RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Spartan
Spartan

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Spartan (2004)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
64 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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.

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 14

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Spartan

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
101 - 120 (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
 
 

In Mamet's hands, top-level military operations are just another con game.

Full Review Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram | comment Comment
03/12/04
Scott Von Doviak
Scott Von Doviak
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

The thing that makes David Mamet’s 'Spartan' so thrilling and exciting to watch is not the story...but the specific way that he has chosen to tell the story.

Full Review Source: Critic Doctor | comment Comment
03/11/04
Peter Sobczynski
Peter Sobczynski
Critic Doctor

Will intrigue only those interested in the nooks and crannies of Mamet's career.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/11/04
Robert Koehler
Robert Koehler
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Mamet's sometimes confusing latest effort is a lot of gradual buildup to a payoff that falls short.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
03/11/04
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today

It's the familiar good-spy-vs.-bad-spy palaver served up in standard Mamet style.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
03/11/04
Glenn Lovell
Glenn Lovell
San Jose Mercury News

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

Val Kilmer gives a career-revitalizing performance...

Full Review Source: Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) | comment Comment
03/11/04
Josh Larsen
Josh Larsen
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)

Rooted in thoughtful ideas and graced with irony, [Mamet's] stylized dialogue has the effect of focusing attention on what is being said.

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
03/11/04
Arthur Lazere
Arthur Lazere
culturevulture.net

There are some cool things about the flick, but in the end you're left with the notion that you could've spent 2 hours in a better way.

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
03/11/04
John Venable
John Venable
Supercala.com

David Mamet's political thriller manages the difficult trick of being both logically meticulous and genuinely surprising.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
03/11/04
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Like many of the works he directs, Spartan does not feel like Mamet at the top of his game.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
03/11/04
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

Spartan is a cautionary tale that will appeal to those who have had enough of the unreality concocted by Washington handlers and political power players.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
03/11/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Writer/director David Mamet ("Heist") has fashioned a twisty thriller, but his highly cynical story is at constant odds with his trademark repetitive Mamet-speak

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
03/11/04
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

... the mechanics are contrived (but Mamet's) crisp dialogue, and Kilmer's underplayed intensity, gives the film an engaging gravitas.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
03/11/04
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Spartan is studded with Mamet-style, macho one-liners, but its dialogue doesn't have the musical precision of Mamet's wordier scripts, such as Oleanna or Glengarry Glen Ross.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
03/11/04
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

The action of Spartan is so choppy, the transitions so abrupt, and the pacing so deadeningly unvarying, the movie musters little suspense.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
03/11/04
Phoebe Flowers
Phoebe Flowers
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Imagine David Mamet rewriting his political satire Wag the Dog as a joke-free kidnap drama. Or don't imagine, just pony up for the glum spectacle of Spartan.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
03/11/04
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

An entertaining foray into a world of spy guys, stakeouts and secret government machinations, Spartan teems with the kind of terse crypto-speak that is the playwright and filmmaker's stock-in-trade.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
03/11/04
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer

For all its narrative flair, Spartan ends up as just another chance for Mamet to show off his tennis-ace virtuosity with speech and atmosphere within the boundaries of a standardized movie genre.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
03/11/04
Gene Seymour
Gene Seymour
Newsday
 
 
101 - 120 (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...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
14% 14% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
14
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
0
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
117
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
40
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
  • Tron Legacy Duo Heading into The Black Hole Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • First Iron Man 2 Poster Released Source: Yahoo! Movies
80
  • Ryan Reynolds Talks Green Lantern Source: MTV
16
  • Paul Greengrass Quits Fourth Bourne Source: The Playlist
36
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
99
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
96
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
91
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
36
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
30
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
28
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
22
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
18
  • Duncan Jones Reteams With Kevin Spacey
5
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

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

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.