a5c7b9f00b In the US-government's special ops, Scott is a shooter, not a planner, doing the job without regard to quaint or obsolete convention. When a Harvard undergrad goes missing (the daughter of a US leader), it's Scott who applies the pressure, first to her boyfriend, then to a madam whose cathouse is the initial stop en route to a white slavery auction in Dubai. The abductors may not know the girl's identity, but once they figure it out, she's doomed. Deadly double crosses force Scott to become a planner. Through it all, earnest TV newscasters read the drivel they're handed.
The investigation into a kidnapping of the daughter of a high-ranking US government official.
This was Kilmer's worst film in quite some time. His (and basically EVERYone else) acting was that of a robot, and that's about the best thing I can say about this lackluster film. It SHOULD have been good (Mamet is usually great, along with Kilmer, O'Neill, and Macy), but it was not in the least. There were more holes in this plot than in a slice of Swiss cheese and I could not count the # of loose ends left in this film (like the girl on the sidewalk in the beginning w/the earpiece, just to name one). I guess Kristen Bell was not so bad (yeah, I definitely would have like to have seen a lot more of her), but she was not around enough to carry this boring film. 2words: "nice" and "try"...
I watched Spartan again last night after having seen it nearly a year ago now, and I enjoyed it even more so then I did originally. A film about a special forces master gunner, Val Kilmer has always done his job. Ask no questions, just get it done. Feelings aside he did his job. But, this time he will have to do more then that. He will have to evolve, live by a new credo. "There are no bad men, only good men who do nothing". And he does. And he does it amazingly well.<br/><br/>Mamet hits us with perfect scenes, not too simple, not too complex, and full of emotion. One who enjoys this movie may be haunted by a few last words we hear Kilmer utter twice in this film; once about himself, and secondly concerning the daughter Laura, he vowed to protect. I got home, I only took the long way back.<br/><br/>I was moved by this film, and even though Macey's role was predictable, it did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the film. With good pacing, dialog, and energy, Val Kilmer shows he can deliver once again, as he does every single time. Kilmer is a man who is very picky about the roles he takes, and he picks the well.<br/><br/>Val Kilmer researched for the part by training with former military special operations personnel.<br/><br/>I give Spartan a 9
Just cryptic enough to keep you guessing, and for some viewers that may qualify as a night out. But Mamet's gamesmanship was more fun when it was less eager to look important.