Review: 'Spartan' Stands Tall As Political Thriller

'Spartan' (R) (out of four)

If you're a fan of political thrillers, out-of-the-ordinary intrigue and rogue military men, "Spartan" may be your ticket.

Val Kilmer heads a cast who I'm sure were drawn to working with Pulitzer-Prize winner David Mamet. Ed O'Neill and William H. Macy are the veterans, while Derek ("Antwone Fisher") Luke and Kristen Bell are the newcomers.

Mamet's syncopated script can ruffle a non-fan, but diehards who can't wait for his next turn of a phrase will revel in this latest cat-and-mouse thriller.

Kilmer plays Robert Scott, a military officer who is part of a top-secret special operations force. Although he claims to just be a "worker bee," Scott means business. When the president's daughter is kidnapped allegedly into a ring of white slavery, the game is on and Scott is leading the charge.

The movie is not perfect. There are some moments that send the film into a strange tailspin, where plot developments never materialize.

It's Mamet's ninth movie as writer-director and he's building quite an impressive catalogue. With "Spartan," Mamet explores the underground of the government and takes moviegoers on a Clancyesque escapade. But what sets a Mamet film apart from the others is how he establishes his characters and then lets the actors explore them.

Kilmer has abandoned the restlessness we've seen in his other characters. His portrayal of Scott is multi-dimensional and Kilmer easily carries the movie. Unfortunately, Mamet seems to have forgotten his supporting characters, Curtis (Luke) and a female sergeant (Tia Texada). Both characters lack substance and, through no fault of the actors, go nowhere.

With some thrilling twists and turns, the doors continue to open, then shut on what is Scott's "mission to serve his country." What he discovers is that everything is not as it seems. Mamet has a way of doing that.