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.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Mar 30, 2011

Very violent movie ultimately just falls apart.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 28, 2010

A very well characterized thriller...

| Apr 29, 2009

| Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 7, 2008

This political thriller is very much by its own definition, the tightly woven, creatively disciplined offspring of that old warrior spirit that is Mamet.

| May 26, 2007

A tight and engrossing mystery thriller.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 11, 2006

A clinic for how this genre should be done.

| Original Score: A | Jun 26, 2005

Barely memorable.

| Original Score: C+ | May 4, 2005

Highly recommended.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 2, 2005

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 5, 2005

Although the story deteriorates in the last act, most of the movie is of high quality.

| Original Score: B | Feb 6, 2005

... should become a staple of film writing courses for years to come. There's not an ounce of fat in this script.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Dec 6, 2004

To call it ludicrous would be to give it far too much credit.

| Original Score: 3/10 | Oct 7, 2004

It moves at a steady clip, boasting a smart narrative, a few surprising twists, and some respectable action sequences.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 4, 2004

Como de hábito, os diálogos concebidos por Mamet são fascinantes. Infelizmente, a trama é óbvia e não faz jus ao interessante personagem de Val Kilmer.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 21, 2004

...the action here is tense and suspenseful from beginning to end, with very little filler and very few distractions.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Aug 21, 2004

If Bill Macy shoots blanks, you've got a dud.

| Aug 8, 2004

The real violence, as is always the case with Mamet, lies not in the mayhem but in the thrusting rhythms of the dialogue.

Full Review | Aug 7, 2004

Though the plot may be more or less generic, this is different from the average Hollywood thriller, thanks to a combination of Mamet's script and direction and Kilmer's confident performance.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 7, 2004

| Original Score: B | Aug 7, 2004