What started off as an elseworlds comic and then became a cult character in Sony’s Spider-Verse series. Now, due to the character’s popularity, it has received it’s own show on Prime Video. Having fully watched the show in both color and black and white, I’m here to give you my honest opinions about it.
As always, who breakdown our review into three categories: story, acting, and overall. So let’s swing on into it. Warning there will be some spoilers.
Story
The store picks up late into the journey of Ben Reilly, also known as The Spider, making his living as a detective. This ex-World War I soldier that is troubled by a past of being a hero who could not save the woman he loved. As such, he’s cast off the title of The Spider and tries to live a normal life.
Slowly at first, and then all of a sudden, his life is being flooded with other people with powers like his, for the first time. It turns out the same people who were experimented on in the camp camp in World War I have had their superpowers activated by a scientist trying to cure them.
This all while Silvermane, the local gangster, attempts to recruit them to be able to seizing even more power then he already has thanks to the vacuum Left behind by the disappearance of The Spider.
Over the course of a week, several cases that Ben Reilly takes seems to keep leading him back and around to the superpowered people, and a mysterious lounge singer that may hold all the keys.
The best part about this show is the fact that no homework is required to watch it. It certainly does help to get an idea of who the character is beforehand to watch the Sony Spider-Verse films, but it’s definitely not required. The show does a good job setting up who The Spider is, goes over his backstory a little at first and then all of it later. No spoilers, there is a scene where he gets his powers that is literally in one of the trailers. That being said, it does not play into any much larger world outside of a comment from Ben Reilly’s voiceover in the beginning of the first episode, but still takes you on a fun self-contained adventure with an incredibly likable cast of characters.
Acting
I’ve seen other reviewers say that the series is okay, and Nicolas Cage is having the time of his life, but from all the insights from the actors on the project I would say everything about that statement is true except for the fact the show is just okay.
Nicolas Cage, who plays Ben Reilly, leans into character choices that he set up in the Spider-Verse films, with a a Humphrey Bogart vibe which is later explained in the show as being a persona he picked up from watching a bunch of movies to regain his humanity after becoming The Spider. Nicolas Cage is a huge fan of comic books, and his love of them are shown throughout the film. Having really delved into the character and made some very interesting but appropriate choices for it. He devours and builds up every scene that he is in.
Lamorne Morris who plays Robbie Robertson has a well put together character with backstory, goals, and his own mission, all while still being able to be a solid and awesome friend to Ben Reilly. Lamorne does a wonderful job investing you in his story. Even though it’s the b-story to the entire series, Lamorne makes you care about its outcome.
Karen Rodriguez, who plays Janet is wonderful as Ben Reilly secretary, sidekick, and motivating force in the series. She’s fun, energetic, and she makes you want to to have someone like this in your life to kick you in the butt and get you up and going while also being supportive during your down moments.
Jack Huston who plays Flint Marco, AKA The Sandman, and Abraham Popoola who plays Lonnie Lincoln, AKA Tombstone, are definitely well developed and great characters but it is Andrew Lewis Caldwell who plays Dirk Leyden, AKA The Conductor, who I think is supposed to be electro, steals every scene that he is in. His over the top Broadway and vaudeville like demeanor oddly enough makes you like this horrible villain who almost upstages and steals the spotlight from Nicholas Cage himself.
Li Jun Li who plays Cat Hardy and Brendan Gleeson who plays Silvermane do a wonderful job in their own right. Their story, though mixed with Flint Marco, is mainly with this localized group, with splash damages to the other characters, but they do a great job of making it very satisfying, specifically with how it concludes.
Overall
While I know a lot of people have received the mega movie blockbuster fatigue, superhero fatigue, and the like. If you have to see one superhero movie this year, then watching this series will probably be the easiest to enjoy and will not add to your current fatigue. It is fun, it is fresh, and it is incredibly artistic with amazing cinematography in both black and white and in color. It will definitely not only hold your attention but will be a fun ride all the way through.
Final thoughts
The color version of the film is a beautiful and amazing presentation that takes you back to the days of Technicolor and the vibrancy of it due to the oversaturation of the scenes. However, if you have to choose between the two, the cinematography, the angles, the reflections, and lighting is made so much more beautiful by the black and white aspects of this cut. I highly recommend that if you are a person who loves photography, or you love Noir films, you watch to watch this in black and white for sure.
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