Mark Wahlberg to reboot "Spenser: For Hire" for potential features

Just watched it. I think it was very decent. I even had a few laughs. I liked it.

 

Same here. I hope they make more of these.

 

...I have read a fair number of Spensers but they have mostly been later ones, more likely out in mass market paperback now. Perhaps Parker was a little bit stylized by then? By then that had standard back-cover pictures and no real copy showing Parker in " writer's casual "? tracksuit - this practice made me compare with rappers' publicity pictures!
Parker had two lesser series besides Spencer, this one about a small-town police chief that had several made-for-TV movies with Tom Selleck?? made from it, and one about a cop's daughter turned dick who had a bud/second who seemed to be an attempted echo to Hawk in Spencer. Hers was a white gay male who could get tough when needed, as opposed to Hawk's relationship with Spenser. I remember this series being buried with Parker, unlike Spenser and the police cheif. I don't recall any statement that Hawk was a career criminal - Perhaps that he had been in the life in the past. As I said, I've mostly read the later novels.

 

Watched it, did not like the way Hawk was portrayed. Hawk in the tv series was a much more interesting character. The movie overall was okay.

 

Definitely. Mark Wahlberg's movie was more bonehead and typical of modern action films, but is still enjoyable compared to watching politics or home decorating. Although I look forward to watching this again and seeing future sequels, I wish the writers had stayed true to the original characters instead of creating pedestrian versions of Hawk and Spenser. Solely based on appearances, I do think Wahlberg and Winston Duke are good choices, apart from liberties taken by the writers. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously thanks to Wahlberg's humor, although it's not something you can play when kids are present.

 

Remember when Joe Mantegna portrayed Spenser for 3 movies on the A&E network?



Hawk was portrayed by Ernie Hudson on "Walking Shadow"

 

Opposite for me. I read all the books after the TV show so Urich was always in my mind. Wahlberg is too small and, without seeing the movie, doesn't have the personality.

I forgot about this. Everything I have heard indicates that it departs greatly from the the source material (Parker books - I have not read any of the post Parker books). I'll probably check it out some time.

 

I read all the books first, so I never could stand the TV show. I had a good friend who lived in Boston and for some reason they used his back alley to film a number of scenes, occasionally blowing up a car or two.

JohnK

 

...I read a fairish number of later, mostly, Parker books...Fid he have Spenser or Hawk as ex-cons? Framed ex-cop in Spenser'scase?

 

Not that I remember. He was an ex-cop though (pretty sure). Problem with authority and all that.
I'm not even sure Hawk was in the joint.
They were both ex-boxers.

 

...Apparently one or more movie gave them this though