Spartan (2004)

One Riot one Ranger

This is the precursor to Mamets latest TV show "The Unit. If your a fan of the TV show you'll love this action paced flick. The best part is Val Kilmer's explanation of how he was coached. One Riot one Ranger, One Spartan. later! May 23, 2008

Mamets' Best Work Yet

David Mamet does plot twists and stories that keep the viewer on the edge of their seat better then anyone. Spartan is one of his greatest achievements.

Val Kilmer, who I have always enjoyed, has had a bad run for a while. It is great to see him back on his game, and this is arguably his best role since Tomestone. The acting in this movie is top notch, with everyone down to the smallest player adding to the film. At no point was I pulled out of the movie by a performance.

The writing is of course superb. Mamet can craft a story like few others. The unique cadence of the dialog is something that really drew me to this movie. While it is unique and has a strange feel to it, this in no way detracts form the movie.

Everything about this film works for me, and I am happy to see Kilmer back on his game. This is a must see for me, and a movie I recommend to everyone, hands down. May 18, 2008

Mamet finally went over the top.

Some people can't stomach Mamet's quickfire dialogue. Some hate his use of actors as automaton acting delivery devices. Others are bothered by the twist upon twist of his films. I believe that these are great to a point. That point was passed in this movie.
The clever dialog turns to just plain non-sense. The plot is just jumbled weirdness. The wonderful actors talents are wasted.

Try Heist, State and Main, or Spanish Prisoner. April 1, 2008

Movie version of 24 keeps you guessing

This film sank like a rock in the theatre but is actually a tense and exciting political action thriller. Written and directed by the acclaimed David Mamet, it is Kilmer's best role since his work in 'Heat.' The plot involves a high ranking government official whose college daughter goes missing. There is some suspense as to how and why the Secret Service was not on top of their game when she was either snatched or took off on her own accord. After she is discovered missing things move fast. Some of the plot twists remind me of a few plot elements from '24'(and I'm not sure who was copying who?).

Kilmer plays a paramilitary type who assists with the fast moving investigation. The secret service guys refer to him as 'Mr. Scott' but we all know that he is a 'black' op who officially doesn't exist. The good thing about that is he gets to do all kinds of extreme stuff that would get most cops fired or prosecuted. The movie delves into the murky world of sex trafficking as we see that wealthy middle easterners are behind it all and are very much interested in American girls, preferably blond. The plot is very tight and keeps you guessing. I enjoyed it throughly. March 26, 2008

ONE WARRIOR WINS

I have long been a fan of the films of David Mamet, except perhaps the one he is most noted for, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS. While that film explored a number of ideas and concerns, focusing on the lives of its characters, I just could never get involved in it properly. Rather, I found his film HOUSE OF GAMES to be one of the most surprising films I had seen in years, holding my in it's grip until the end.

That being said, Mamet's film SPARTAN offers no major surprises and many have claimed that it is cliché ridden, riding on the backs of spy films past and present. I found this not to be true. While some scenarios might seem that way, the whole plot beneath what is really going on for one, I found that movie fresh and interesting, in no minor part due to the work of Val Kilmer.

Kilmer plays Scott, a career special forces Ranger who has worked covert ops and is now helping in training a new set of recruits. On his way home after completing this mission, he is called in to help with a delicate situation. It seems that the President's daughter Laura (Kristin Bell) has been kidnapped due to the bumbling of her Secret Service protection. Scott is one of those do anything no matter what kind of action heroes. He does not feel compromised when torturing a suspect nor taking out anyone deemed necessary by his commanders.

Bringing in the latest recruit Curtis (Derek Luke) to help him, Scott sets out to find just who is responsible. The trail leads him to a group of foreigners who are part of a group trafficking human beings. The pair raid a house where Curtis sees the sign that Laura draws to sign her name. A situation arises where the suspects draw weapons and are killed before they can offer any information.

Several leads direct Scott and Curtis to a Middle Eastern country where the traffickers are based. A Special Forces team is about to raid the location she has been taken to. As they are about to go in, the call comes for them to hold off as the girl's body has apparently been washed ashore back home.

This leaves one problem. Curtis tracks down Scott and tells him he saw the sign. He knows that the girl WAS in that location. So who was the body that washed ashore and where is the REAL Laura?

As the pair investigate, shots are fired and Scott finds himself on the outside, running for his life and the life of the President's daughter. Calling in old favors, he relocates to the house where the raid was to take place to rescue Laura. But there is more at stake than the life of this girl. A conspiracy to leave her behind is in play and no one save Scott seems to want her found. Can he save her and his own hide in the process?

Toss in the fact that those trying to get Scott are in the employ of the President and you have an odd situation. It seems that those Secret Service men who were responsible for watching Laura were taken off that detail to watch out for the President who was visiting his mistress at the time. Being an election year, there is no way that they can allow any of this to become know.

The action scenes are played well, complimented by the fact that there is some heavy duty acting going on in their set ups. Kilmer is fantastic as the cold killer who begins to have pieces of his armor chipped away showing the real man beneath. And Mamet, known for his dialogues, backs off of the over the top wordage in favor of a more direct approach to the conversations among these characters.

The film looks clean, well cut and tells a story that absorbs the viewer from beginning to end. Some may not have been particularly fond of this film, but my guess is they were expecting the same old Mamet. Instead look for a story that keeps you waiting for the final revelation.
March 15, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...