Amazon’s Spider-Noir can be confusing at times and it definitely has its warts, but it delivers an interesting take on the standard superhero story with some retro flair, and it can be rather enjoyable when at its best.
What Is It?
This noir-inspired superhero drama is set in an alternate 1930s New York City that follows Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck private investigator forced to confront his past as the city’s only masked vigilante when a dangerous new case draws him back into a web of crime, corruption, and superhuman threats.
Airing: Prime Video (All Eight Season One Episodes Currently Available)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, Abraham Popoola, Jack Huston
Developed By: Oren Uziel
Johnny Jay’s Thoughts:
This series gives us a pulpy, noir version of Spider-Man, and it is based on the alternate-universe Marvel Noir series of comics that reimagined many of that company’s superheroes in a gritty 1930s setting. But the TV series creates an alternate universe of its own, not following the comics and completely reinventing its version of the web crawler. In the comics, Peter Parker was still the noir Spider-Man, just a version that existed in an earlier age. In the show, Ben Reilly (played by Nicolas Cage) is The Spider, and his character follows a very different arc than the source material. I never did read the comics (though I am actually intrigued by the idea and may check them out), so the setup works fine for me, but fans of the original Spider-Man Noir may be disappointed by the changes.
The show starts out very much like a classic film noir pic as down-on-his-luck private investigator Ben Reilly gets pulled into an investigation that links back to mob boss Silvermane, who has a tight grip on the city. We learn that Ben used to be The Spider and that he had done a good job of controlling crime in the city during his reign, but he retired after his fiancée was killed when her car plunged into the water. Ben turned to P.I. work, though now he is drawn back into the reality of the criminal underworld when he becomes involved with the singer Cat Hardy, who heads up Silvermane’s nightclub and who has little control over her life. In the process, Reilly also discovers more information about the German experiments during World War I that caused people like himself to develop superpowers.
I will say that the storylines for this show are rather convoluted, with plenty of plot threads that are left dangling, and you practically need a scorecard to keep up with the characters. But it draws heavily from noir films as well as the pulps and the early comics, and it sets up a stylized atmosphere that is rather engaging. You may not be following all the details, but you at least enjoy the ride.
The cast overall is quite good and they fit well into their retro roles, though Nicolas Cage as the lead can be a bit much at times. He is somewhat of a divisive actor, and while he embraces the role, he also takes it a bit too far at times. Most annoying is his obvious attempt to channel the voice of legendary film noir actor Humphrey Bogart (with maybe some touches of Jimmy Stewart), which sounds overly forced. I will give Cage credit that he certainly looks the part, at times appearing to be a full manifestation of an aged Bogart, but his imitation of the voice just does not go over well. If you can get past that, though, for the most part Cage does a good job with the role, and he develops good chemistry with several of the supporting actors, particularly his reporter friend Robbie and his secretary Janet. Li Jun Li also has a good time chewing the scenery in the expected femme fatale role of Cat Hardy.
Spider-Noir does go over the top at times, and it can also feel forced and in-your-face with the way it tries to establish its retro setting. But if you can look past some of these warts, it still manages to deliver a good pulpy adventure with some throwback style. I have made it through the fifth episode so far (there are eight total), and I have enjoyed the show despite some of its shortcomings. You have the option of watching it in color or black and white, and I have gone with the latter, which definitely fits with the look and feel of the show. It is an interesting take on the superhero tale at a time when we are getting somewhat tired of the genre. And while this one may not appeal to all viewers, it has its charm, and I look forward to finishing out the first season and hopefully getting more from the series.
What’s Next?
This show premiered two weeks ago, releasing all of its episodes at one time. According to data from Luminate, it has pulled in 2.4 million viewers over its first ten days, which sounds decent but is definitely not at The Boys levels, and I am guessing this is a pretty expensive show to produce. It has received good marks from critics and viewers so far, currently holding a 91% Tomatometer Score and 92% Popcornmeter Score on Rotten Tomatoes. There has been no word on a second season yet, but this one does have franchise possibilities, so Amazon may keep it going for a while.
Are you watching Spider-Noir and do you believe that it is delivering a good twist on the standard superhero story? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.
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