Today’s the day! If you are still of the “Blu-ray Collector” ilk (trust me, there’s plenty of reason why we would want to be!), then starting today, you can head to your favorite retailer and pick up your very own physical copy of Spider-Man: Far From Home! With last week’s news of Spider-Man continuing to be part of the MCU, you’ll definitely want to keep up with the story if you haven’t yet seen it in the theater.
GeekDad Matt already took care of the theatrical release review, so, as always, I’m here to tell you all about the special features.
But first, let me tell you how much I adore Tom Holland’s Spider-Man! I thoroughly enjoyed Tobey McGuire too, but Mr. Holland adds a more youthful innocence that I feel is closer to the cartoons and comics that I read while growing up. I know Mr. Holland is actually in his 20s, but he still portrays the teen awkwardness very very well. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I see much of my own sons in Holland’s version, from the science-geekiness to the personalities of his friends. My youngest son has a version of the “Find x:” t-shirt that Peter is wearing while packing for Europe…my son’s version was his school Math Olympiad club shirt from 2018.
So…where was I?
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Ah yes, Spider-Man: Far From Home! Our family thoroughly enjoyed the movie this past summer, and when we received the preview Blu-ray last weekend, we sat down and watched all of the features and extras in one sitting!
Here are a few of our favorites:
“Peter’s To-Do List”
In the film, on the last day of school, Peter tells Ned he has a number of errands to run before they can leave for Europe. In this 3-minute short, we get to see everything Peter needs to do, from getting the money to buy the Black Dahlia in Italy to picking up his passport at the post office.
“The Ginter-Riva Effect”
Learn more about Peter Billingsley’s big comeback into the MCU, reprising his role as Dr. William Ginter-Riva…including a look at how they had to recreate a key scene from the original Iron Man: where he takes an earful from Obadiah Stane.
“Thank You, Mrs. Parker”
No one is going to pretend that Marisa Tomei’s portrayal of Peter’s Aunt May isn’t completely different from the comics and earlier iterations of the character. This short features the directors and producers explaining their rationale behind making Aunt May younger, and — more importantly — in the know and supportive of Peter’s identity.
“Now You See Me” and “Stealthy Easter Eggs”
These two shorts work well together. First with “Now You See Me,” the evolution of the villain Mysterio and why Jake Gyllenhaal was the perfect choice for the role are featured. In “Stealthy Easter Eggs,” fans will learn more about the origins of the “Elemental” villains in the film. The latter short explains how all of these villains can be traced to original Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Avengers comics from the 1960s and 1970s.
“The Brother’s Trust”
This is certainly the first time I’ve seen a charity video in an MCU Blu-ray. In this short (actually, the longest of the shorts at over 11 minutes), we meet Tom’s three younger brothers: Sam, Harry, and Paddy. In this video we learn about the variety of charities The Brother’s Trust supports. Most of the video focuses on their work in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. It’s pretty emotional to watch, especially when hearing about children only getting meals through their schools and walking five miles each way to and from weekend rugby pitches. At the end of the video is a legitimate plea for support.
Now I leave you with this video from The Daily Bugle, featuring J.K. Simmons reprising his role as J. Jonah Jameson (he shows up ever-so-briefly in Far From Home, at the very end). One of my favorite actors (Whiplash!), he did a fantastic job in the Tobey Maguire trilogy!
Spider-Man: Far From Home retails for $19.99 – $24.99 and is now available at your favorite Blu-ray retailer, and is also available for digital download via Amazon, Apple iTunes, and Google Play.
GeekMom was provided with a complimentary sample of Spider-Man: Far From Home for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
