Madame Web 4K Steelbook Review

The most divisive comic book movie of the year (so far) has finally made it home for its physical release. Sony’s Madame Web, the Spider-Man-adjacent Marvel movie starring Dakota Johnson, has been quite the topic of conversation amongst fans here in 2024. The film was widely panned upon its release in February and made just over $100 million at the box office. That’s not exactly what you’d consider successful for a Sony/Marvel film, but it’s hard to argue Madame Web hasn’t gotten more than its fair share of attention.

This week, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment sent Madame Web to store shelves and living rooms with the film’s home release. That release includes a 4K Ultra HD edition of the film, which is what we’re going to be reviewing here.

The Movie

There’s a lot of hate out there for Madame Web, perhaps more than is really necessary. There are elements of this movie that don’t work at all, and it’s difficult to understand how a studio like Sony could allow certain technical issues — like the awful Ezekiel Simms ADR situation — to make the final cut. Parts of this movie were chopped up beyond comprehension in post and it’s clear that the efforts to try and tie Madame Web into the live-action Spider-Man films were going on right up until its release.

Is Madame Web a mess? Absolutely. But, for me, it’s a very enjoyable, entertaining mess. There are a lot of comic book movies that strive for a level of sameness and continuity that makes them feel stale right out of the gate. Madame Web is going for something else and, when it focuses on the relationships between the four women at the center of the story, it’s a great time.

I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but all of the “worst superhero movie ever” takes feel pretty baseless, especially when we’re less than a year removed from The Flash. Madame Web is genuinely funny. Adam Scott as a young Ben Parker? Perfect casting. The trio of Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor are having a great time together, and that chemistry makes them a joy to watch.

Madame Web is a movie I fully enjoy and know I’ll watch again. I’m not sure I could even call it very good, but there’s a lot to like if you just settle in for the ride. Yes, I’m aware this is very much a minority opinion. It’s a badge I’ll wear with pride.

The Disc (and the Steelbook)

Madame Web may not have done well in theaters, but Sony thankfully didn’t let that dissuade them from giving the film the full 4K rollout. The Book of Clarence, but the Marvel of it all likely helped Madame Web get more attention for its physical debut.

This disc is a native 4K presentation with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and a full Dolby Atmos audio track. Everything is top of the line and it shows. Say what you want about the film itself, but this is a good 4K release.

The crisp image may not feel too different from what you saw on the big screen earlier this year, but the 4K disc really shows its true power when the edit is moving fast. There are a lot of speedy cuts and swift camera movements in Madame Web that could have been disorienting and off-putting. But the HDR quality here really makes it feel smooth and clean. The more chaotic the scene, the more impressive the image quality actually is. The 4K release also comes with a standard Blu-ray, and it’s a noticeable upgrade if you play them back-to-back.

The real star of Madame Web‘s 4K release, though, is that Dolby Atmos audio experience. If you’ve got a big surround sound setup, the bass in this thing will rock the room. If you’re just viewing through the TV speakers, it’s still a wonderful audio track. Even when the edit is at its most chaotic and the film is jumping from character to character in the middle of a car chase, the voices and smaller sounds never get lost in the shuffle. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, regardless of how many explosions may be going on throughout the scene.

Of course, we’ve got to mention the steelbook. The art on the cover of this thing is simple and eerie and just plain stunning. It’s a gorgeous design. Some would argue that it’s too good a design for the movie inside the case. I may not agree with all that, but I do recommend paying a little extra for the steelbook if you’re planning to buy Madame Web. That thing will look great on a shelf.

The Features

There are several special features included with the Madame Web home release (all of them housed on the standard Blu-ray disc) and they’re a little hit or miss.

The longer featurettes that deal with the making of the movie do contain a lot of fluff, but I think they’re a great compliment to a film this divisive. Features like Oracle of the Page and Casting the Web do a solid job of letting you see what the filmmakers were aiming for. They obviously missed the mark on a lot of things, but I enjoyed getting to see what the goals actually were. There’s also a lot of information about the specific characters that didn’t fully translate to the screen in the final product, so you gain a lot more insight into who these people were supposed to be.

I’m a sucker for a commentary track, and it’s a bummer Madame Web doesn’t include one (there’s so much in this movie to talk about), but the real letdown in these features is the Deleted Scene.

Yes, you read that correctly, it’s just one single scene. And you have to wonder why it was even included in the release, because it doesn’t do anything to add to the film or offer any real enjoyment. It’s a 41-second scene where Dakota Johnson talks to Adam Scott about her accident from the beginning of the movie. With a film that clearly left a ton on the cutting room floor, it’s a bit frustrating to get a deleted scene that doesn’t attempt to showcase something new.

Here’s the full list of special features on the disc:

• Gag Reel
• Easter Eggs
• Oracle of the Page
• Fight Like a Spider
• Future Vision
• Casting the Web
• Deleted Scene

The Verdict

Madame Web got a solid 4K release from Sony. The special features are decent, the disc itself is great, and the steelbook packaging is phenomenal. I think any complaints that anyone could have about this release have to be about the film itself.

But that’s really what it comes down to with a lot of these new releases. Very few of them present a home viewing experience so exciting that you should buy a physical copy regardless of how much you enjoyed the movie (here’s to you, Oppenheimer). If you didn’t like Madame Web, there’s nothing about this 4K release will make you change your mind.

Well, except maybe the steelbook. That steelbook was made for movie shelves and Marvel fans might want to pick it up for that alone.

Madame Web is currently available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. A copy was provided for the purposes of this review.