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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 date; UK critics are listed first)
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 24 2006 04:01 AM

Time Out

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 07 2004 10:18 PM

Sight and Sound

tomato
3/5

Matthew Turner

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: | comment Comment | Aug., 07 2004 09:30 AM

ViewLondon

tomato
3/5

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 06 2004 08:37 AM

Empire Magazine

splat
2/5

Stella Papamichael

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: | comment Comment | Jul., 20 2004 01:50 PM

BBC

splat
2.5/5

Rich Cline

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 08 2004 08:16 AM

Shadows on the Wall

N/R

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 29 2009 03:16 AM

Cinema Crazed

N/R

Urban Cinefile Critics

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 18 2008 05:29 AM

Urban Cinefile

splat
2/5

Jim Lane

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 07 2008 03:16 AM

Sacramento News & Review

tomato

Prairie Miller

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 Source: | comment Comment | May., 26 2007 05:13 AM

WBAI Web Radio

tomato
3/4

Russ Breimeier

A tight and engrossing mystery thriller.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 11 2006 02:18 PM

Christianity Today

tomato
A

Bill Clark

A clinic for how this genre should be done.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 26 2005 06:13 PM

FromTheBalcony

splat
C+

Nick Schager

Barely memorable.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 04 2005 09:09 PM

Lessons of Darkness

tomato
3/4

Garth Franklin

Highly recommended.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 02 2005 11:07 PM

Dark Horizons

tomato
3/5

Ethan Alter

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 05 2005 10:43 PM

NYC Film Critic

tomato
B

Robert Roten

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 06 2005 11:05 AM

Laramie Movie Scope

tomato
B+

Jeffrey Overstreet

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 06 2004 05:12 PM

Looking Closer

splat
3/10

Tony Medley

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

Full Review Source: | comment 2 Comments | Oct., 07 2004 07:31 PM

tonymedley.com

tomato
4/5

Brian Mckay

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 04 2004 10:32 PM

eFilmCritic.com

splat
3/5

Pablo Villaca

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 | Aug., 21 2004 04:36 PM

Cinema em Cena

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