So, clearly, if you give the people what they want, they’ll come back to the theater to see it. And what they want seems to be the escapism of big-budget superhero films. (Need further proof? The Batman is currently the highest-grossing film of 2022. No Way Home is second.)

This is the third film in Tom Holland’s Spider arc and is a direct sequel to 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, but much in the way Avengers: Endgame was the culmination of 11 years and 21 films’ worth of Marvel Cinematic Universe buildup, No Way Home is far more than just a single film. And while it’s certainly possible to enjoy this movie on its own, to really appreciate the entirety of the story you should at least watch the two previous Holland films. 

But those looking for the deepest dive and the most emotional connection (and payoff) should also revisit the original Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy (2002, 2004, and 2007) and the Andrew Garfield The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 and 2014) films as well as the animated Spider-man Into the Spider-Verse. Fortunately, this is a perfect time for a rewatch as all of those films (with the exception of the first Spider-Man) are available in 4K HDR with new Atmos mixes via Kaleidescape, and I can attest that they all look and sound fantastic, with some really exciting and immersive surround. 

No Way Home begins immediately after the mid-credits scene from Far From Home, right after Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) frames Spidey for the UK attacks and then announces to the world that Spider-Man is really Peter Parker, with the film’s first act having Peter (Holland), girlfriend MJ (Zendaya), and best friend/guy-in-the-chair Ned (Jacob Batalon) coming to terms with the world suddenly knowing Peter’s identity. 

Of course, when you’re friends with a wizard named Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), you can just ask him to cast a forgetting spell that makes the world forget who Spider-Man is. But when Strange is interrupted during the casting process, well, the broken spell causes a rift in the multi-verse, drawing people from other universes.

I really enjoyed this movie, and it is up there as one of my favorites in the entire MCU. I saw it in the theater and couldn’t wait to watch it again at home, and I’m happy to say that not only did it hold up on a second viewing, the 4K HDR picture and Dolby TrueHD Atmos sound from the Kaleidescape download were truly reference-quality throughout.

Shot on Arri at 4.5K, this transfer is taken from a 2K digital intermediate but you’d never know it as images are pristine and full of detail throughout. From the opening moments, you’ll notice just how clean, clear, and razor-sharp everything looks, letting you appreciate all the texture and detail of Spidey’s suit. Edges of buildings are also sharp and clearly defined with no jaggies or aliasing. There’s also a ton of depth to the images, with several shots appearing near 3D such as when Spidey is swinging along or an overhead pan looking down on the city from way up, and another shot in a cemetery with the individual branches and limbs of a tree having a ton of dimensionality. You also get incredibly fine facial detail on closeups or the ability to see individual grains of sand that drop and shift off one character. 

The HDR grade gives the images a ton of pop but also delivers really natural-looking outside daytime shots on the city streets or low-lit interior and exterior night shots. There are a few shots at sunset that have a wonderful warm, golden glow, and also some scenes in Strange’s “crypt” lit by low overhead lights casting the room in nice shadow. 

One scene that really stood out was after a nighttime attack on an apartment building where there was hazy smoke all around. In the chaos, there are car headlights, flashing police lights, fire, and even lasers. There’s a ton happening here visually compounded by all the light diffusing through the smoke and darkness without any banding or other video artifacts. 

While black levels throughout the film are mostly deep, the opening credits, end credits, and one complete fade to nothing in the middle of the film are just a dark grey—noticeably far lighter in color than the pure black of the letterbox bars above and below the image. Having become accustomed to the utter and complete blackness my Sony OLED can produce, this was worth mentioning.

Other highlights include Spidey’s suit, which is a deeply saturated red, effects like Doctor Strange’s magic with its glowing golden rings, bright blasts of electricity that crackle and streak across the sky, the vibrant greens of the Daily Fix studios and monitors, and a vibrant purple that rips across the sky. 

The Dolby TrueHD Atmos soundtrack will give your theater a workout with tons of immersive audio that comes from all around and overhead. There are lots of small atmospheric moments like winds that whistle and the echo of voices while talking in Strange’s mansion, water drips falling around the room in Strange’s crypt, the wide-open sounds of a forest at night, or the general traffic noises in the city. 

There are also plenty of the big, demo-worthy surround moments you’d expect, including numerous helicopters throughout that hover high up in front of the room or sail off into the sides and back or zip overhead. Other examples include a scene where a glider swoops overhead, or one inside the “mirror dimension” when the sound wraps up from the sides and overhead, or when a villain flings cars and items that crash and smash all around. Or check out the magic circles that swirl overhead and around the room, or when Peter goes on top of a car and you hear his voice travel overhead and across the top of the room. 

There’s also plenty of deep low-frequency info for your sub to dig into and energize the room. Whether it’s the heavy thunk of Strange’s doors opening or closing, the massive impact sounds of one villain’s arms smashing and grabbing things, the crackle and rumble as the multi-verse tears open, shattering concrete and collapsing girders, or bombs exploding, the bass is big and tactile. 

At 148 minutes, No Way Home is long, but it’s so filled with action, characters, humor, and heart-filled moments that it zips by. By the time you get to the finale—which is huge, cinematic, and full of heart, risk, and payoff, and crammed with effects and sonic bombast—you’ll have that endorphin rush that almost feels like you’ve completed a workout. This movie is reference-quality throughout, and is easy to recommend!