I’ve finally finished all 8 episodes of Spider-Noir on Prime Video and had mixed, but mostly positive feelings. I was impressed with the graphics first. I tried a few episodes both inColour and in B&W and for me it is definitely the B&W version that’s a better experience. The old fashioned feel of New York, classic cars, period clothing, old fashioned weapons and the vintage filmmaking style work well together in black and white. I’m not complaining about the colour version, it’s just that this black and white version does the noir storytelling job better, and builds the viewing experience up a lot.
I believe the dubbed version of the series was done well as far as the dubbing of dialogue goes. Veteran voice artist Neena Kulkarni, who has appeared in the role of several popular characters on the screen, has been giving a voice to Nicolas Cage’s character in a convincing and personal manner. Her work in the series brings a whole other level of fun, and complements Cage’s unique screen presence well.
I really liked the ease of accessibility of the show as soon as I saw it. Watching this movie doesn’t require any previous knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or previous Spider-Man movies. But fans of the highly successful animated movies Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will be familiar with this darker version of the somewhat more heroic superhero. Spider-Noir basically makes this part of the multiverse palatable to newcomers and fun for longtime fans.
The story focuses on a hero named The Spider, former Peter Parker who has left behind his crime fighting career after his girlfriend died. Five years later, he runs a private detective agency and lives a life in search of his past. When super powered beings make their resurgence, trouble breaks loose. The well-known foes that make up the cast of the film, including Sandman and a character known as Megawatt, join the fray, acting under the tutelage of a local tycoon. In eight episodes, the story is about The Spider’s emotion, his complex love life, and his attempts to deal with the dangers that are creeping up around him.
As the series progressed, I wondered if this story was really needed. Was too much effort being put in to explore this universe and its villains? Could these events be part of a bigger plan for a franchise? I didn’t get anywhere near the answers to those questions. Overall, the series is kind of a filler for the franchise. But not everything that is necessary is entertaining—and that’s where Spider-Noir succeeds. Although I’m skeptical of its greater purpose, I still really liked a lot of what it had to offer.
My greatest problem is in pacing. The show is a bit thin on the ground at eight episodes, each about 45 minutes long. I felt like it could have been a better experience with a shorter six episode run, but there are other possibilities too. The storytelling really focused on developing characters and ambience, which I like, but there are times when it’s deliberate pacing that can get on the nerves of the viewer.
The action fans also should learn to deal with their expectations. This isn’t a heroic super-hero extravaganza or a battle-filled road trip with tons of fun. There are no super-hero displays or epic battles! Throughout the entire season The Spider will only engage in a few noteworthy encounters and they are pretty tame. Mystery and emotion are never ignored – the focus is still on investigation and character drama. I think that creative decision suits the noir theme, but I felt that some of the most glaring drawbacks of the show were the absence of some memorable action moments.
But Nicolas Cage proves to be a match for the lead role, anyway. He captures the world-weary nature of the character but not so much charisma as to bore us. His performance is the backbone of the series and assists in making up for the slower stretches of the show. The stylish design of the visuals and the intriguing atmosphere put in place by him make Spider-Noir a watchable film even when the story has lost steam.
Overall, I think Spider-Noir was a fun, visually interesting and occasionally interesting addition to the Spider-Man multiverse. It’s not mandatory viewing and it’s rather slow, but its noir atmosphere, its heart and Nicolas Cage’s performance make it worth the watch. As someone who loves the Spider-Man franchise or at least is curious to see Cage take on this weird sort of superhero, I would give it a shot.
Rating: 3.5/5
