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Movies / On DVD / Spartan
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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81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Starts out promisingly, but quickly sinks under the weight of its own plot twists, ponderous pacing and Val Kilmer's monotonous performance as a ruthless special-ops agent.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
03/12/04
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post

Mamet's normally dead-on cynicism is wildly off the mark.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
03/12/04
Jack Mathews
Jack Mathews
New York Daily News

A so-so thriller that has all the Mamet touches -- tough guys, sharp dialogue, surprise twists.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
03/12/04
Glenn Whipp
Glenn Whipp
Los Angeles Daily News

The ending is somewhat soggy, but until that point, Spartan is a graceful exercise in fear and loathing.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
03/12/04
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

Though it's not up to his best work, it's a worthy addition to Mamet's oeuvre.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
03/12/04
Eric Harrison
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle

The non-conformist has conformed, giving us a movie little different in impact from those many other Hollywood thrillers out there -- the kind that start out really strong only to wind up weak and wonky.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
03/12/04
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail

Constantly engaging and challenging.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
03/12/04
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's smart, quick and engrossing, and even if it's also imperfect, it at least attempts to engage subjects too often ignored.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
03/12/04
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

The first great movie of 2004.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
03/12/04
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

Spartan never really jells, and the gamesmanship ultimately feels contrived.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
03/12/04
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

If ... you don't mind piecing together your own jigsaw puzzles -- and you relish movies that don't telegraph every plot twist -- Spartan's definitely your speed.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal | comment Comment
03/12/04
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Like many political thrillers, there is a pervasive paranoia at work here. Only this psychosis feels old, not interesting.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
03/12/04
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post

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

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

Magnificent thriller screenwriting, a genre masterpiece.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
03/12/04
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

Mamet's most solid and exciting original work since perhaps Homicide.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
03/12/04
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Spartan is the type of film that you immediately find yourself wanting to view again...

Full Review Source: IGN Movies | comment Comment
03/12/04
Spence D.
Spence D.
IGN Movies

Crisp. Cool. Minimal. Spartan.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
03/12/04
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

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

It's a bit sparse for Mamet and this talented acting ensemble...but I was still entertained by the action and Val Kilmer's relentless pursuit.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
03/12/04
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; 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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