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Spartan

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Spartan (2004)

64%
43%
76%
N/A
N/A
N/A
64 %
Reviews Counted: 129 Fresh: 83  Rotten:46 Average Rating: 6.5/10
 
Consensus: A good cast and Mamet's mastery over the written language elevate an otherwise conventional thriller.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Synopsis: Robert Scott (VAL KILMER) is a career military officer working in a highly secretive special operations force. A man hardened by years of brutal service, he is respected by his peers and elders in the world of espionage. When Scott is recruited to find Laura Newton (KRISTEN BELL), the... Robert Scott (VAL KILMER) is a career military officer working in a highly secretive special operations force. A man hardened by years of brutal service, he is respected by his peers and elders in the world of espionage. When Scott is recruited to find Laura Newton (KRISTEN BELL), the daughter of a high-ranking government official, he is paired with novice Curtis (DEREK LUKE), who becomes his protégé. Working with a special task force comprised of Presidential Advisors, the Secret Service, FBI and CIA, Scott and Derek stumble upon a white slavery ring, which may have some connection to Laura’s disappearance. As the story unfolds, the straightforward search-and-rescue mission becomes complicated by the political ambitions of those in high places – like Stoddard (WILLIAM H. MACY), a political operative who may know more than he’s telling about the clandestine circumstances surrounding Laura’s abduction. Scott and Curtis are at the brink of tracking Laura’s whereabouts when the mission comes to an abrupt conclusion, with the media issuing reports of the girl’s death. Scott returns to the quiet life of landowner in a rural location and awaits his next assignment in relative peace. But Curtis can’t rest. In his naiveté, he seeks out Scott to confide his belief that Laura is in fact alive. If she is, their continued unofficial investigation will put them as well as Laura at the center of a dangerous conspiracy that reaches the highest levels. Franchise Pictures presents Spartan, a political thriller written and directed by DAVID MAMET and starring VAL KILMER, DEREK LUKE, ED O’NEILL and WILLIAM H. MACY. Spartan is produced by ART LINSON, MOSHE DIAMANT and ELIE SAMAHA, and executive produced by FRANK HUBNER. The director of photography is JUAN RUIZ ANCHIA; the production designer is GEMMA JACKSON; and the editor BARBARA TULLIVER. Spartan will distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. -- © Warner Bros. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy, Tia Texada, Kristen Bell

Director: David Mamet
Screenwriter: David Mamet
Producer: Moshe Diamant, Art Linson, Elie Samaha
Composer: Mark Isham

DVD Info

Release:

Mar 6, 2005

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen - 2.40

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1

Additional Release Material:

  • Audio Commentary - 1. Val Kilmer - Star

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
09/07/04
Sight and Sound
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3/5

Though the plot may be more or less generic, this is different from the average Hollywood thriller, thanks to a combination of Mamet’s script and direction and Kilmer’s confident performance.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/07/04
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
Ratings Image
3/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
08/06/04
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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2/5

Famed for his way with words, it's as if Mamet has tried to outdo himself here, but without the trademark humour that might've lifted this otherwise constipated Tom Clancy knock-off.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/20/04
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
2.5/5

The main problem is that the narrative is evasive...; we can't trust Mamet as a storyteller!

Full Review | comment Comment
07/08/04
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
N/A

This political thriller is very much by its own definition, the tightly woven, creatively disciplined offspring of that old warrior spirit that is Mamet.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/26/07
Prairie Miller
WBAI Web Radio
Ratings Image
3/4

A tight and engrossing mystery thriller.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/11/06
Russ Breimeier
Christianity Today
Ratings Image
2.5/4

Este es un caso de excelentes actores atrapados en las limitaciones de un guión defectuoso y una dirección regular.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/05/06
Flavio J. Arosemena
Doncinema.com
Ratings Image
A

A clinic for how this genre should be done.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/26/05
Bill Clark
FromTheBalcony
Ratings Image
C+

Barely memorable.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/04/05
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
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3/4

Highly recommended.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/02/05
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
Ratings Image
3/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
03/05/05
Ethan Alter
NYC Film Critic
Ratings Image
B

Although the story deteriorates in the last act, most of the movie is of high quality.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/06/05
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
Ratings Image
B+

... should become a staple of film writing courses for years to come. There’s not an ounce of fat in this script.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/06/04
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer
Ratings Image
3/10

To call it ludicrous would be to give it far too much credit.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/07/04
Tony Medley
tonymedley.com
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4/5

It moves at a steady clip, boasting a smart narrative, a few surprising twists, and some respectable action sequences.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/04/04
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com
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3/5

Como de hábito, os diálogos concebidos por Mamet são fascinantes. Infelizmente, a trama é óbvia e não faz jus ao interessante personagem de Val Kilmer.

comment Comment
08/21/04
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
Ratings Image
7/10

...the action here is tense and suspenseful from beginning to end, with very little filler and very few distractions.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/21/04
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
Ratings Image
N/A

If Bill Macy shoots blanks, you've got a dud.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/08/04
Harry Haun
Film Journal International
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Around the Network

• Spartan at Rotten Tomatoes
• Spartan at IGN
• Spartan at AskMen
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