Plot unfolds artfully to reveal murky soul of 'Spartan'

By Bill Muller
The Arizona Republic

SPARTAN R Three Stars (Good) Val Kilmer, left, is a Special Ops officer trying to find the president's daughter, and Derek Luke is a trainee who wants to get involved. Warner Bros.

In living up to its name, Spartan doesn't boast a star-studded cast or a massive, in-your-face marketing campaign. But this cloak-and-dagger thriller is far more gripping than its more high-profile cousins, such as "The Recruit," with Al Pacino and Colin Farrell, or "Spy Games," with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt.

Written and directed by old pro David Mamet ("House of Games," "Homicide"), Spartan hums along at an engaging pace, with enough surprises to challenge the most hard-core espionage fans. Mamet hones a sharp edge of suspense throughout and never quite lets the audience relax.

At times, Mamet's trademark dialogue can feel stiff and forced, as it did in "Heist," his 2001 caper film starring Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito. But in the spy vs. spy environment of Spartan, the clipped, staccato language seems right at home.

Besides, after this spring's procession of thin scripts — "The Big Bounce," "Welcome to Mooseport," "Starsky & Hutch" — it's nice to see a film with a talented writer behind it.

"Spartan" stars Val Kilmer as Robert Scott, a government operative who's assigned to rescue the president's college-age daughter Laura (Kristen Bell), who's been drugged and kidnapped by slave traders. Since Laura recently drastically changed her looks, the crooks don't know who they have. The president's no-nonsense agents — played by Ed O'Neill and William H. Macy — realize that the clock is ticking. Once the press learns of the girl's disappearance, it's likely the abductors will kill her to save their own skins.

With the pressure on, Scott teams with raw recruit Curtis (Derek Luke from "Pieces of April"). With carte blanche from his bosses, the older agent rampages over and through the likely suspects until he's closing in on the girl. But time, as they say, is running out.

As they glean more clues, the agents arrange an elaborate set-up to trick the kidnappers into divulging the girl's whereabouts. When things don't go exactly to plan, Scott is forced to improvise.

Though Kilmer has built a less-than-stellar reputation — partly linked to reports that he's difficult on set — he hardly ever disappoints from an acting standpoint. In the '90s, he appeared in a series of high-profile roles, including his memorable Doc Holliday from "Tombstone," the title character in "Batman Forever" and Robert De Niro's partner-in-crime in "Heat."

You can't pull off that kind of run without screen presence, and Kilmer has it. His character in "Spartan" is enigmatic, requiring Kilmer to set the tone with expressions and body language.

Luke, famous for working in the Sony gift shop before making "Antwone Fisher" with Denzel Washington, continues to impress.

Then there's Mamet's writing, which is particularly suited to spy dramas.

At one point, when Curtis starts to introduce himself, Scott cuts him off:

"Do I need to know? If I want camaraderie, I'll join the Masons. There's just the mission."

Later, Scott speaks of returning from a war, saying that people "either turn their backs or tip their hats."

The title refers to an ancient king of Sparta, who, when asked for military aide, would send just one man.

With Mamet, that's all you need.

Rated R for violence and language.