From the funny pages of the Daily Bugle to your TV screen, “Spider-Noir,” starring Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly, is an interesting detective thriller that feels new while still remaining familiar. Without a doubt, the name Peter Parker has to be one of the most recognizable secret identities in pop culture.
You know the story: a boy gets bitten by a radioactive spider and goes on to obtain superhuman strength and other abilities, such as wall-climbing, spider-sense, and enhanced agility. With his newfound powers, the Queens native dedicates his time to fighting crime and protecting the citizens of New York City, all while trying to balance a normal life. These are all the things we know and love about the hero, so why is Prime Video giving us Humphrey Bogart with web-slingers, and who is Ben Reilly?
Seeing Spider-Man Noir in Live Action
Set in 1930s New York City, the retired hero Reilly operates as a private investigator whose office is seeing more foot traffic not only from damsels in distress, but from the city’s politicians and mobsters as well. In a time when America is going through the Great Depression, people lie, and only money tells the truth. In this series, the money may be scarce, but there is no shortage of lies and deception.
We were first introduced to Nicolas Cage as Noir in the 2018 animated film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Though the two stories are similar, they do not seem to share continuity, but it’s Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man — or “The Spider” — so who really cares? It just feels good to see this character in live action. Instead of just being a private eye who climbs walls as a side gig, we learn about his origins, motivations, or perhaps even his lack thereof.
The series is able to use its authentic black-and-white filming to its advantage. Shadows become a tool for suspense, and our hero in action blends in and out of them perfectly. Your focus stays on the man and not the twenty different distractions in the background. However, I feel that helps just as much as it hurts the series. Some scenes look very cheap, and it is blatantly obvious that green screens were used.
‘Spider-Noir’ Tries to Juggle Too Many Things
One of the biggest concerns when this live-action web-slinging series was announced was the age of the star. Cage has been around since the early ’80s, and though the years have been good to him, he still looks his age. So, a lot of the flashbacks showing a younger Reilly in black and white work well, but still very noticeable.
I feel that the show, being only in its first season, tries to take on too many different things. While establishing that Reilly is not the only person in the city with powers, his story takes a backseat as we are introduced to this series’ version of the Sinister Six. Most of the key players in this crime organization were either forgettable or a bit too over-the-top for my taste.
However, delivering an unforgettable performance is Brendan Gleeson (“In Bruges,” “Gangs of New York”) as Silvermane, the overarching criminal mastermind behind the villainy in the city. Adjacent to his crew is Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), a lounge singer who, if you are a fan of Spider-Man comics, comes with her own complications for our hero.
A Good Mix of Detective Work and Action
But what is a good detective story without his best friend and ever-loyal secretary? Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morrison) and Janet the secretary (Karen Rodriguez) are definitely highlights for me. As the Spider investigates around the city, they have their own little team-up going on that offers laughs and moments where we, the audience, can stop and actually watch people being human, without any mischief or schemes at play.
As clever as some of the characters may appear in the show, a lot of the story comes down to highly unlikely coincidences that could have been written better. The way these interesting lives intersect with one another lacks authenticity. Many moments feel like, “Okay, let’s just keep this moving to see where it goes,” and it often leads to very questionable places that do not feel necessary.
Sure, most people only want The Spider, and each episode does provide a good mix of detective work and vigilante action, but the series offers very little that truly stands out apart from its noir approach.
“Spider-Noir is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.”
