Val Kilmer is back in Spartan

valkilmer.jpgMock me all you want. I am a Val Kilmer fan. Although well known, I believe he is one of the most underrated actors working today. Ever since I saw him in what I still think is the best spoof comedy movie of all time, Top Secret!, Kilmer has impressed me. He was solid as Ice Man in Top Gun (as a side note, did you ever see Kilmer on Saturday Night Live doing a scetch of “Ice Man – The Later Years”? Classic!). He was the lead in one of my favorite fantasy films (Willow), he impressed everyone in The Doors and Tombstone, he didn’t look out of place acting along side screen ledgends Al Pacino and Robert Deniro in Heat, he was a good Batman (even if the films weren’t that good), he was just fantastic in The Ghost and the Darkness and then showed he could just do voice acting as well in The Prince of Egypt.

Somewhere along the line Kilmer fell out of favor with Hollywood, and there are MANY whispers and rumors as to why that is. The other problem is that he made some very bad films in the last few years (Red Planet, At First Sight, The Saint). Put it all together and Kilmer has dropped out of sight for a while. Now he’s back in a leading role again with Spartan.

Not much has been writen about this film yet since it’s still almost a week away from release, but I think it’s doomed at the box office. Even with William H Macey in th cast, I don’t think Spartan can stand up againt The Secret Window, or the still dominant The Passion of the Christ. But I don’t care, I’ll be in line to see it.. I just hope it’s good enough to put Kilmer back in some good projects.

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8 thoughts on “Val Kilmer is back in Spartan

  1. I saw Spartan on dvd and I thought it was one of the best films of the year easy. Once in a while a film is made that is smart and entertaining and makes me happy that I saw it and Spartan is just that. Kilmer is a terrific actor but I think he is off the mark in roles where he carries the film instead of story. He is always good as a supportive character, maybe he is just a character actor with the looks of a leading man. Incidently I just watched Alexander for the first time and hopefully last. I feel sorry for the talented actors in the movie. Oliver Stone has lost it. Don’t know when it happened but hopefully he finds whatever skill he had. Kilmer may have been the only interesting character in the whole movie.

  2. Dear Val Kilmer,
    Since I do not know how to tell him this personally, I will put it here. I had hoped he would return to Los Angeles to at least visit.
    I hoped to see him in other things. He is a great actor. I do think Hollywood sometimes lets the best ones pass by for some reason. I want to thank him for coming back. He played Moses in the play the Ten Commandments. He also sang in that play. I did not get to see him and was so dissappointed. I will get to see the film Alexander though. He was on Conans talk show. He looks just as sharp as ever.
    My son always calls me when he comes on. My son knows that I think of Kilmer like a son, for he looks like my brothers.
    I also was proud of him for his behaviour when he was confronted for some comments he made in New
    Mexico. He has strong opinions and seems to be a person of really good character. I wish him well.
    Iona Deerheart Kinkihee Rhoan

  3. I LOVE VAL KILMER!
    I have watched almost every movie, and like them all. Salton Sea was excellent, especially since I am from California and I can identify with both of the lives he lead. The Saint to me was moving and touching and adequate portrayal of Val Kilmer’s different personality traits, like Thomas. Hollywood has shunned him because it is run by people that want to steal the life out of the soul. I watched Heat 3 or 4 times just to watch his charecter develop. I have seen Top Secret countless times (You will rue the day!)
    Popcorn anyone?
    I wish some channell would play all Val movies for a week straight so I could see them all. Talk about an emotoinal roller-coaster, his range is limitless. God bless Val Kilmer!

  4. The Salton Sea. Go see it. Right now.

    Kilmer’s an amazing actor, easily one of the best of his generation. Apparently he’s just pretty hard to work with …

  5. Personally I thought The Saint was a good ride. Day-vuh may remember how much the soundtrack played in our triple back in ’97.
    Ebert and Roeper gave Spartan a pretty good review last night and another thing to remember is that this is a David Mamet movie. So look for lots of snappy dialogue that’s ‘as cute as a chinese baby’ if I may borrow from The Heist. So yeah, we’ll see how it goes.
    Granted, The Heist was not a box office blockbuster either… erm… I’m reaching here.

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