Re: What Did You Watch? 2025-04-29 (Tuesday)

On May 1, 2025 at 12:10:11 PM PDT, ""Adam H. Kerman"" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

Apr 30, 2025 at 9:48:43 PM PDT, Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com>:

BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

 

I watched SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL on the Netflix. A Mark Wahlburg action
movie from 2020 that somehow slipped under my radar. It took me about
1/3rd of the way through before I realized it's actually an attempted
reboot of that old TV show SPENSER FOR HIRE from the 80s.

 

I just looked at the Wikipedia page. I think this was intended to be a
theatrical movie that got dumped onto Netflix due to COVID. I see no
Netflix production funding.

 

I loved Robert Urich in the tv series, truly embodied the Robert B.
Parker character. Of course, the scripts were weak and they got rid of
the girlfriend (then brought her back), and Avery Brooks was a fine
Hawk. Really can't picture Mark Wahlberg.

 

How did the cast do playing these familiar characters?

 

As I never watched the original series or read the books, I have no
idea how well they pulled it off. The movie was of average entertainment
value, though.

 
Thanks
 
I've read Parker's original novels but refuse to read the novels he
wrote after death. In reading about this adaption, it says they retained
nothing of the novel except character names, so this might as well have
been a new script. Also, the movie is a comedy which the novel wouldn't
have been.

I wouldn't say it's a comedy. It's kind of like TRUE LIES. It had a serious
plot with humor thrown in.

I forgot to mention that there were three made-for-tv movies starring
Joe Mantegna; I forgot who played Hawk. I recall one of the movies,
which was a straight adaptation of its novel and wasn't a comedy.
 

For about 75% of the movie I thought Spenser was one of those action heroes
who eschews guns but then at the end he armed himself for the big battle.
Rejecting guns only works if your enemy also rejects them. Otherwise you end
up like that swordsman in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

 
The guy who played Bob Lee Swagger might echew guns? Heh
 
btw, I've read that Harrison Ford was sick that day and wasn't up to the
physical demands of a choreographed sword fight, which is why he just
shot him. It's a better scene!