Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Spider-Man: No Way Home 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 12, 2022

This review contains spoilers for this film and the previous Tom Holland 'Spider-Man' films, though I have tried to greatly minimize any reveals.

Not that any Marvel or Spider-Man movie needed a shot in the arm, but Spider-Man: No Way Home certainly provides a burst of adrenaline and excitement and a whole lot of nostalgia in one of the best and most dramatically thoughtful and well-conceived franchise films yet. The past is very much alive here, and the future is still looking very bright for the Tom Holland take on the web slinging superhero as he, in this film, finds himself faced with, or better said face to face with, an army of familiar favorites in a story that both advances the Spider-Man brand while saluting the trailblazers that have come before.

As the film begins, Spider-Man's identity is revealed to the world when Mysterio, via video with his dying breaths, unmasks the hero for the world to see. Suddenly, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) find themselves in the middle of a media blitz and public opinion backlash. The current against them is so strong that, solely because of their place in the spotlight, they, along with friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), are denied admission to MIT and, it seems, denied their dreams. Peter turns to Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help, requesting that he use his powers to “fix” the timeline and restore things to be as they were before Mysterio revealed his identity. Strange initiates the spell but stops short of fulfilling it, believing that Peter has not exhausted all of his avenues for righting the wrongs with MIT. However, the partially cast spell opens a portal from other universes that brings those who know Peter Parker and Spider-Man into this world. Suddenly, Peter is faced with a barrage of bad guys and will need some extra help if he's to restore order to the way things once were.

Tonally, this is very much in-line with the other films in the series (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far from Home) with the offbeat characterizations and awkward-moment humor, but Director Jon Watts, who has now helmed all three of the Tom Holland Spider-Man films, never allows the fluff to get out of hand and define the picture. Instead, the film's dramatic currents, action, and sincere character moments carry the experience. The cast manages the complex maneuverings and challenging dramatic arcs with grounded grace, exploring both the broad universe complexities and the intimate character interactions with a believable depth. The cast, which spans a wide swath of Spider-Man history, is energized with no feel that anyone is stepping on toes or eager to steal the spotlight. A few fun asides hint at the realities of the convergence but for the most part Watts and his writers, and the cast, collaborate for a serious exposition that sees the film at once looking forward while acknowledging its richly sprawling past.

With all the moving parts the film never feels too heavy or burdened by the massive character roster and sprawling story it tells. Somehow, it feels very intimate and personal despite the expansive roster and seemingly endless infusion of past characters. And even when the story shifts to action, with all of those complexities converging onto the screen, the film plays with an evenness and focused sensibility that is a tribute to both the action choreography and the story's inherent excellence. Action is typical of the franchise in terms of structure and visual delight, but as with so many of the MCU films it's in how the action connects to the larger narrative -- both within this induvial film and through the larger MCU canon -- that drives it to success. The film rightly highlights action but doesn't allow action to define it, yielding one of the most well-rounded films of the year and one of the best in the MCU.

Spider-Man: No Way Home 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Sony brings Spider-Man: No Way Home to the UHD format with a very impressive 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation. It is, unsurprisingly, the superior of the two available high-definition physical format options, besting the companion Blu-ray for both image clarity and color output excellence. The picture offers the usual staples of format superiority, revealing a clearer, cleaner, and more colorfully correct presentation that manages to improve on a practically perfect Blu-ray by enhancing all of the critical elements. The picture enjoys the fruits of the resolution boost, which produces a sharper image that offers more overall definition and stability to all of the film-critical elements, including skin and hair, costume details, and the various cityscape urban textures that are particularly stout and sharp at this resolution. The differences do not reach the level of "striking" as the case can be when a lesser Blu-ray is promoted to full 4K goodness, usually from a film source, but even for a new digital movie where the Blu-ray reaches best case scenario for its format the UHD manages to improve around the edges to squeeze out the superior product for overall definition, stability, and reality. The silky-smooth clarity is easily one of the best points for improvement, bringing an overall crisper image to the screen,

Color reproduction thrives under the Dolby Vision parameters, offering a more robust and finely tuned and tailored color experience that enriches the viewing experience from beginning to end. Look at the greater green burst and intensity that the J. Jonah Jameson scenes offer, for example, or the newfound punch and depth on Spider-Man's suit. Urban grays and other city colors enjoy more abundant realism; nothing escapes the Dolby Vision grading's fine tuning and more lively yield. Flesh tones are certainly more precisely revealed, black level depth and shadow detail elements are superior even against the Blu-ray's excellent work in that area, and of course white brilliance and clarity are better here, too. Like the Blu-ray, there are no encode issues or source flaws dragging the picture downward. This is a high yield and high class UHD from Sony.

Spider-Man: No Way Home 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Spider-Man: No Way Home's UHD disc features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The presentation is full and aggressive with appropriately balanced, but not thunderous, low-end extension and intense, but not overpowering, surround usage. Essentially, the track is not earth-shattering, but it is in no way timid, either, presenting all elements in fine working order within a fully complimentary fashion. Listeners will enjoy intense action scenes that offer full stage usage and plenty of supportive overhead content. While the top layer channels may not offer a regular barrage of truly discrete effects, these channels do blend in content and offer the odd sense of spatial movement and unique awareness to better draw the listener into the finely engineered action scene mayhem. Likewise, environmental elements are crisp and well placed, too, whether the off discrete element or more immersive chants and cheers and jeers as Peter and MJ walk to school amidst a throng of protestors, for example. Music soars with graceful clarity and precision placement from a heavy front left and right engagement along with balanced surround and subwoofer components. Dialogue is clear and center focused for the duration.

Spider-Man: No Way Home 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of Spider-Man: No Way Home includes a whole host of extras...on the Blu-ray disc; no extras minus some Sony previews are included on the UHD disc itself. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Bloopers & Gag Reel (1080p, 4:01): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Action Choreography Across the Multiverse (1080p, 6:25): Exploring George Cottle's work as action choreographer, focusing on wire work and safety as well as scene specific fight details. With both behind-the-scenes and film clip footage.
• A Spectacular Spider-Journey with Tom Holland (1080p, 6:16): Looking back at Holland's casting and the qualities he brings to the role and the franchise. It also explores Peter Parker/Spider-Man's journey through the MCU.
• Realities Collide, Spiders Unite (1080p, 8:09): Reuniting the three actors who have played Spider-Man over the past couple of decades. It also looks at secrecy, each actor's unique take on the role, and more.
• Graduation Day (1080p, 7:07): Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Tony Revolori reflect on their casting, careers, and working in the franchise.
• Enter Strange (1080p, 5:04): Exploring Strange's place in the film, Cumberbatch's performance, and key set design elements.
• Weaving Jon Watts' Web (1080p, 7:18): Exploring Watts' direction, progression in the series, and the qualities he brings to the set and film.
• Alternate Reality Easter Eggs (1080p, 4:41): Peeking into the well-hidden secrets and homages scattered throughout the film.
• A Multiverse of Miscreants (1080p, 6:38): Reuniting a cast of villains for this film and the qualities the actors continue to bring to the franchise.
• A Meeting of the Spiders - Heroes Panel (1080p, 7:23): Holland, Garfield, and Maguire sit down to chat up their experiences on the franchise.
• The Sinister Summit - Villains Panel (1080p, 8:44): Dafoe, Molina, and Foxx talk up villainy in the Spider-Man universe as well as Tom Holland's performance, their first roles, and more.
• The Daily Bugle (1080p): Bugle news clips. Included are Spider-Menace Strikes Again (1:15), Web of Lies (1:18), and Spider Sycophant (1:41).
• Stunt Scene Pre-Vis (1080p): Rehearsals intercut with the finished footage. Included are Apartment Fight (1:46) and Shield Fight (1:49).
• Theatrical Marketing Materials (1080p): Some fun offbeat promos for the film. Included are Tom & Jacob Lie Detector (1:58), Tom's Press Tour (1:03), and Georgia Promo (1:15).
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Spider-Man: No Way Home 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Spider-Man: No Way Home both honors the past and looks to the future in one of the most clever and complex, yet accessible, story lines yet in an MCU film. The picture ends with opportunity for any number of new directions for the series to take in the forthcoming sequel. Should be fun! Sony's UHD is first-rate. Superior video and audio are supported by a number of high-quality supplements. Very highly recommended.