Spartan (2004)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

David Mamet

Writer (WGA):

David Mamet (written by)

Release Date:

12 March 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

She's missing.

Plot:

The investigation into a kidnapping of the daughter of a high-ranking US government official.

Plot Keywords:

Abductor | Kidnapping | Special Ops | Harvard | Dubai

Cast

Tia Texada	...	Jackie Black
Derek Luke	...	Curtis
Val Kilmer	...	Scott
Jeremie Campbell	...	Cadre Candidate
Bob Jennings	...	Grace's Aide
Lionel Mark Smith	...	Colonel Blane
Johnny Messner	...	Grace
Chris LaCentra	...	Cpl. Sattler (as Chris J. Lacentra)
Renato Magno	...	Grossler
Mark FitzGerald	...	Training Facility Guard
Tony Mamet	...	Parker
Clark Gregg	...	Miller
Ron Butler	...	Headquarters Agent
Steven Culp	...	Gaines (as Stephen Culp)
Vincent Guastaferro	...	Naylor

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

USA:106 min | UK:102 min (DVD)

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Russian | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:R (certificate #40304) | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Italy:T | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

ApolloMedia

Trivia:

The cast underwent military weapons training for their roles.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the bar scene, when the newscast plays, Scott and another soldier talk about Scott's knife as he uses it to cut an apple. He lifts the apple to his mouth, and immediately on a reverse shot, we see the knife at his mouth as he bites a piece of apple.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Scott: You had your whole life to prepare for this moment. Why aren't you ready?

Movie Connections:

References "Meet the Press" (1947)

No it wasn't

At last, a top class cop movie.

Kilmer hunts down a kidnapped girl.

Very good movie that got no publicity. Definitely glad that I checked this one out. Starts off on a training course and quickly moves into a hunt for a kidnapped young girl who's sent off to another country. Many twists and jolts in the story. Strangely, the final scenes remind me of the ending of Bad Boys 2. What I like most about Spartan was how it refused to dumb down the story. It requires a deal of concentration but pays off. You could argue why all the effort for one girl (many die in the finding her). Very well made by Mamet.

For one of the best movies of the year, in any genre, watch Spartan.