The “Spider-Noir” Reviews Are In
Reviews are in for Amazon Prime Video’s live-action “Spider-Noir” series with the show pulling in very good numbers with the critics.
The title currently sits at an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 78/100 on Metacritic – the latter tying with “Ms. Marvel” as the single best-rated season for a Marvel-related TV series (not including FX’s “Legion”).
The series tells the story of an aging and down-on-his-luck private investigator named Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage) in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.
Reviews seem to indicate the overall story is the weaker part of the series, but almost everything else about the production compensates for the weaker aspects of the script. Here’s some excerpts:
“A big swing – oh, yes – that pays off from start to finish, this is an irresistible concoction, an utterly insane stew that somehow makes perfect sense. It is total joy.” – Alex Godfrey, Empire
“Whether your thing is old, existential crime movies, four-colour fantasy magazines or TV that aspires to artistry as well as entertainment, “Spider-Noir” has the goods.” – Bob Strauss, The Wrap
“No matter how you choose to watch it, Spider-Noir hews closely to the familiar tropes of the detective tale, but it never feels like parody. It just feels like the answer to the question “What if someone made a 1930s noir about a P.I. with spider powers?”” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
“There are a few episodes towards the end that drag a bit, but the show rebounds beautifully with an exciting climax and very satisfying conclusion.” – Sarah Fields, Tell-Tale TV
“Fortunately, there’s enough to the show’s plucky protagonists and rich sense of style to make up for its storytelling shortcomings.” – David Craig, Radio Times
“The best you can say about Spider-Noir is that it’s a noble, but ultimately failed experiment. Its lead clearly set out to create a character who didn’t feel entirely like a human being; what he got was one that never really feels like a person.” – William Hughes, AV Club
“The story of Spider-Noir is frustratingly dull, cribbing the barest of bones from various vintage gumshoe dramas and adding precious little.” – Daniel Fienberg, THR
“Though the series has a solid cast and some sparkling depictions of a bygone era, “Spider-Noir” is all style and very little substance.” – Aramide Tinubu, Variety
The series launches on MGM+ on May 25th and will be available globally on Amazon Prime Video from May 27th. Check out a newly released clip below: