Spider-Man - Far From Home (UHD) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Sony Pictures
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Rating: PG-13
Film: 4.5/5

Plot
Our friendly neighborhood wall-crawler decides to join his best friends Ned, MJ, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation. However, Peter’s plans to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks are quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks! Spider-Man and Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) join forces to fight the havoc unleashed across the continent but all is not as it seems.

My Thoughts
This was one of the few films I went to the theater to see this year and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Even though it had only been a few months between viewings, it’s still an entertaining film to watch a second time due to the likability of the characters, specifically Tom Holland, who plays Peter Parker/Spiderman. Barry, our resident comic book expert has lamented the fact that the character isn’t “his” Spiderman, or the one he grew up reading about, but I like him quite a bit. Since his debut in Captain America: Civil War, I’ve grown fond of him and look forward to seeing him on screen.

Sourced from a 2K intermediate, the upconverted 4K image still looks great. As one would expect, the extra resolution does wonders for the fine detail in Spiderman’s costume and the exterior shots of Europe are to die-for. Colors are vivid and strong, and the depth in the image is extremely inviting.

Unfortunately, the praise for the disc ends at the video, because the Dolby Atmos track is a complete mess. The dynamic range is severely lacking, and the recording volume is extremely low—like 8-9dB too low. Did Disney help Sony with this release? Furthermore, even when adjusted for volume, the soundtrack is very flat and inconsistent. At times the bass track rocks and at others, it’s non-existent. I certainly don’t remember hearing it like this in the theater. I replayed some of the action sequences on the Blu-ray’s DTS-HD MA 7.1 track and it definitely is the superior of the two.

Video 8/10 

Audio 5/10 (Dolby Atmos)

Special Features (Housed on Blu-ray):

• Peter’s To-Do List – A Short Film
• Gag Reel & Outtakes
• Deleted & Alternate Scenes
• Teachers’ Travel Tips
• The Jump Off
• Stepping Up
• Suit Up
• Now You See Me
• Far, Far, Far from Home
• It Takes Two
• Fury & Hill
• The Ginter-Riva Effect
• Thank You, Mrs. Parket
• Stealthy Easter Eggs
• The Brothers Trust
• Select Scene Pre-Vis
• Previews
• Blu-ray+ Digital Copy

Conclusion
This film is the culmination of what Marvel has been working on since the release of Iron Man so many years ago and is an exploration of the what happened after Avengers: Endgame to so many people affected by the “snap.” I really love how the film explores the psychiatric effect on Spiderman and how he needs to trust his own judgement now that Tony Stark isn’t there to guide him. Unfortunately, the audio track is a major disappointment and despite how good the UHD looks, I’ll probably watch the Blu-ray the next time around for the superior audio experience—yes, it’s that big! I certainly hope Sony looks into the reason why the audio is crippled and finds a way to ensure this never happens again.
   

Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High Definition Front Projector
 (Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
 Anthem AVM60 Audio/Video Processor
 ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
 Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
 System Controller: URC MX-980
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
 Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
 SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
 HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
 SVS SB-3000 Subwoofer
JL Audio Dominion D110 Subwoofer x 2 (configured as tandem mid bass modules)
Mini DSP controlling all subwoofers
 Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
 PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[Barry]

My review of the movie is on our site at https://discuss.avscience.com/index.php?topic=2134.0

David is right, I am not a big fan of this version of Spider-Man! I am a bigger fan of the original three movies! That is of the first two of the three movies but I’m glad David enjoyed this. 

Here is the beginning of my Spider-Man collection

[NoUDont]

disney keeps cranking out dud 4K UHD's and people keep buying them! it looked great in the mini IMAX i watched the movie in. shame disney doesnt want to reproduce that experience for the home.

[DavidHir]

Barry,

Those look in rather nice condition!  I have a poor graded Amazing Spider-Man #4 I bought years back.

[Barry]

Barry,

Those look in rather nice condition!  I have a poor graded Amazing Spider-Man #4 I bought years back.

That's a great omic. But remember, being the Sandman is no day at the beach. Well maybe it is a little bit.