Spenser Confidential

Netflix makes a bunch of great stuff, often hits and misses, but in the niche of action/blockbuster movies, Netflix has a real knack for landing in the average and underwhelming section. "Bright" and "6 Underground" are spot-on examples & now "Spenser Confidential" has joined the bowl of expensive but mediocre action flicks.

"Spenser Confidential" is Peter Berg's fifth movie in a row (!!!) starring Mark Wahlberg, and the last two were a downgrade for both. Spenser (Mark Wahlberg), an honest, hard-headed ex-cop with a strong moral compass gets out of prison, reconnects with his mentor Henry (Alan Arkin) and his new roommate Hawk (Winston Duke), a no-nonsense MMA fighter with heart. Spenser got in prison for trying out some vigilante justice & that is exactly what he's going to do for the entirety of the movie, just now with his new friend Hawk. The story is as old as the world and nor Peter Berg nor the screenwriter Brian Helgeland (who really can do better than this) has done anything much to spice it up. "Spenser Confidential" has comedy, action, sentimentalism and all the basic, vital ingredients, none of which rise above the level of average. It's kinda like the movie's sort of 'muted', like softened up, watered down, muddled, call it what You want. You've seen and felt all of this before, probably a load of times. So, looking for silver linings, the cast (mostly) provides decent performances, some jokes land and some action parts are well done and edited. The pacing could've been worse. Visually, it's pretty standard, not confusing or amateur, just standard. One would say, meaning me, that the R rating hasn't been utilized much at all, apart from some swearing, one or two machete cuts and a clothed sex scene. Mehh.

"Spenser Confidential" is a lukewarm blockbuster, a lackluster cop/vigilante/p.i. action flick, an expensive movie made by big names and starring good names and that's about it. It's a light-hearted adventure, an easy Sunday watch, but the kind you're not very likely to remember. My rating: 6/10.

I liked the movie but I can't understand why they changed the story line from the wonderful Spenser series written by Robert Parker. Spenser and Hawk are amazing characters why change that? Why change Susan, Spenser's beau and psychologist into Cissy the dog groomer? Where's Belson? Why is Pearl a basset hound and not a golden retriever? I think they should have just named the movie Confidential and changed all of the characters names which would have made the movie more credible.

First off, I enjoyed the movie as a strict action/detective flick. Wahlberg is likeable in just about everything he does. Alan Arkin as Henry Cimoli was perfect. Iliza Schlesinger as Cissy was sexy (those breasts!) and comical. Her standup gets annoying so keeping her screen time to a minimum in this move was a good choice. Winston Duke didn't do much with the character of Hawk other than looking imposing because he was big, not because he oozed menace. Still, it was a fun action movie that moved along at a brisk pace and had lots of great action scenes.

However, this version of Spenser has next to nothing to do with the book or TV series character other than his name. I'm not sure I understand why they bothered calling it Spenser if they changed everything about the character. The series ended over 30 years ago so its not its not like it had great name recognition. They could have called it Joe Confidential and it would have had the same impact. Spenser was a renaissance man. He was streeet smart, suave, quoted literature, was a gourmet cook, had a moral code, was loyal to his girlfriend (Susan; a college professor) and was kicked off the force for being a smartass and not blindly following bad rules, and never went to jail. Hawk and he met as young boxers and went their separate ways, one into law enforcement and one into the criminal life. They crossed paths many times, but respected each other, even if it meant squaring off against each other. Its what made their relationship special. Its why I gave the movie a chance, to see if they explored their earlier life together. I guess it did that, but they went for the cheap character development in favor or more smash ups and fist fights. Wahlberg and Duke as roommates at Henry's place was just lame writing. There was so much fertile ground that could have been covered here and they blew it.

As I said in the first paragraph, it was an enjoyable movie, but it didn't do anything to distinguish it from every other action film that gets made these days. Spenser is a unique character with such a rich background and that was just ignored for more set pieces.

Typical Mark Wahlberg flick with likeable actors. Nothing new, still entertaining. I don't get why some people have to analyse this kind of movies to death just because it's not Oscar material.

I was a fan of the original Spencer for hire series on TV. Seeing that Mark Wahlberg was raised in the Boston area this is a just right fit for him. Having grown up in many different cities, including the Boston area , this movie brings a lot of memories back. Wahlberg brings his unique sarcasm, wit and physical presence to the role. Although it is somewhat different than the series, it is a good PI movie that you will enjoy. The thing that people have to remember is that you have to judge movies based on categories. This will never win an Academy award, but I would not compare it to titanic or pretty woman because that's not the type of movie it is. This is an action, comedy, and some what of a mystery. If you're looking for a good action movie with unique personalities and some comedy thrown in, this is your movie, enjoy.