Based on the popular series of Spenser books by Robert B. Parker, and produced during the early 1990s after the series' 1988 cancellation, the four films that comprise Spenser: The Movie Collection, are a mixed bag of tricks. Just a little over a ten years old, these four films serve as a reminder of just how much television has changed over the last decade. My memories of the original Spenser series is that of a fairly tough, hardboiled show. And while these four films have a bit of an edge to them, they bare the mark of television before shows like NYPD Blue and Homicide changed the face of network TV.

Spenser: Ceremony, the first of the four films in this collection, originally aired back in 1992. Spenser creator Parker and his wife Joan H. Parker were on board to adapt the ninth novel in the series. Spenser's girlfriend Susan Silverman (Barbara Williams), the intrepid shrink, convinces her P.I. old man to investigate the case of a former patient, a sixteen year old who has gone missing. Soon, Spenser finds himself trolling the underbelly of Boston, cavorting with prostitutes and going toe-to-toe with pimps as he looks for the missing girls. But every step of the way leads to a dead end, and soon he must call upon Hawk to help him put some foot to ass.

The second film in the quartet of made-for television films is Spenser: Pale Kings & Princes. This time around Spenser and Susan venture to a small New England town a reporter has been murdered. The dead reporter in question was investigation a cocaine operation, and when his body was found, Susan's business card was in his pocket. Despite the small town setting, Spenser and Susan quickly learn they are up against crooked cops and a powerful Columbian drug lord. So, what's wisecracking private investigator and his shrink girlfriend to do? They call in Hawk, or course. The bullets fly, the bodies pile up, and all's well that ends well.

The third, and best of the four films is Spenser: Judas Goat. When a wealthy industrialist's family is killed in the botched assassination attempt on the life of an African diplomat, Boston's number one private dick is called in to solve the case. Soon, Spenser is in Ottawa, Canada, and in over his head as he finds himself tangling with both the security force of the African diplomat, and the evil white supremacists that want the ruler dead. Caught in the middle, Spenser does what he does best, call on Hawk, who shows up with his arsenal of guns and as kicking attitude. But will Spenser and Hawk be able to stop a second assassination attempt, or will they also go down in a blaze of bullets?

The last of the four Spenser films, and hands down the worst, is Spenser: A Savage Place. Things start of with Spenser and his girlfriend Susan Silverman in the middle of a lover's spat -- she wants to move in together, and he wants to keep separate homes. Things get worse for the couple, when Candy Sloane (Cynthia Dale), an old flame of Spenser's hires him for a case. Candy is an ambitious television news reporter who hires Spenser to protect her when one of her source's is murdered in relation to a story she's working on. Susan isn't happy with the assignment, and neither is our hero, when he discovers there's more going on than meets the eye. It seems Candy, who is slightly more stupid than a bag of rocks, has stumbled upon something pretty serious, and the criminal behind it all will stop at nothing, including put some hot lead in Spenser's ass. Luckily, Hawk shows up just in time to kill everyone.

If you had never watched the original Spenser television series, you'd be hard pressed to understand why it was so popular after watching these films. At 90 minutes each, they are all too long, the writing is seldom more than just okay, and occasionally ventures into boring or just plain bad (especially in A Savage Place). What's worse is the direction in all four movies is flat and lifeless. This is all standard, television-movie-of-the-week stuff, with boring master shots and medium shots throughout. There's no attempt to create any sort of pace, tension, or style for that matter and it seems, more often that not, that the various directors are relying on the script and the actors to carry the films. Well, the problem here is that the scripts are all mediocre at best, and only Urich and Brooks have enough charisma to make anything truly memorable.

Video:
Spenser: The Movie Collection is presented in 4:3 full frame.

Audio:
Spenser: The Movie Collection is presented in Dolby Digital stereo.

Extras:
Disappointingly, there are no extras on Spenser: The Movie Collection. Each disc, however, does come with an "extensive essay." These essays are actually more entertaining than some of the films, and make you realize that what this box set really needed was at least one featurette about the history of Spenser, from book series to television to made-for-TV films.

Final Thoughts:
Diehard fans of Spenser: For Hire will want to check out these films, but keep in mind that they just lack the magic of the show. What really needs to happen is the original series needs to be released on DVD, as does the short-lived spin-off, A Man Called Hawk. And while we're on that topic: Isn't about time The Rockford Files was released on DVD?