The Girl In the Spider’s Web appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. I thought the Blu-ray provided consistently satisfying visuals.
Sharpness was generally very positive. A smidgen of softness appeared in some interiors, but those instances were minor. Instead, the program demonstrated nice clarity and accuracy the vast majority of the time.
I witnessed no instances of jagged edges or shimmering, and edge haloes appeared absent. Source flaws also failed to interfere.
Colors stayed fairly subdued for the most part. The frigid settings didn’t favor a dynamic palette, but the hues looked reasonably accurate and full, with a not-unexpected emphasis on teal and some orange.
Blacks were acceptably dark and deep, while shadows showed generally positive delineation. Overall, I found this to be a strong presentation.
As for the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Web, it worked pretty well. While the soundfield didn’t go nuts throughout the whole movie, it kicked into action well when it mattered.
During quieter scenes, the mix boasted good environmental material, and more active sequences delivered fine immersion and punch. The latter provided the muscle that we expected and used the five speakers in an involving manner.
Overall, audio quality appeared good. Speech came across as distinct and well represented. Music presented good dynamics via the score; the music was tight and full.
Effects came across as accurate and firm, with clean highs and deep bass. The soundtrack fell short of greatness, but it mostly served the film well.
We get a decent array of extras here, and we open with an audio commentary from director Fede Alvarez and screenwriter Jay Basu. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific look at the source and its adaptation, story/characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, music, effects, stunts and action, photography and connected domains.
Expect a pretty good commentary here, albeit not one that stands out as great in any way. We get a fairly efficient look at the film, though, so this turns into a largely informative chat.
Eight Deleted Scenes fill a total of 15 minutes, 36 seconds. Some of these focus on secondary characters – especially Blomqvist - but we get some more substantial moments as well.
For instance, two of the eight scenes focus on Lisbeth’s disguised undercover espionage, and these work pretty well. In general, the cut footage seems surprisingly strong.
We can watch the scenes with or without commentary from Alvarez and Basu. They tell us about the segments as well as why the clips failed to make the final film. They offer some fruitful information.
Four featurettes follow, and Becoming Lisbeth runs nine minutes, 50 seconds. It includes comments from Alvarez, producer Elizabeth Cantillon, director of photography Pedro Luque Briozzo, costume designer Carlos Rosario, stunt coordinator Florian Hotz, and actors Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason, and Sylvia Hoeks.
As implied by the title, this show looks at the lead character and Foy’s performance. “Becoming” mixes good notes with the usual praise but it usually sticks with useful content.
With All About the Stunts, we get a six-minute, 40-second reel with Alvarez, Hotz, Foy, Hoeks, Cantillon, and VFX supervisor Thilo Ewers. Unsurprisingly, this featurette examines the movie’s action. It offers another mix of insights and happy talk.
Creating the World goes for 15 minutes, 59 seconds and features Alvarez, Foy, Hoeks, Gudnason, Cantillon, Briozzo, Rosario, production designer Eve Stewart, makeup/hair designer Heike Merker, composer Roque Banos and location manager Klaus Grosse Darrelmann.
“World” covers the source and its adaptation, Alvarez’s approach to the film, cinematography, sets and locations, hair, makeup and costumes, and music. We get a decent overview of various production domains.
Finally, Secrets of the Salander Sisters lasts four minutes, 56 seconds and brings info from Alvarez, Foy, Hoeks, Cantillon. “Sisters” discusses the relationship between Lisbeth and Camilla as well as the actors’ performances. It lacks a lot of depth, though it throws out a few productive notes.
The disc opens with ads for White Boy Ricky, Escape Room, Searching, Venom, The Front Runner and The Wife. No trailer for Web appears here.
After seven years, Lisbeth Salander returned to US screens with a thud. The Girl in the Spider’s Web provides a sluggish, not especially coherent thriller with little to maintain the viewer’s attention. The Blu-ray brings very good picture and audio as well as a fairly positive collection of bonus materials. Web becomes a feeble genre effort.