Spider-Noir - Prime Video

Nicolas Cage as the superhero Spiderman? Unrealistic? But does Superman Lives starring Cage ring a bell? No? That is because although he was cast in the Warner Brothers film in 1996, the movie never came to fruition. But he did grace the screen in a cameo as the character in the 2023 film, Flash. Somebody somewhere must believe in his vision as a superhero. And in Spider-Noir, Cage plays not a freelance photographer for The Daily Bugle, but a greymuzzle gumshoe in the surprising Prime Video hit.  This breakout series is not only masterfully crafted, but Cage’s performance is a perfect fit.

It is a different take on the graphic novel. So, take heed. Cage plays Ben Reilly, a private investigator, who, after a personal tragedy, sets the Spidey suit aside. Cantankerous drinker only cares for himself; he is forced back into the suit because he cannot continue to rest while the innocent in New York suffers. And his infatuation with a lounge singer, Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), under a Megalomaniac’s thumb, melts even the hardest of hearts. Slivermane (Brandon Gleeson) and his band of supermen with powers like The Spider to take over the city in a quest for total dominance.

The origin of Cage’s character changes the arc of Spider-Man or “The Spider.” Unfamiliarity with this version of the web-slinging superhero makes him more intriguing and unpredictable. He is not in a red-and-blue suit, but rather dressed in black with a trench coat and hat. Yes, but remember, it is the 1930s, and The Spider is “fly.”

Great acting by Cage, Morris, and Karen Rodriguez, who plays his secretary, Janet Ruiz. The setting is dark, reminiscent of Sin City. It is a throwback to the “dirty thirties.” It is an older Spider-Man whose skills have deteriorated, and now his web-slinging resembles William Katt's in The Greatest American Hero. (If you do not have any idea of who or what this is, then this version of Spider-Man may not be for you.)

Robbie Robertson, played by Lamorne Morris as a beat reporter from The Daily Bugle, is the highlight of the series. He is a superhero in his own right. Always “dressed to the nines”, he is the kaleidoscope of colors, both literary and figuratively, that creates extraordinary abilities for an ordinary character. He sees himself not like others and demands the respect he deserves; fearless to a fault.

Spider-Noir has the feel of a vintage 1930s Dick Tracy serial. An array of characters that the audience can immerse themselves in. Phenomenal acting with a fresh new take on a character we have loved for over 60 years. It is not another exploitation of a parallel universe. Spider-Noir is binge-worthy.