Spider-Man: Homecoming is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, and was co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It is the second Spider-Man film reboot and the sixteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It was directed by Jon Watts, with a screenplay by the writing teams of Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daly, Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Tom Holland now stars as Peter Parker, alongside Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Tyne Daly, Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.
In February 2015, Marvel Studios and Sony reached a deal to share the character rights of Spider-Man, and finally integrating him into the established MCU. The following June, Holland was cast as the title character, while Watts was hired to direct, followed shortly by the casting of Tomei and the hiring of Daley and Goldstein. In April 2016, the films title was revealed, along with the supporting cast, including Downey. Principal photography began in June 2016 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia, and continued in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York City. The additional screenwriters were later revealed during filming, which concluded in Berlin in October 2016. The production team made efforts to differentiate the film from its previous incarnations.
Making its US premier in Hollywood on June 28, 2017, it was later released in the US on July 7, 2017 in 3D, IMAX, and IMAX 3D. Homecoming has grossed over $879 million worldwide, making it the second most successful Spider-Man film and the fourth highest-grossing film of 2017. Overall, it has received positive reviews, with critics praising Holland the other cast’s performances, the light tone and the action sequences. A sequel is scheduled to be released on July 5, 2019.
The Film Itself (4.75/5):
After hearing that Spider-Man: Homecoming had genuinely been liked by most, I was really looking forward to its release. Despite only hearing a couple of people giving negative feedback, my wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed this film. Forgoing all of the origin story pieces that we’ve all become familiar with time and time again, this movie immediately puts Peter Parker into action as he is working an internship at Stark Enterprises. Loaded to the brim with action, drama and suspense, we see Tom Holland reviving the role and Parker doing what he can to prove himself for the greater good of humanity. Giving audiences a top notch performance by all involved, I can certainly say that I look forward to the future of the Spider-man storyline and his inclusion into the MCU.
Picture Quality (5/5):
Presented in 4K with Dolby Vision and HDR, Spider-Man: Homecoming looked absolutely beautiful as it played out across my living room television. Being able to see every specific detail of the environment and the characters, this release is one that shines, making full use of the technology at hand. Some notable aspects were the fibers in not only Spider-mans suit, but the individual strands of web that made his infamous swing-shot strand. If you are equipped to make use of 4K UHD with either HDR10 or Dolby Vision, then this release alone would make the perfect showpiece for your entertainment center setup.
Audio Quality (5/5):
Packaged with an English Dolby Atmos audio track, Spider-Man: Homecoming offers an all out immersive experience for those that are equipped with the ability to make use of the technology within their home theater system. Making sure to use every channel imaginable, it does a fantastic job at placing the audience members right into the middle of the action and making them feel as if they are part of the story. Some of the most notable sequences were the ones that take place right in the heart of the city. Being able to hear the ambient audio effects from the surrounding elements as if I were sitting outside of a cafe really added to the experience.
The Packaging (3/5):
Spider-Man: Homecoming comes packaged in your standard two-disc 4K UHD amaray case. Within that case is the standard 4K UHD copy of the film as well as the standard Blu-ray copy of the film. Each of the two discs do include a piece of artwork that’s relative to Spider-man, but not necessarily unique or relative to the film at hand. There is also a digital copy redemption pamphlet that allows consumers to add this film to their digital collection. A slipcover has also been provided during the initial pressing of this film.
Special Features (4/5):
Unfortunately, the 4K UHD disc of Spider-Man: Homecoming does not come packaged with any additional features, much like any other standard 4K UHD release. All available bonus features are made available on the included Blu-ray disc. It does come with a decent amount of additional content that allows consumers to explore the film further. Included with this release is:
- The Spidey Study Guide
- Gag Reel
- Deleted & Extended Scenes
- A Tangled Web
- Searching For Spider-Man
- Spidey Stunts
- Aftermath
- The Vulture Takes Flight
- Jon Watts: Head Of The Class
- Pros And Cons Of Spider-Man
- Rappin’ With Cap
- Photo Gallery
- Trailers
- Previews
Technical Specs:
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision + HDR10
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
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
Subtitles
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Arabic, Cantonese, Dutch, Indonesian, Korean, Malay, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
Runtime
Original Film: 133 minutes
Final Thoughts:
I was really happy to have picked up Spider-Man: Homecoming on 4K UHD. After not only hearing of the positive feedback that I had from my friends, but I was mostly looking forward to the experience that it would offer in 4K UHD with Dolby Atmos. The movie itself is really well done and offers a completely new take on our heroic character, and after watching this, I am really looking forward to where they do end up taking things. The overall audio and visual presentation of this release was really well done, making this one of the few centerpieces of my UHD collection. There’s a ton of special features that have been made available, and I would, hands down, highly recommend picking this release up if you haven’t yet.
