Warner Bros.

It seems like there have been quite a few dramatic films over the past three years or so that have fallen into this trap of bad marketing. Curiously enough, they all seem to have the same narrative feel, from Heist to Confidence to Spy Games… and now Spartan. I sometimes have a hard time figuring out why some films become hits, and some don’t. (Of course, if I were a master at that, I would be the highest paid man in Hollywood.) I don’t understand how mindless films like Men in Black II.../i> can make their money back, but taught dramas like Spartan do mediocre work at the box office.

Regardless, this is a film that deserves to be seen by a wider audience. This picture is an exciting mix of dramatic sub-genres; part of the action seems to be drawn from CBS’ hit television show Without a Trace, part from Nicholas Cage’s 8mm, and part from any number of Tom Clancy novels. The result is a sharp film that is more concerned with the urgency of the story than it is explaining every little detail to the viewing audience. Names and faces aren’t important, just the mission at hand.