Joe Mantegna faces some tough opponents  in "Thin Air," a new A&E movie based on one of Robert B. Parker's detective novels. But they're not the many bad guys who wander through the story. They are Columbo, Kojak, Rockford, Barnaby Jones and all the other cops and private eyes who ever made an impression in television.

It's a large fraternity, and Mr. Mantegna, a Tony Award winner and veteran film actor, doesn't really elbow himself a distinctive spot in it with his portrayal of Spenser, the private detective who has been Mr. Parker's meal ticket in a string of best sellers. In fact, in "Thin Air," an unsettling kidnapping story with a collage of well-drawn rogues, Mr. Mantegna is noteworthy for being the most forgettable component.

Spenser is called upon to rescue Lisa St. Claire (Yancy Butler), the wife of an old pal. She has been abducted by a scary former boyfriend, Luis Deleon (Jon Seda), who has some odd ideas about romance and a penchant for videotape. ("I want to get everything on tape," he tells his captive creepily as he aims a camera her way, "so we can watch it all together when we are old.")

The delusional Luis, chillingly rendered by Mr. Seda, presides over an urban compound whose members grow their own food in rooftop gardens and carry a vast array of weaponry. 

Lisa is every bit his match, and the interplay between Ms. Butler and Mr. Seda gives the movie its best moments. On the good-guy side, Luis Guzman as Chollo, the sidekick Spenser recruits to help him penetrate the Hispanic underground, puts a distinctive, enjoyable spin on the second banana tradition.

Against these compelling performances, Mr. Mantegna seems to be just treading water. Perhaps fans of the novels will enjoy watching him to see how he translates the character, and anyone who remembers the television series "Spenser for Hire" from the 1980's may get some mental exercise by comparing his portrayal with Robert Urich's. But people who tune in simply looking for a good yarn with an alluring hero will be puzzled.

The wisecracks that seem spunky in the Parker books are neither wise nor crackling here. The romantic moments between Spenser and his long-standing girlfriend, Dr. Susan Silverman (Marcia Gay Harden), are perfunctory as can be. When this Spenser is laid back, which is most of the time, he is drab rather than intriguingly cerebral. And on those few occasions when he drops into tough- guy mode, he is not convincing because, frankly, Mr. Mantegna is too old and unbuff to be acrobatically smacking and kicking large thugs around.

So for the viewer who is used to quirky and/or dynamic television detectives (A&E can call this a movie if it wants to, but this is the small screen and the genre is owned by hourlong dramas), "Thin Air" becomes a bit frustrating. "Geez!" you want to yell at the screen on Mr. Mantegna's behalf. "Give the poor guy something to work with: a shaved head, an eye patch, a cane, maybe one of those sidewalk scooters." But of course the character is limited by his written incarnation.

The Spenser franchise may be strong enough that it doesn't matter. This is Mr. Mantegna's second turn in the role; A&E offered its first Spenser movie, "Small Vices," last year and apparently was encouraged enough by the response to keep going. Still, it's odd watching a detective story — even an often entertaining one like "Thin Air" — with a hole where the hero ought to be.