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Spartan

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Spartan (2004)

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Reviews Counted:129

Fresh:82

Rotten:47

Average Rating:6.5/10

Consensus: A good cast and Mamet's mastery over the written language elevate an otherwise conventional thriller.

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Genre: Dramas

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... 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]

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

Starring: Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy, Tia Texada, Kristen Bell, Ed O'Neill

Director: David Mamet

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

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Reviews for Spartan

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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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 Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/20/04
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
08/06/04
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
07/08/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
09/07/04
Sight and Sound
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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 Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
08/07/04
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

This conspiracy-laden film provides a super combination of spy movie thrills and trademark Mamet smart dialogue.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
03/12/04
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

They could be arguing and knife-and-gun fighting over tea- party invitations, and Spartan would still be salivatingly interesting.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
03/12/04
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

This cloak-and-dagger thriller is far more gripping than its higher-profile cousins.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
03/11/04
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

Yes, there are machine guns, helicopters and car chases. But Mamet's inimitable rhythms and his taste for particularized lingo give the action stuff a certain personality.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
03/11/04
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A political thriller with topical currency, Spartan delivers the goods.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
03/16/04
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

When Spartan is good, it's surprisingly gripping and fresh, and when it's bad, it's just another overcooked Hollywood paranoid thriller.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
03/12/04
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
03/16/04
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...the latest voyage into David Mamet land, as removed from real life as Bill Gates is from a job at Starbucks.

Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly | comment Comment
03/18/04
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

Those who figure the phrase 'smart action movie' is a contradiction in terms should be referred to celebrated playwright-turned- filmmaker David Mamet's Spartan.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
03/16/04
Michael Tunison
Michael Tunison
Boxoffice Magazine

The particular pleasure of Spartan is to watch the characters gradually define themselves and the plot gradually emerge like your face in a steamy mirror.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
03/12/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Like Heist, Spartan includes its share of twists and doublecrosses, but it's so effective in immersing you in its dimly lit, claustrophobic world that you don't sit outside the action pondering how Mamet is trying to con you.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
03/11/04
Mark Caro
Mark Caro
Chicago Tribune

Political thrillers don't come any better.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
03/11/04
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

A tight and engrossing mystery thriller.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
10/11/06
Russ Breimeier
Russ Breimeier
Christianity Today
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for Spartan

October 26, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Fire" Blazes; "Scissors" Isn't Sharp Enough; "Saw III" Not Screened: Guess The Tomatometer!
This week at the movies, we've got the return of Jigsaw ("Saw III," starring Tobin Bell), a tale of rebellion in apartheid-era South Africa ("Catch a Fire,"... More...

June 06, 2005: Milian and Bell Feel the "Pulse"
Variety reports that pop star Christina Milian ("Be Cool") and actress Kristen Bell ("Spartan") have signed on to appear in the Weinstein Company horror... More...

March 30, 2005: Weinsteins to Restart Dimension with an All-New "Pulse"
The Hollywood Reporter reminds us that there's always another Japanese horror flick worth remaking. Dimension Pictures has just signed Kristen Bell ("Spartan," TV's... More...

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