Spartan Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)March 16th, 2004
Spartan – A Disciplined Thriller
Sometimes you might wake up in the wee hours of the morning. Maybe it's to check on a noise that you heard downstairs. Yet you're unsure if there even was a noise and realize that falling back asleep is much easier than struggling to sit upright. Then, you hear a noise again. Your pulse quickens and you struggle to shake the cobwebs from your head. You squint your eyes to focus your vision. You rotate your head slightly to the left and tilt your head downward as if straining to hear with more clarity. And then you hear that same noise one more time, daring you to move into the darkness until something more recognizable appears and you discover the truth.
That sensation of juicy anxiety describes the deliciously absorbing "Spartan." It's a terrific spy flick that reveals itself just a little at a time. It eventually blossoms into global thriller that involves several government entities, cover-ups, special ops, and a cloak and dagger atmosphere that titillates with intrigue and suspense.
At the center of the film is the constantly asked question, "Where's the girl?" Apparently, someone of importance has gone missing. It's at first a mystery as to who that is. It's even a mystery as to how it happened. But the film ratchets up its suspense factor once they determine that they only have 48 hours to find out where she is.
On the case is a lean and hard-nosed Special Ops officer (Val Kilmer). He approaches his mission with steely-eyed resolve, intelligence, and a sharp mind to achieve his objective by whatever means necessary. This is Val Kilmer's best performance in quite some time. His character is well-fleshed out in this spy world as an operative who carries out his orders unconditionally, remains behind the scenes at all times, and thinks quickly on his feet to achieve his objective. You have to really admire his focus, especially in one scene as our Special Ops officer tells his partner, "if the girl is in the house, I'm taking her out. If it ain't me or her, kill it." He seems as real an operative as one would imagine because of his go-anywhere-do-anything-it-takes dimension.
Particularly fascinating is the dialogue, which is always curt and abrupt. In this business, there's no time for small talk. They freely use spy-speak, mixing in words like "extraction," "overwatch," and "rules of engagement." Using this approach, we are immersed into their environment. Just as they desperately want to get up to speed to find out where the missing girl is, we experience that same vicarious thrill, wanting to get up to speed so that we can move along with the characters.
"Spartan" is admirably acted, written, and directed. It is an engrossing presentation that keeps your attention. It has rapid-fire chatter that keeps the film moving at a brisk pace. It has a stylish atmosphere ripe with covert operatives, shadowy figures, and hidden agendas. Most pleasing is its discernible edginess. In this type of film, when gunshots are fired, it jolts you upright and makes you pay attention. In other films, the amount of gunfire just amounts to background noise. A sublime offering, "Spartan" succeeds on many levels and is the most complete film thus far this year.
Grade: A-
S: 1 out of 3
L: 3 out of 3
V: 3 out of 3
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