'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Finds a Way Home with 4K Blu-ray
Back in December 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home hit theaters to thunderous applause, quite literally. Not only was Tom Holland’s web-slinging trilogy-caper a triumph with fans of the character, the MCU, and super-hero movies, it was an earnest celebration of all things Spider-Man, and fans around the world rejoiced. It brought back not only villains of Spider-Men’s past but also… THE Spider-Men themselves in Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield, teaming them up with Tom Holland’s version to create an emotional coming-of-age story that teaches the true meaning of responsibility to the youngest Spidey but also allowed the older Peters a proper send-off that their movies sadly didn’t deliver. A true lightning-in-a-bottle film that cannot be replicated in terms of the emotional experience it delivered. To this say I still get shivers through my body and smile at nothing just thinking of what it was like watching it for the first time. So, with the film releasing on 4K Ultra HD™ + Blu-ray™ SteelBook®, 4K UHD™, Blu-ray™, and DVD on April 12, how does it hold up at home?
In Spider-Man: No Way Home we see Peter Parker unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
It should be noted, I’m reviewing the UK version of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Spider-Man: No Way Home and viewing it on LG webOS TV the PlayStation 5 as the Blu-ray player. This is a stunning home media transfer, as any a big, bright and bombastic Marvel blockbuster should be, it simply looks fabulous in 4K. Which should be no surprise coming from Sony, the studio excels at putting out some of the best home media releases on a visual level.
The 4K home release of Spider-Man: No Way Home delivers vibrant & detailed, presentation that might just be one of the best-looking 4Ks I have ever seen, certainly the best of the year so far.
From the opening swings through New York that truly immerse you into the frenetic chaos that is Peter’s life at the beginning of the film, to the spell-casting which is almost hypnotic, but it’s the latter half that truly shines as once we get to the bridge scene the film truly becomes a visual marvel (pun intended) to gawk at; the CG is unsurprisingly integrated flawlessly into the film and so it delivers so epic action with excellent detail, particularly in close ups. It’s tremendous to look at and almost feel the textures of clothing, hair and even machinery. It makes sense, since it is so much of a digital movie, with a ton of the visual added in post-production, but that plays as its biggest strength when watching at home.
It's however the WCG and HDR that truly elevate the movie’s look to the next level, with rich and vibrant tones from beginning to end, natural-looking skin tones and clever little details spread throughout; the metallic gleam of the Iron Spider suit, Strange's magic, and even Electro’s powers shining luminous blues and yellows, with very deep blacks to round out it all out with outstanding shadows to contrast the bright lights in a seamless way.
Of course, you don’t just want your movie to be good and to look good, you want those extra features. It should be noted the 4K disc only contains the movie itself, while the extra material is only to be found as a part the Blu-ray. Nevertheless, regarding those so-coveted extras Spider-Man: No Way Home does not disappoint. From Bloopers to Easter Eggs, to Featurettes and even deep dives behind the action choreography.
Bloopers are always treat, not only do they deliver a peak behind the curtain, but they also allow us to see the on-set camaraderie created between the cast, and in a movie that gathers the cast of three different Spider-Man franchises that probably never would’ve come together had things played out differently, it feels extra special.
The Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes range widely from exploring the work that went into the crafting the action sequences and the dedication from Tom Holland, Willem Dafoe and others to have it be on camera as much as possible. To a simple panel with Tom Holland looking back on his journey as Spider-Man. There’s one celebrating the coming together of all three Spider-Man actors. One with the trilogy’s young cast reminiscing on their journey through the three movies. Even one looking back on Jon Watts as a director through the trilogy, an incredible journey in itself for someone who came straight from small indies into the biggest spotlight possible and after three movies delivered one of the biggest blockbusters in recent memory. There simply is no shortage of behind-the-scenes looks from different perspectives, not only looking back on the filmmaking behind this one move, but all three parts of this trilogy and all the facets that made these movies possible.
We’re not done yet, the extra features still have two Special Panels: one with Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx discussing their characters. And another of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland discussing playing Peter Parker, stunts, and skin-tight suits.
There is even a fun look at the creation of the stunts, and how much they evolve until the incredible final result. There’s even Daily Buggle stories starring J.K. Simmons himself as J. Jonah Jameson that feel straight of the movie’s universe.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is easily one of the best 4k Blu-rays to ever be released. Not only because it brings one of the best movies of 2021 to our home, but the whole package with special features and what it offers delivers, much like the movie itself, an earnest celebration of all things Spider-Man. An emotionally cathartic coming-of-age epic with laugh-out-loud fun, stupendous action, emotional impact, and, most importantly, delivers the closure for all three Spider-Men.
Sony's 4K release of Spider-Man: No Way Home is simply outstanding, with jaw-dropping visual quality and a vast array of extra features making it it a must-have own for fans.