Review: Spenser Confidential

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

PLOT: Spenser (Mark Wahlberg), an ex-cop turned ex-con, is released from jail after serving five years for the brutal assault of his former captain. When the man turns up dead, Spenser, to prove the innocence of another detective in his orbit, starts investigating with the help of his boxing mentor (Alan Arkin), foul-mouthed ex (Iliza Shlesinger) and an up-and-coming MMA fighter named Hawk (Winston Duke).

REVIEW: For those not in the know, Spenser is the hero of forty novels written by the late Robert B. Parker, plus another eight by his successor Ace Atkins (with this based on one of his novels – “Wonderland”). Spenser, of course, isn’t new to screens, with the character having served as the basis for a Robert Urich TV series in the eighties called “Spenser For Hire”, which co-starred Avery Brooks as Hawk, who was so popular he got his spinoff, “A Man Called Hawk” before landing “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”. Plus Joe Mantegna played him in some TV movies. Still with me?

The fact is, Spenser is an enduring character so it’s no surprise Mark Wahlberg and his most frequent collaborator Peter Berg would team up with Netflix to launch what I assume they hope is a long-running franchise for all involved. Too bad then that Spenser’s first feature foray is such a mixed bag. At best, it plays out like a nineties Paramount Pictures thriller (like a DOUBLE JEOPARDY type B-thriller, or something like ALONG CAME A SPIDER), while at its worst, it feels like a glorified TV movie, with Wahlberg’s take on Spenser too close to other characters he’s played over and over to be distinctive.

It’s too bad too because the franchise for sure has some potential. Wahlberg’s not a bad choice to play Spenser, but he’s very familiar territory for the actor. He’s a South Boston tough guy with a quick temper and fast fists. Sound familiar? Even so, it probably wouldn’t matter much if SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL had some urgency. The mystery, where Spenser feels obligated to prove the innocence of a dead colleague, feels tacked on, and the villains are none existent. So much time is spent establishing Spenser as a badass, that when he goes mano-a-mano with the big bad at the end (whose identity is hilariously easy to guess), there’s no sense of threat even if Berg has him take a couple of hits (I’ll give Wahlberg this – he’s not insecure – he’ll lose a fight onscreen if he has to).

Too much time is spent on the boring, familiar mystery (crooked cops and drugs – been there done that), and if the series goes on it’ll be because of the characters, all of whom have potential and seem well cast. Iliza Shlesinger is a refreshingly smash-mouthed heroine, while Alan Arkin plays his cynical mentor role to perfection. But, where the Spenser series needs to focus is on the relationship between our detective hero and Hawk, who’s played here by the well-cast Winston Duke.

While Spenser’s two-dimensional compared to the books or even how he came across in the series (way more cynical – with some fun off-kilter traits like a love of cooking), his relationship with Hawk works thanks to the chemistry between Duke and Wahlberg. At its heart, SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL is a bromance between the two, with them even getting a “meet-cute” where they fight over the love of Spenser’s dog. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out these two ex-cons are gonna turn into crime-fighting BFF’s, although it’s never explained why, in the finale, Hawk, who’s shown to be a regular guy fighter suddenly turns into a very proficient gunman.

SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL feels like a modestly priced TV pilot rather than a full-on feature, and while there’s for sure some potential here, the first film isn’t quite good enough to make anyone seriously clamor for a sequel. The action beats are repetitive, with any sense of danger being undercut by the fact that everything is over-scored by seventies rock radio hits. At least Berg and Wahlberg don’t have to work in the confines of a PG-13 thanks to Netflix (this feels like halfway between a PG-13 and an R- meaning there are F-bombs, sex and some violence – but not a huge amount of any). Again, the plot is too familiar and the closest we get to a real villain is a prison goon played by Post Malone, who just isn’t threatening enough compared to guys like Walhberg and Duke. If you have larger than life heroes you need a larger than life baddie. Hopefully, if there’s another Spenser flick they’ll double down on the action, give it a decent villain, and work a little harder to make the hero a distinctive character that can carry a franchise. This isn’t a horrible start but it’s an unfortunately mediocre one.

Spenser Confidential

BELOW AVERAGE

5

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