Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Spider-Man: Homecoming 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 15, 2017

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?).

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is flying high after fighting alongside Iron Man against a rogue Captain America. He not only believes he has his foot in Tony Stark's door, but he also feels he's all but a full-fledged Avenger. Stark, however, sees a young man who's too immature for his own good, ready, perhaps, to fight in a crunch but not someone reliable enough to be called an Avenger. As Parker navigates the excitement of his prospects and pines after a girl (Laura Harrier), his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) discovers his secret masked, web-slinging identity. Meanwhile, a new villain, Vulture (Michael Keaton), born of greed and access to alien technology, arrives on the scene with the goal of acquiring more power for himself and his growing criminal organization.

Spider-Man: Homecoming leans on humor. Heavily. Most of the first half and much of the rest of the movie is built around dry humor that often get a laugh but grows a bit tiresome as the film seems ever more intent on generating laughter rather than showcasing action or building character. It does, to its credit, take the humor as an opportunity to character build, which includes reintroducing audiences to the character by way of Peter's video diary that sees him recruited, travel overseas, and eventually battle amidst the action from Civil War. Homecoming, then, isn't an origins story. It assumes audience understanding of how Peter Parker became Spider-Man and doesn't bother with the spider bite, the gradual changes to his physiology, the slow harness of his newfound powers, that sort of thing. The Civil War montage simply establishes this film's place in the greater MCU. There's a brief discussion between Peter and his friend Ned about the Spider-Man origins, but such begins and ends there. And that's wise, not only wise because the character as-is has been previously established in another movie but because, frankly, as the third go-round for Spider-Man in well under two decades, there's no point in rehashing the same thing that audiences have seen before.

That said, Homecoming does rehash many other of the same things audiences have seen before. Action scenes see Parker battling his enemy on large scales and through swaths of destruction. He fights to save innocent people in harm's way, using all his might and superpowers to hold up an elevator or keep a boat afloat. But that's true of practically all of the Superhero movies. There are only so many ways to skin the proverbial cat, in this case only so many ways to depict the character's physical strengths, unnatural abilities, mental state, and emotional connections to others. Things are going to get blown up, people are going to be in peril. There wouldn't be a movie like this otherwise, but to say that watching these same scenarios play out for the sixth time just in Spider-Man movies isn't getting a little long in the tooth would be to lie. That said, the movie does do it well, and there's enough interesting character and universe development along the way to keep the picture moving even when its action scenes largely stall out not because they're not exciting, but because they're repetitious.

The film's best qualities exist far away from special effects and action. Parker's relationship with Tony Stark/Iron Man is the movie's highlight. On one side, Parker has more than a bit of hero worship going on. He wants nothing more than to be a key cog in Stark's life both as a person and as an Avenger. On the other side, Stark, less outwardly infectious than the overeager Parker, sees in the boy an opportunity to mold someone in a way his father never could with him. Yes Stark is a success, but he finds in the boy an opportunity to be the father figure his never was and he may never be unless he and Pepper Potts get down to business at some point soon. Then there's Michael Keaton's character, a man who becomes overcome with the opportunities afforded to him and obsessed with the power he eventually harnesses. The character, whose surprise revelation makes the movie all the more dramatically intense, stands as one of the more interesting in franchise history, villain or otherwise. He's sort of like a Batman-lite (speaking of Keaton) who has taken the wrong path with his life and opportunities. Keaton is wonderful in the role, playing it close to the vest until that revelation when he opens up, reveals his true self (in more ways than one), and delivers a strikingly simple but startlingly intense and threatening monologue in a key moment.

Spider-Man: Homecoming 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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.

• The Spidey Study Guide: A pop-up trivia track that offers "insight on the movie's relationship with the comics, and to reveal hidden references that even a seasoned Spidey-fan may have missed!"
• Gag Reel (1080p, 2:17).
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (1080p, 16:17 total runtime): A Film By Peter Parker (Director's Cut), Cafeteria, Return from ATM, Triskelion Cleanup, Anxious Tomomes, Aaron Still Stuck, Go It Alone, Happy Calls His Mom, Midtown Final Segment, and Mr. Harrington Lessons in Love.
• A Tangled Web (1080p, 6:11): A look at bringing Spider-Man into the MCU, Peter Parker's place amongst the characters, the greater depth he provides in the universe, multi-studio collaboration, and more.
• Searching for Spider-Man (1080p, 8:04): How Peter Parker's age and place in life differentiate him from other heroes. It also looks at casting Tom Holland in the lead role and the qualities he brings to the character and the MCU.
• Spidey Stunts (1080p, 5:48): Holland's background in dance and gymnastics aid him in shaping the character and working through stunt work while making several of the film's key action scenes.
• Aftermath (1080p, 4:47): Another look at the greater MCU and this film's connections to it.
• The Vulture Takes Flight (1080p, 6:01): A closer look at the film's villain, including roots in the comics, updating him for the film, Michael Keaton's performance, and more.
• Jon Watts: Head of the Class (1080p, 5:29): This piece focuses on the film's director and his contributions to the picture beyond crude directorial work.
• Pros and Cons of Spider-Man (1080p, 3:28): Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon discuss the good and bad of being Spider-Man.
• Rappin' with Cap (1080p, 2:26 total runtime): Several Captain America PSAs. Included are Safety First, Food For Thought, Brain Power, and Your Changing Body.
• Photo Gallery (1080p).
• Trailers (1080p): 'Spider-Man Homecoming VR' Trailer (1:38) and An Inside Look at Marvel's 'Spider-Man' | PS4 (2:45).
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Spider-Man: Homecoming 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.