PLAY DIRTY on Amazon Prime

J.I. Jung
Oct 6
2 min read

Mark Wahlberg plays Parker in a new adaptation for Amazon Prime directed by Shane Black.

Parker is the gritty professional thief created by writer Richard Stark in a series of acclaimed bestsellers. The books have been adapted (and in many cases butchered) in to films since the 1960s and Parker has been been portrayed by a variety of actors (and sorta actors) including Lee Marvin, Robert Duvall, Jim Brown, Mel Gibson, Jason Statham, and now, Mark Wahlberg.

This version of Parker is better than some. Many, including me, feel like every movie version of Parker somehow falls short. Quentin Tarantino once said that the best version of Parker was the Neal McCauley character (Robert DeNiro) in Michael Mann’s HEAT.

What gives Play Dirty a leg up on other Parker movies has more to with Parker’s alter-ego, Dortmunder.

Not long after the success of the Parker books, the writer, Donald E. Westlake (the true identity of Richard Stark) wrote a comedic version of the Parker character - Dortmunder. And Dortmunder proved to be as successful as Parker. In film, Dortmunder has been played by the recently deceased Robert Redford, as well as, George C. Scott and Martin Lawerence.

Play Dirty manages to pull together the tone of both Parker and Dortmunder. In Parker you have the gritty anti-hero who lives by his own code of professionalism. In Dortmunder, there is the absolutely insane plan that goes wrong (in Bank Shot, Dortmunder robs a bank by lifting the actual building off its foundation). In Play Dirty, Wahlberg’s Parker is a kind of gritty straight man in a world of violent and, often, comedic chaos.

If you want to learn more about the Parker novels, the first three books are a great place to start.

The Hunter https://amzn.to/46VaRTx

The Man With The Getaway Face https://amzn.to/4nYNoHM

The Outfit https://amzn.to/3KC7ucz

In 2010, illustrator Darwyn Cooke, interpreted Parker as a graphic novel and won an Eisner Award. https://amzn.to/4nBiNQH

If the humor of Dortmunder appeals to you, try these.

The Hot Rock https://amzn.to/4o72ECB

Bank Shot https://amzn.to/4h6R0Ft

Jimmy the Kid https://amzn.to/46UVDhd

Use the links to buy and help out the site.