Spider-Man: Far From Home
4K Ultra HD | Blu-ray | DVD | Digital
Director: Jon Watts
Writer: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
Cast: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: October 1, 2019

It’s a bit ironic that Sony and Disney would come to an agreement to share Spider-Man one more time just before the home release of Spider-Man: Far From Home. So there is a slight cause for celebration. The webslinger is a permanent fixture within Marvel Comics, but has had a hard time playing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sandbox thanks to rights issues. Luckily, the two sides have been able to come an agreement. And as such, we have been given two, and now soon to be three, great standalone films.

Whatever happens next is still unclear, but fans can rest easy knowing that Spider-Man has at least spent some time in the MCU. Now Spider-Man: Far From Home, one of the better live-action Spider-Man films, is available for you to own on various home entertainment formats. Filled with a number of bonus features, this will be something every Marvel Studios and Spider-Man fan needs to have. Check out my review of the Blu-ray Edition here below.

Set just days after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home sees Peter Parker (Tom Holland) adjusting to his new life, not only are a reborn person but as an Avenger without his mentor, Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). After getting his schooling straightened out, Peter joins his friends Mary Jane (Zendaya) and Ned Lee (Jacob Batalon) on a summer vacation across Europe. The only problem is, elemental creatures from another universe have strayed into Peter’s world and if they aren’t contained, they could destroy it. So with the help of Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), Spidey is recruited by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) to join the mystical Quentin Beck aka Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) to stop the elemental creatures before they overrun Earth.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is definitely one of the better Spider-Man films, but it is not the best live-action one, it’s not even the best Spider-Man film. As a film acting as a follow-up to something as massive as Avengers: Endgame, or even Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, everything about Far From Home seems so small. Even if it is the biggest live-action Spider-Man in terms of narrative, set pieces, and action sequences, all it seems like it’s doing is just hitting certain benchmarks. But from a completely different perspective, Far From Home is a nice palette cleanser, one that will fill you up with excitement and make you laugh as well.

See, what Spider-Man: Far From Home does well is that it shows that Peter Parker still has a lot to learn about what it takes to be a hero. Director Jon Watts doesn’t let the boy behind the mask grow up too fast, allowing him instead to still want to be a kid while also juggling the responsibilities of being an unrefined hero. He also must go far beyond just being the typical Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and be a hero that stands up for all. And it works exceptionally well with the globe-trotting setting, very interesting villain, and amazing action sequences and set pieces.

As far as bonus features on the Blu-ray goes, there are a few fun things to look forward to watching. “Peter’s To-Do List” is best described as a Spider-Man short that sees how Parker juggles the hassles of daily life like picking up his passport and other essential toiletries to taking down a crime family. “Teachers’ Travel Tips” is a goofy feature that sees Martin Starr and JB Smoove as Roger Harrington and Julius Dell, respectively, giving the viewer some helpful travel tips. Other features like “Stepping Up” looks at Parker’s progression as a person and a hero within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while “Suit Up” takes a look at all the new suits and accessories he will get. Then there’s “Now You See Me,” which explores why Mysterio was chosen for the latest Spider-Man film, and some of the challenges that the creative team needed to overcome to make sure his character was presented in a way that would respect the comic book material while also serving his purpose for the film.

And of course, there are the obligatory deleted and alternate scenes, along with gag reels. But really, Spider-Man: Far From Home is chock-full of great bonus features, making it something that is worth adding to your superhero Blu-ray collection.