Not Like Parker's Books at All

I guess "Spenser Confidential" is from a "Spenser" book that wasn't written by the original creator of Spenser, the late Robert Parker. I can't speak to the new writer, but this movie sure didn't give us a Spenser like Parker did.

That's OK. The few attempts to give us Spenser on film(well, TV actually) have seemed to get a lot of it wrong.

Part of the problem is that the Spenser of the books is defined mainly by his wry, witty, staccato dialogue, and he seems to be in a state of permanent "incredibly fit middle-age." He has a past. He has a studious mind. He can cook like a master chef. And he has a beautiful mature therapist girlfriend with the sensible name of Susan.

The Spenser on the page is somewhat of a mixture of Burt Reynolds and Richard Boone(the latter even more of a long-ago star than Reynolds.) On TV the first time, Spenser was played by boyish, almost baby-faced Robert Urich. On TV the second time, Spenser was miscast beyond belief with sad-faced, spindly Joe Mantegna. Frankly, the best Spenser was heard - but not seen -- Burt Reynolds himself, in croaky-voiced older age but still macho cool -- reading a Spenser book on tape.

Mark Wahlberg is, to be sure, closer than Urich or Mantegna to the Spenser of the book -- Wahlberg by now is a bona fide star, and Spenser is a Boston-set character, and Wahlberg's from Boston, so that works. But the intellectual Susan is gone, replaced by a howling sexpot with a heavy accent and a working class vibe and thus, THAT aspect of Spenser is gone.

Moreover, Hawk -- who HAS been well cast on TV as a mature, supercool, and thoughtful friend to Spenser(and more dangerous to baddies) -- has been taken down in age, plumped out in size, and given a rather comical casting this time.

Oh, well -- its Spenser for the 21st Century. I felt not a moment of "real" Spenser style in this production, but as a Mark Wahlberg action vehicle -- passable. And Alan Arkin's in it -- always good casting in support.