Spartan | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

65% Tomatometer 133 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings

When the president's daughter, Laura Newton (Kristen Bell), is kidnapped by a human trafficking ring, high-ranking Secret Service agent Robert Scott (Val Kilmer) takes on the case. With the assistance of his protégé, Curtis (Derek Luke), Robert begins investigating, but the operation is called off when Laura is reported dead. However, Robert and Curtis, who have discovered evidence to the contrary, continue their search, and soon find evidence of an elaborate government cover-up.

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Spartan

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Critics Consensus

A good cast and Mamet's mastery over the written language elevate an otherwise conventional thriller.

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Critics Reviews

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Spartan | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Nell Minow Common Sense Media Very violent movie ultimately just falls apart. Rated: 2/5 Dec 28, 2010 Full Review Spartan | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Nick Schager Lessons of Darkness Barely memorable. Rated: C+ May 4, 2005 Full Review Spartan | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Peter Rainer New York Magazine/Vulture The real violence, as is always the case with Mamet, lies not in the mayhem but in the thrusting rhythms of the dialogue. Aug 7, 2004 Full Review Spartan | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Joshua Starnes ComingSoon.net He'll always be writer first, but for a relentless entertainment with actual with wit and soul, Spartan may just be the best thing David Mamet has done, certainly the best he has directed. Rated: 8/10 Mar 30, 2011 Full Review Spartan | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed A very well characterized thriller... Apr 29, 2009 Full Review Spartan | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Jim Lane Sacramento News & Review Rated: 2/5 Aug 7, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Thanato p I am a fan of David Mamet, so this was a disappointment. Starts off corny, gets mildly interesting, then turns confusing and regrettable. Editing can't save this; the story is too convoluted for that. Cast is largely good actors, but a few amateurs really stand out as terrible. The lighting crew on the nighttime scenes is jarringly bad--you've never seen such intense multi-directional moonlight and wacky shadows. Rated 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 07/08/23 Full Review lloyd d Loved it! Saw it again today, years later and thought it was brilliantly done for the most part. The dialogue is excellent. The movie clearly has its own particular tone, and a number of unfortunate twists that keep the chase going. The ending scene was perhaps a bit vague, and a sequel might have been a great idea. I found it a tense, enjoyable watch. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie get's a lot of "meh" from reviewers but it's got a great cast (OK and Val Kilmer) a twisty plot, and some good action.Absolutely worth watching. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Surprised at how good the movie was from start to finish, then saw it was a David Mamet screenplay. Tight script, taut performances, not so many layers to characters, but in exchange, pace is crisp. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review jack s I checked out Spartan because of my admiration for much of Mamet's other work. However, the political action-thriller genre doesn't appear to be a good fit for his talents. The plot, particularly the early scenes, is baffling. Plus, there's very little suspense or excitement in the humdrum action finale. A strong cast tries their best, but not one of the characters onscreen is likable, or even interesting enough to care about. A lot of critics cited the typically great Mamet dialog in their reviews, but they appear to be referencing other films because frankly there's not even much of that on display here. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A bit like Taken, but just much worse.Good: Got me to sleep.Bad: Clumsy action scenes, cluttered and confusing storyline, too many characters, hard to follow.Conclusion: Probably not worth watching, just watch Taken or 24 instead for a much better viewing experience. Rated 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

David Mamet Director Val Kilmer Scott Derek Luke Curtis William H. Macy Stoddard Ed O'Neill Burch Kristen Bell Laura Newton
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Synopsis When the president's daughter, Laura Newton (Kristen Bell), is kidnapped by a human trafficking ring, high-ranking Secret Service agent Robert Scott (Val Kilmer) takes on the case. With the assistance of his protégé, Curtis (Derek Luke), Robert begins investigating, but the operation is called off when Laura is reported dead. However, Robert and Curtis, who have discovered evidence to the contrary, continue their search, and soon find evidence of an elaborate government cover-up.

Director
David Mamet

Producer
Moshe Diamant, Elie Samaha

Screenwriter
David Mamet

Distributor
Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Co
Franchise Pictures

Rating
R (Violence|Language)

Genre
Mystery & Thriller

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 31, 2004, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009

Box Office (Gross USA)
$4.4M

Runtime
1h 47m

Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby SRD, DTS, Surround

Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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