Spenser: Small Vices

I saw Dr. Parker at one of the local Barnes and Nobles here in Connecticut.

He said that "Robert Urich god rest his soul may have looked the part of Spenser but that Dr Parker thought Urich didn't get what the character of Spenser really was.

He said that Joe Mantegna understood the Spenser character." I think people are so used to seeing Robert Urich as Spenser it is hard to change. I know for one when I read the novels "Urichs voice is the one that I use for reading the book.

In some of the earlier Spenser books it was written that Susan Silverman was the most beautiful woman that Spenser ever saw. How can you truly cast someone in the part or watch someone in that role when each persons view of beautiful is different.

I did however enjoy Small Vices. Just not a big Joe Mantegna fan sorry

My dad and I are both huge fans of the Spenser novels, TV show, telepics, et al. Because we both agree, Robert Urich's cast a long shadow over the role of everyone's favorite Boston P.I., he (dad) didn't buy Joe Mantegna as Spenser at all - too ethnic, he said. "Small Vices" was the first of three TV movies with Mantegna. My dad couldn't get past it. I, though, think Mantegna nailed Spenser's dry wit and sense of humor. "Small Vices" certainly was the best of the A&E trilogy - just try watching Eric Roberts as Police Chief DeSpain in one of the others without cringing. But in a world where Warner Bros. has left "Spenser: For Hire" to languish on its AOL site, and all we have on DVD are the Lifetime TV movies, my investment in a region-free player has paid off again - "Small Vices" was released in Australia on home video and I picked up a copy from Amazon.

Y'know, my wife and I have EVERY Robert Parker book ever published. We've even read a few of them several times. We've seen EVERY "Spenser for Hire" TV episode at least a few times I think. So....it's awfully hard to sit through this decent outing thinking "Geez, Joe Mantegna isn't bad, but he isn't Robert Uhrich!" And Hawk: we REALLY miss Dr. Brooks! Couldn't Rutgers free him up from his teaching long enough for ONE more project?!

On the flip side, Vinnie and Gino were lots of fun, and it was cool seeing Mr. Parker himself (and possibly his very own canine, playing Pearl, the Wonder Dog?) in cameo roles.

The movie was pretty faithful to the book (after all the author also penned the screenplay). By the way, we're glad we videotaped it: A&E is AWFUL with commercial breaks (but aren't ALL broadcasters these days?!)

So 7 of 10 is all it gets from us. 9, if it's Uhrich/Brooks in the remake!

Cast-wise, Small Vices is an intentional break from the "Spenser: For Hire" TV series and Lifetime movies. Spenser author Robert B. Parker adapted his book for the A&E movie and had some say in casting. Though Urich's loyal fans cried foul at the casting of Mantegna for Spenser, more hardboiled fans (such as myself), and Parker himself, believed Mantegna better portrayed the gritty hero. Mantegna's Spenser is more relaxed, more subtle--his delivery guided by an authentic, wry Parker script. Those looking for a harder edge to the character were pleased. Viewers were less kind to Shiek Mahmud-Bey's portrayal of Hawk. Series actor Avery Brooks cast a long shadow as the mob enforcer sidekick. In that shadow, many believed (myself included) Mahmud-Bey lacked presence, that he was too young, cheerful, and chatty for the part. Small Vices is above average for its closeness to Parker's original plot and--for the most part--his characters; however, the Boston atmosphere vital to the books and series is missing, too obviously replaced by Toronto for budgetary purposes. For a different spin on Spenser, with some of Parker's personal touch, watch Small Vices.

Good show featuring tough guy Spenser and his pal Hawk as they try to figure out if a convicted man is innocent or not. Spenser suspects the man is not guilty and gets into hot water when he gets too close to the truth. The story was a little corny and the character Spenser is somewhat unbelievable, but the film was enjoyable none the less.