Just finished watching the new David Mamet film Spartan, and have to say I quite enjoyed it. It stars Val Kilmer as some kind of special forces operative (it never actually mentions what type although he does start the film at a Ranger's training school) who is drafted in to work on finding an abducted daughter (again it's never mentioned, but it's strongly insinuated that this is the U.S. President's daughter).
Kilmer performs his part with a good amount of intensity - he looks like a scary guy and goes about his business quite effectively. Choice moments include his interrogation of one man during the course of his investigations.
"Ahhh, I think you broke my arm."
crack
"Now it's broken."
There's quite a high body count in the movie - with characters who you think will survive being bumped off without a moment's notice.
Despite my enjoyment of the film, I felt it ran off the rails a bit in the third act where it devolved into a stereotypical 'look at the evil politician who'll do anything to get elected'. It's the kind of impression of politicians that some sections of society love to promote, but which don't really exist. Put it this way, if the President's daughter was kidnapped by a Middle-Eastern sex slave ring What do you think his response would be? Cover it up and fake her death as an attempt to play the sympathy card? Or invade & bomb the crap out of those filthy towel-heads to extract righteous vengeance? I'd be betting on the later...
Kilmer performs his part with a good amount of intensity - he looks like a scary guy and goes about his business quite effectively. Choice moments include his interrogation of one man during the course of his investigations.
"Ahhh, I think you broke my arm."
crack
"Now it's broken."
There's quite a high body count in the movie - with characters who you think will survive being bumped off without a moment's notice.
Despite my enjoyment of the film, I felt it ran off the rails a bit in the third act where it devolved into a stereotypical 'look at the evil politician who'll do anything to get elected'. It's the kind of impression of politicians that some sections of society love to promote, but which don't really exist. Put it this way, if the President's daughter was kidnapped by a Middle-Eastern sex slave ring What do you think his response would be? Cover it up and fake her death as an attempt to play the sympathy card? Or invade & bomb the crap out of those filthy towel-heads to extract righteous vengeance? I'd be betting on the later...
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