Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing’s most enigmatic heroines. The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures…if they can all survive a deadly present.

For in-depth thoughts on Madame Web, please see my colleague Gaius Bolling’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Madame Web offers a slight uptick in quality over the already grand accompanying Blu-Ray, maintaining the level of quality we expect from Sony. The HDR/Dolby Vision enriches the range of the color spectrum from already lovely to completely stunning when it comes to vibrancy. In terms of color reproduction, it feels greedy to ask for more. Elements of the lighting throughout the city and within the production design radiate off the screen with impressive resonance. Some of the digital effects and costumes are accompanied by bold splashes of color to keep things aesthetically interesting. Skin tones appear a touch more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as makeup.

This 4K presentation thrives when it comes to the balance in contrast. Dolby Vision allows for a much stronger command of these differences within the frame with greater depth and finer delineation. Black levels stay deep and inky with great detail even in the somewhat moody lighting conditions. The highlights in the film are likewise more defined with whites more pure and balanced and no instances of blooming at play. This is a key benefit when it comes to this format. Fine detail is also in top form with the texture of costumes and within the production design finely tuned in even the most subtle instances. The visual effects are decent but not to the level of larger productions. Regardless, this is a core problem and not an issue with the transfer. The Blu-Ray is no slouch, but Sony has delivered another marvelous transfer on this latest 4K release.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray utilizes a Dolby Atmos track that gives the strong DTS 5.1 Master Audio track from the Blu-Ray a kick up a notch. It does not take long in the film to utilize nearly all of the surround speakers consistently from the quieter moments and the numerous bombastic sequences. The implementation of the height channels is very obvious in the ideal sense as the environment opens up in a much more three-dimensional manner, especially with so many spaces visited.

The effects in the low end from the subwoofer give moments big and small an unforgettable boost. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered precisely within the mix so that directionality is never in doubt. The film is also really satisfying when it comes to the score, and this track saturates the room in a way that is effective. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting overshadowed by the music or sound effects. Madame Web has been provided a track that perfectly achieves its sonic ambitions. There are optional English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

Future Vision: A seven-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the concept, what drew them to the project, the background of the characters, the themes of the narrative, the rehearsal process, and more.

Casting The Web: A nine-minute exploration of the characters and the performers who bring them to life, the qualities they bring to the screen, the bonding on set, and more.

Oracle of the Page: A five-minute look at the process of translating the comics to the big screen and the most important elements the creative team wanted to execute.

Gag Reel: A nearly five-minute collection of flubbed lines, fouled up takes, malfunctioning props and stunts, laughing fits and more.

Fight Like A Spider: A nearly six-minute examination of the action in the film, how SJ Clarkson wanted to execute certain elements in a practical way, the work put in by the performers and more.

Easter Eggs – The Many Threads of Madame Web: A four-minute journey through some of the Easter Eggs peppered throughout the film.

Deleted Scene – You Died: A 41-second scene between Cassie and Ben.

Previews

Final Thoughts

Madame Web continues Sony’s line of baffling Spider-Man spinoffs that seem to be throwing darts at a dartboard. Many have had fun taking down this film, and we cannot say the level of vitriol is deserved. The film is absolutely a mess with numerous choices that sink the efforts, but it is also not boring or a complete failure. Dakota Johnson always proves to be a good anchor even when she is not given the best material. She has nice chemistry with Adam Scott and the trio of girls at the center of the film. There are funny and heartfelt moments, but they do not outweigh the horrendous editing or the unforgivable use of shoddy ADR for poor Tahar Rahim. The movie is not the best version of itself, but it is fine enough for a viewing. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a decent assortment of special features. Beyond the memes, the film will likely mostly be forgotten in a few months, but if you do choose to pick this up, you will be treated to a great technical presentation.

Madame Web will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD on April 30, 2024. The film is currently available on Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.