A Few Words About A few words about...™ Spider-Man Limited Edition Collection -- in 4k UHD Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Robert Harris

A few words about...™ Spider-Man Limited Edition Collection -- in 4k UHD Blu-ray

I've got to be honest.

As someone who normally doesn't track the comings and goings of comic book characters in cinema, I found the latest 4k offerings from Sony to be extremely confusing.

Setting aside the Best Buy exclusives, steelbook packagings, and other entities that go bump in the night, I found that I had to give real thought to what these were. And that's not taking into account other feature films, the TV series, animated films, games, et al.

After consultation, it was advised that I segregate the Columbia films from all others, and work by series, and the actor who donned the outfit.

That was helpful.

Tobey Maguire was in three of them.

Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), and Spider-Man 3 (2007).

One would think that the series would have been given a rest, while allowing it to regain interest, rather like Sir Alfred putting away his films for a couple of decades, to create a mystique.

But that wasn't the case, as only five years later we had The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), now with Andrew Garfield as the masked arachnid, and Emma Stone replacing the little nymphet vampire as the love interest.

And then came the appropriately entitled The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014).

But wait, there's more.

Tom Holland arrived, just in time for the 2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Let's see where things stand.

We'll forget about the old DVDs and Blu-rays, as well as "mastered in 4k" releases, either singly or in sets, and limit ourselves toward the 4k UHD releases, which all arrived in an interesting order.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2. That would be the second of the Garfield films arrived on March 1, 2016. That's early 4k.

Then, the great event on October 17 of 2017, with the release of Spider-Man Homecoming (2017), along with a Limited Edition of The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2, as a 7-disc set.

Along with this came a Spider-Man 1, 2 & 3 Limited Edition Giftset. That means that in several states, this is illegal to purchase for one's own use.

But let's not forget the Spider-Man Legacy Collection Steelbook, with contains the three Maguire films, the Holland film, plus the Spider-Man 3 Editor's Cut (on Blu-ray only).

And finally the Steelbook Edition of Spider-Man: Homecoming.

As far as I know, Sony did not send these out as review copies, or if they did, it was on a limited basis, but knowing that these should look superb via 4k, I bit the bullet, and purchased -- I have to think here -- ah, The Spider-Man Limited Edition Collection.

The specs on these are interesting.

All shot on film, with much large format, presumably for fx shots. Spider-Man finished in 2k, but printed to film, and 2 and 3 in full 4k.

My hunch -- remember, this is Columbia -- paid off.

The first film, gives us every bit of grain structure along with a highly resolved image, and a delicate use of HDR. The film is so highly resolved that I believe I detected some wire that should have been removed, as it would not have been seen in 35mm prints.

Bottom line, is this an upgrade from the Blu-ray releases? Absolutely.

And what else can one learn?

True 4k can be really nice, especially in projection, and paired with Dolby Atmos...

Home theater nirvana.

Is it worth the asking price of around $50 or less. especially on all of those "black" days, which are no longer so dark, as you don't need to actually show up anywhere, and battle crowds?

Yes.

Especially, since along with the package, you receive -- absolutely free -- the previously mentioned Editor's Cut of S-M 3, as well as Spider-Man 2.1

Image - 5

Audio - 5 (Dolby Atmos)

4k - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Upgrade from Blu-ray - Definitely

Highly Recommended

RAH

 

[Mark Booth]

'The Amazing Spider-Man' is one of the films that iTunes automatically gave me the 4K (streaming) version for free on my Apple TV 4K. I haven't watched it yet but I did watch my free 4K upgrade to 'Man of Steel' last night and I was pleased with what I saw.

Mark

 

[PMF]

[...]Along with this came a Spider-Man 1, 2 & 3 Limited Edition Giftset. That means that in several states, this is illegal to purchase for one's own use.[...]

Oh, what a tangled web they weave.
- Sir Walter Scott (1808)

 

[B-ROLL]

After all that perhaps you need to step out for a bite !

 

[Malcolm R]

But let's not forget the Spider-Man Legacy Collection Steelbook, with contains the three Maguire films, the two Holland films...

I think you mean, "the two Garfield films." Holland has only made one film, Homecoming. You almost got it.

 

[Robert Harris]

I think you mean, "the two Garfield films." Holland has only made one film, Homecoming. You almost got it.

See? Confused, much?

 

[B-ROLL]

I think you mean, "the two Garfield films." Holland has only made one film, Homecoming. You almost got it.

Mr Holland's Opus er IMDb also indicates:
Captain America: Civil War
Peter Parker / Spider-Man

 

[Mark-P]

See? Confused, much?

Yeah, your review confused me too. Reading it I came away with the impression that the set contained all six films in 4K for a mere $50. Nope. It’s just the Maguire films.

 

[Bryan^H]

Bottom line, the debut, and re-booting of an iconic super hero 3 times in 15 years is a bit much.

Likewise for Batman.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yeah, your review confused me too. Reading it I came away with the impression that the set contained all six films in 4K for a mere $50. Nope. It’s just the Maguire films.

I bought the Spider-Man Legacy Collection 4K/UHD Steelbook from Best Buy on Thanksgiving for $49.99 which has five Spider-Man films that doesn't include Spider-Man: Homecoming. It's normally priced $99.99.

 

[Malcolm R]

Mr Holland's Opus er IMDb also indicates:
Captain America: Civil War
Peter Parker / Spider-Man

Yes, but that's a cameo appearance and CA:CW definitely isn't included in any SM configuration.

 

[TonyD]

Do we have, here on HTF, a primer on what 4K is and what HDR is all about?

I don't have a 4K tv in my main viewing room yet but I have one in the bedroom but I
do have all the rest of the things needed.

Just don't now what 4K is and HDR and how it transfers to what we once called film like when describing
blu-ray sometimes.

So there's confusion about that too not just all the different ways to By Spider-man.

 

[Malcolm R]

Do we have, here on HTF, a primer on what 4K is and what HDR is all about?

Robert Harris posted AFWA:HDR

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/co...-™-hdr-in-4k-uhd-blu-ray.347934/#post-4384847

 

[TonyD]

Thanks I did see that, it's more a should they or not add HDR then a discussion of what it is.

I'm more interested in what it is, why it is and what 4K is.
Is a movie released on 4K disc a new master.

Does a movie have to be mastered a certain way for it to be released on 4K?

Lots of reviews and talk about 4K but not much on what it is in respect to 4K disc releases.

 

[Robert Harris]

Thanks I did see that, it's more a should they or not add HDR then a discussion of what it is.

I'm more interested in what it is, why it is and what 4K is.
Is a movie released on 4K disc a new master.

Does a movie have to be mastered a certain way for it to be released on 4K?

Lots of reviews and talk about 4K but not much on what it is in respect to 4K disc releases.

To begin, 4k is merely a bucket, like DVD. It’s a larger capacity disc, which does not necessarily have to contain 4k data.

When quality, true 4k data is what one finds on said disc, wonderful things can occur.

If HDR is necessary, and properly encoded, that adds another interesting element. However, HDR is not a necessary element of a 4k disc, and can occasionally be both intrusive, as well as problematic

 

[Wayne_j]

SONY is leasing the rights for Spider-Man from Marvel and that lease expires if they don't release a Spider-Man movie every negotiated number of years. Because of this they can't just give the character a rest for 10 years or they would loose the rights to the franchise.

 

[Alberto_D]

That's what happened when studio executives learned that most public today don't care about continuity.

The basic mistake for Spider Man was to put actors too old from the teen Peter Parker, reducing chances to keep the actor for long term.
Look the mess they did with X-Men. Wolverine got old pretty fast despite of imortal, and they also create several alternative universes or prequel with contradictions...

It's the Lost, effect (reference to Lost TV series), they add so much crap that later can't keep logic and continuity.

Today most people see movies as just enterteinment, something very trivial.

I didn't even watched Batman X Superman, and I will not do it. They create such trash because there are people who watch it. There are fans who complain countless times on web, but buy every edition. No sense...

 

[TravisR]

It's the Lost, effect (reference to Lost TV series), they add so much crap that later can't keep logic and continuity.

What examples of that where there on Lost?

 

[Jason_V]

Look the mess they did with X-Men. Wolverine got old pretty fast despite of imortal, and they also create several alternative universes or prequel with contradictions...

Um, sorry? Without talking about the merits of each film, the X universe has been remarkable consistent with the actors playing each main part.

Jackman has been Wolverine in every single X film to date (17 years, 8 movies). Patrick Stewart has been in nearly all the films. Sure, First Class, Days of Future Past and Apocalypse used new actors as the young characters, but isn't that expected?

Besides, the movies can't reverse or stop aging. Of course the actors get older and that has to be taken into account. For heaven sakes, the first X-Men movie came out when I was in college...and I'm a year away from 40 now. You've got to have some grace about this.

Watching Days of Future Past, I knew it was the last time I'd be seeing the X-Men who introduced me to the franchise in the movies. Watching Logan, I felt a sense of loss. I never really found Wolverine to be compelling, but Jackman and Stewart together are gold. It's the end of an era for me. But I know it has to end.

Same with Spider-Man. Tobey will always be my Spider-Man and Andrew Garfield a minor fill in. Tom Holland? I enjoy him and like what he's doing...but he's not "mine," if that makes sense.

 

[Matt Hough]

Jason makes perfect sense about ownership of these characters. For some of us, George Reeves was and will always be Superman. For others, Christopher Reeve fills the bill. Clayton Moore was MY Lone Ranger, and I can't accept others in the part, though it might help if modern-era films with the character were any good. (I just stumbled on John Hart playing the role yesterday morning on a rerun during the year Moore held out in contract disputes. It just wasn't the same at all).