beneficiary (and why not, it's the primary prop in the entire movie), revealing a finer level of material density and pinpoint detailing over even that of the top-end 1080p Blu-ray. Those little bumpy surface textures and other little touches offer a more enticing visual display. Likewise, skin textures are appreciably sharper and firmer, as are, again, various urban environments or the Iron Man and Vulture costumes. Black levels remain solidly deep and skin tones accurate. The image still struggles through some light noise but is otherwise good-to-go.
Spider-Man: Homecoming swings onto UHD with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that delivers a superior listen over the Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track delivers much more seamless fluidity and increased definition throughout the range, and at the bottom end in particular. Action scenes are sonic gold mines. An explosion in chapter eight delivers a seriously intense concussive blast through the listening area. It's a well-defined jolt, an exemplary burst of low end goodness that compliments its scene strongly. That's followed by cracks, rattles, and shakes that together create a chaotic sequence where the listener will feel as if they're in the close-quarter confines of this location's peril. Every other action scene delivers similar results, each a symphony of sonic chaos featuring enhanced bass and a much more fluid and seamless sense of movement and total stage immersion over the 5.1 presentation, the track clearly benefiting form the added back-surround and overhead channels. The top end is utilized as a prominent compliment. Elements that should engage up high do so, but never to the point that the listener's full attention is drawn away from the central action. For all the power, clarity never wavers, for all the movement, none of it seems overused. Dialogue and music, of course, are also clear and detailed, and immersive environmental support elements seamlessly draw the listener into the movie' less sonically intense set pieces. The Blu-ray's track is fine, but those not able to enjoy this track are missing out. Sony needs to start making Atmos standard on all releases where an Atmos track exists on the UHD.
Spider-Man: Homecoming's UHD release contains two extras that carryover from the Blu-ray: The Spidey Study Guide and
Photo
Gallery. It also includes the usual Sony UHD "extras" in a cast and crew still photo gallery (2160p/HDR and presumably Dolby Vision) and a
collection of categorized "moments" (2160p/HDR
and presumably Dolby Vision/Atmos): Spider-Man, Vulture, Peter & Ned, and MCU. Below is a list of the extras that
are included on the bundled Blu-ray. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.
Is Spider-Man: Homecoming the Spider-Man film audiences have been waiting for? The previous five films were financially successful and well received, a few more so than others, but this one's claim-to-fame is the character's integration into the ever-expanding and insanely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film boasts strong performances from Tom Holland and Michael Keaton, is a bit heavy on the humor (though mercifully it's largely fine-tuned and narrative-complimentary humor and not that awful Michael Bay style of mindless bottom-of-the-barrel garbage). Action scenes are fun though repetitive but...aren't they all? The film scores big points for its characterizations and world building without getting into the tired origins story all over again. It's a rock-solid film, largely well paced, expertly put together, and it'll be interesting to see how and where this take on the character appears in the future, both in other MCU properties and within his own films. Sony's UHD release of Spider-Man: Homecoming features solid upscaled 4K video, a fantastic Atmos soundtrack, and a decent array of bonus content. Recommended over the Blu-ray, particularly for the superior soundtrack.
2017
2017
with Exclusive Mask Case
2017
2017
FUNKO Pop Spider-Man Homecoming: Spider-Man Walmart Exclusive Gift Box #259
2017
with Comic Book and Bonus Disc
2017
2017
Pop Art
2017
with Spider-Man: Far From Home Movie Cash
2017
Limited Edition Artwork
2017
2019
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
Cinematic Universe Edition
2018
Cinematic Universe Edition
2015
Cinematic Universe Edition
2017
2018
2021
Cinematic Universe Edition
2016
Cinematic Universe Edition
2012
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
2016
2017
1980
2013
2013
2019
2004
2017
Extended and Theatrical versions
2011
1978