Spider-Man: No Way Home Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

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

Spider-Man: No Way Home swings onto Blu-ray with a perfect 1080p transfer. The presentation is stout and stellar, offering crisp, high yield clarity that pushes the format to its extreme limits. Definition and detail are absolutely first-rate, whether considering either practical or digital elements. All of the usual entities are in perfect working order: skin and hair are crystal-clear. Clothes and costumes are intricately revealing (including, of course, Spider-Man's various suits and fabrics), and of course all of the high texture city environments that leap off the screen with incredible tactile complexity. Colors are super, too. The palette is gorgeously rendered, offering impressive depth and vividness. Colors hold to a natural output with no contrast extremes or temperature anomalies, yet there's plenty of aggressive brilliance and nuance to enjoy. This of course extends to perfectly realized skin tones, extremely deep and accurate blacks, and impressively bright whites. The image shows no source or encode flaws, either. Blu-ray just doesn't get any better than this for a brand new blockbuster.

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

Despite the absence of the fuller, more immersive and satisfying Atmos track that Sony has included on the concurrently released UHD, the Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is no slouch, offering web-slinging goodness, action, and music galore with just the type of precision, fullness, and clarity listeners would expect from a 5.1 track paired with one of the biggest movies ever made. The presentation is nonstop impressive, offering full stage engagement to heavy action, musical score, and atmosphere alike. The first big action sequence comes to life with room-shaking bass as Doctor Octopus' heavy tentacles slam into a concrete overpass. The action to follow is intense as cars fly, concrete rubble flings, and characters sweep and swoop around the stage, yielding a symphony of sonic delight that balances low end extension, evolving surround content, and discrete effects with uncanny precision, even in the "limited" 5.1 configuration. Of course, these observations hold for the duration as the action becomes ever more intense and complex. Throughout the film, musical engagement soars for perfect spacing with dominant front side output and balanced surround and subwoofer integration, adding just the right low-end depth and back-channel usage to make for a fully satisfying presentation. City atmosphere, crowd din, and other environmental essentials are equally well engaged. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and finds its home in a front center channel, where it remains minus the few times when more discrete, location-specific placement is necessary. The Atmos track is better, but this is a rousing Blu-ray track from start to finish.

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

This Blu-ray release of Spider-Man: No Way Home includes a whole host of extras. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are 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 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 Blu-ray is pretty much perfect. Superior video and audio are supported by a number of high-quality supplements. Very highly recommended.