...feels rather synthetic...transparent suspense that carries some mediocre thrills...pretentious-minded political pap.
Spartan (2004)
Tomatometer
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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.
Reviews for Spartan
Spartan is a technical achievement, impressive for the things it does well and unfortunate that so much more might have been improved.
The problem with Spartan isn't so much that it's mediocre but that it could be a whole lot better.
This conspiracy-laden film provides a super combination of spy movie thrills and trademark Mamet smart dialogue.
Is Spartan a perfect, or even a great, movie? Probably not. But in its prickly irascibility and deeply unsettling intelligence, it makes for a very, very good one.
Until its final stumble, this intelligence thriller ... is charged with brilliance.
David Mamet's political thriller about the disappearance of the president's daughter is an unsatisfying slipknot of a film -- it looks tight and elaborate, but give it a tug and it goes flat.
Despite its many failings, Spartan is better than most of what passes for thrillers down at the multiplex.
A thrilling military puzzle not to be attempted by the faint of brain.
The first hour of Spartan can make you sick with dread, like the first season of the TV series 24 ... The last half-hour of Spartan is still entertaining, but it's laughable.
The odd thing is that Spartan, despite its lofty goals, is no more convincing than a Schwarzenegger or Stallone action flick.
An entertainingly over-the-top tale of good, evil, sex, and betrayal.
If Spartan is preposterous, it's also weirdly watchable, since Mamet packs his movie with more plot than I've seen in the last 30 Hollywood thrillers combined.
A serious disappointment...one Mamet shell-game that's not worth laying down a bet on.
Latest News for Spartan
October 26, 2006:
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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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