Review of Spartan (2004) by Alissa F — 25 Mar 2004

[font=Palatino Linotype][size=4]A day well spent I say. It started badly with me having a disturbing last-night's-pizza induced dream about a family of three being forced to kill a fourth member of their family by lighting him on fire using gasoline. But creepy dreams aside, I got up and got on the internet which I have been unable to do the last several days (see previous entry) and then I called my mom and thanked her for the nice card. Then I went to our office meeting at work which went great, except for the part where I found out one of our newbies quit last night. Shit. But there was pizza! Free pizza to boot! I left the meeting and checked the movie listings and sent out some dry cleaning and shot the shit with some working stiffs who werent off today and then realized that I had just enough time to get over to the theater showing SPARTAN and catch the 4:50. But my dumb ass gets in the wrong lane (how long have I fuckin lived here?) and I end up arriving just as the final preview starts to run. It was a new trailer for Man on Fire, which had blown me away with its first trailer but this new one elaborates on the plot better, without giving away the end. Spartan began and I was grabbed from the very beginning. Val Kilmer kicked ass in a Samuel L. Jackson kind of way. The supporting cast included Derek Luke (Pieces of April), William H. Macy and Ed "Al fuckin Bundy" O'Neill. All were excellent. It was very cloak and dagger without being James Bond silly. The plot is brilliant and the writing by David Mamet reminded me of his best work on scripts like Wag the Dog and State and Main. Great movie.[/size][/font].

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[font=Palatino Linotype][size=4]But the evening was not over. I went to the gym and ran/walked on the treadmill for like 40 minutes. I wanted to leave earlier but I got caught up in the episode of Law and Order that was on. Jerry Orbach and Dennis Franz have to be two of the greatest TV cops in the history of the medium. I wish I still watched NYPD Blue. [/size][/font].

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[font=Palatino Linotype][size=4]I decided that I had time enough for one more film and I chose Taking Lives. But that is for tomorrow. [/size][/font].

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[font=Palatino Linotype][size=4]I also was reminded that I do indeed have one story to tell from the last week. It involves a movie excursion to see Agent Cody Banks 2. I know I have your interest peaked.....[/size][/font].

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[font=Palatino Linotype][size=4]One of the two movies named above was very very kickass....and the other starred Frankie Muniz as a teenaged secret agent[/size][/font].