Spenser Confidential

Based on Robert B. Parker’s iconic character, Spenser Confidential follows former police officer Spenser (Mark Wahlberg) as he and Winston Duke’s aspiring boxer Hawk team to solve the murder of two police officers. There’s little doubt that, for the most part, Spenser Confidential feels like the pilot episode of a new crime-solving series, as filmmaker Peter Berg, working from a script by Sean O’Keefe and Brian Helgeland, delivers an entertaining drama/thriller that remains pitched at the level of a fairly run-of-the-mill television procedural – with this vibe certainly heightened by a narrative that unfolds pretty much exactly as one might’ve anticipated. It’s worth noting, though, that the movie nevertheless manages to consistently hold the viewer’s attention and interest, as Berg does an effective job of establishing the affable protagonists and their somewhat irresistible chemistry together – with the periodic inclusion of better-than-average action sequences juicing the proceedings on a fairly regular basis. The end result is a perfectly watchable endeavor that vanishes from one’s memory minutes after it ends, although the prospect of seeing these characters in future releases isn’t exactly unwelcome. (In addition to Wahlberg and Duke’s strong work here, Spenser Confidential boasts solid supporting performances by folks like Alan Arkin and Bokeem Woodbine.)

**1/2 out of ****