10A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 15, 2004 ARTS 4 I Sprinkle some crack on him and let's get out of here. Another taut Mamet thriller in 'Spartan' By Hussain Rahim - Daily Arts Writer I ,.' F L. T fir-T) I I LY. ..' _' _ I . David Mamet, one of the foremost playwrights of our era, as well as the man responsible for weaving such unyielding stories as "Glengarry Glen Ross" and "Wag the Dog," con- tinues a remarkable career with his latest effort, "Spartan," a tense polit- ical thriller. Val Kilmer stars as the mysterious mentor, Scott, a lone-wolf U.S. agent who is assigned to help retrieve the fashion-savvy kidnapped daughter of the president before the news Spartan hits the press. Derek Luke Qtwasnn ("Antwone Fish- Showcase er") fills the pro- Warner Bros. tege role as the rookie agent, Curtis, who tags along for a bit of on-the-job training, as they search for the First Daughter. Never hindered by those pesky Miranda rights, Luke and Kilmer know no obstacles as they doggedly pursue their mission. And like Mamet's other stories, things don't go quite as they should, nor are they as they seem as the twists and turns begin. Minus the fat of the inconsequen- tial opening sequence, the film has a minimalist directional quality that keeps the narrative lean and moving. The lighting is natural, the sets are bare-bones and no more information is given than needed. Although "Spartan" has the neces- sary elements of an action-espionage film - namely violence and clan- destine G-men - this is not a movie that focuses on pretty explosions or verbose characters. Instead, sub- plots, the unsaid and the peripheral By Adam Rottenberg Daily Arts Editor VIDEOGAME REVIEW Few games for the original Nintendo system, outside of its established franchises, are as fondly remembered as "Ninja Gaiden" and its two sequels. Tecmo, the makers Ninja Gaiden of the series, have basically XBox left the classic saga dormant Tecmo since consoles evolved. Although Ryu Hayabusa, the main character, appeared in the "Dead or Alive" fighting games, "Ninja Gaiden" had yet to grace any of the next generation systems - until now. "Gaiden" is back and has become the best action game available today. The spiritual successor to the originals, "Gaiden" takes the franchise into a fully 3-D world. Gamers control Ryu as he attempts to recover an ancient sword stolen from his family. This adventure takes players into a diverse array of levels - some evoke feelings of feudal Japan, while others bring the game into a futur- istic metropolis. Complimenting the setting is a wide assortment of weapons, ranging from swords to nunchuks. The game unfolds into different chapters, each with at least one boss character. Hearken- ing back to old-school action games, boss bat- tles are epic and unfold in a theatrical manner. Controlling the game is a breeze. Ryu runs l~ Courtesy of Tecmo My name ' and I'm here to fuck. across walls, fights off hordes of enemies and solves puzzles, all with the controls respond per- fectly. Every weapon, spell and counter attack works, even under the most dire of circumstances. The lush and expansive graphics blow away any competition on the XBox. Ryu moves fluid- ly and with the grace expected of a deadly ninja. Blood gushes out of foes and heads roll as Ryu slices and dices the demonic ninjas that challenge him. The character design and indi- vidual animations all feature painstaking detail. Even the most basic foot soldier has multiple attack methods. Despite minor technical glitches, "Ninja Gaiden" is a forceful, dynamic game that cer- tainly redefines the action genre for a whole new generation of fans. I I Courtesy of Warner Bros. Personally, I like "Duck Hunt" more. matter. Therenis a single-minded urgency to the mission, captured well by Val Kilmer. Portraying the infallible, dark anti-hero with just a few speck- les of compassion left is always a delicate line to tread, but Kilmer walks it nimbly. The film's weakness comes not from the actors, but from Mamet himself. The dialogue is leaden in places and takes on a bit more weight than needed. Spartan has the heft of a film noir without the bal- ance to make the emotional aspects believable. Tia Texada ("Third Watch") begs for more time, and a larger role would have helped flesh out Kilmer's character more. Always political and relevant, Mamet molds a tense story that one cannot help imagining taking place in today's political landscape. Engaging and focused, this film will please Mamet fans as well as anyone else who ventures forth for some intelligent action. 'Agent Cody Banks' disappoints royally in London By Jennie Adler Daily Arts Writer While Hilary Duff has moved on to more substantive dramatic parts, Frankie Muniz (TV's "Malcolm in the Middle") is still playing the title role of Agent Cody Banks - and he still looks all of 12 years old. In his newest assignment, "Agent Cody Agent Cody Banks: Destination London At Showcase and Quality 16 MGM slipped into the hands of a corrupt CIA member. Most of the gadgets in "Destina- tion London" are reminiscent of those in typical spy movies, but Muniz isn't suave enough to use them in true fashion. Throughout the entire movie he is capable only of two different facial expressions: shocked and anxious. With his mouth agape and eyes scrunched, it's amazing that he's supposed to pass for a secret agent. Of course, it doesn't help that Muniz is sur- rounded by a host of sub-par actors. As the villain, for example, the supposed diabolical Diaz (Keith Allen) relies too much on grunting and threats of breaking vases to instill any real fear. As Banks's fel- low member of the orchestra, Emily (Hannah Spearitt) is a lousy Hilary Duff replacement. Spearitt's acting capabilities fall short of being believable, but she's not the worst. Anthony Anderson ("My Baby's Daddy"), as Bank's mentor Derrick, contributes nothing valuable to the movie besides his humorously enor- mous body. Amidst poor acting and even poorer physical humor, it's hard to find a redeemable scene in the movie. Near the end, however, there is a sequence wo- th mentioning: the crosscutting between the orches- tra playing Edwin Starr's "War" and Banks fighting Diaz. The scene's timing is good enough to make it the most climactic and promising point in the movie, and it doesn't hurt that there's no dialogue. Despite all of the shortcomings of "Destination London," it has plenty of enjoyable action sequences and can be, for what it's worth, a relatively entertaining pre- teen flick. If there's going to be a third mis- sion for Agent Cody Banks, though, Muniz needs to mature greatly and find himself a support- ing cast with decent talent. It could also be beneficial for all those involved to take cues from Bond and their other more notable spy movie predecessors. 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