I have a friend whose uncle is an Army Ranger. Growing up, this uncle used to come into town once a year. All the neighborhood kids would flock to the house to play the annual game of hide-and-seek.

-The Ranger would sit on the couch and instruct the few lucky kids to close all the curtains in the house. Then he would ask for one of us to turn out the lights, count to five and turn them back on. We would, and he would disappear.

We’d look everywhere in every last corner of the house. We’d even inspect the chimney, the roof, all the windows — everything. After we were exhausted, sometimes after an hour search in a small ranch house, we would turn the lights back off, go back to the spot where we started, count to ten, then turn the lights back on. And there he would be, sitting on the couch right where he started.

One time, we thought we’d be wise and have someone sit in his seat. After turning the lights back on, we found the Ranger sitting on top of the entertainment center, shaking his finger back and forth. That’s when I began to suspect he was from another planet.

Val Kilmer plays this sort of individual in the new film, “Spartan.” The best thing about Kilmer’s character is, like the Ranger I knew, we never learn his name. He exists for no other purpose than to complete his mission. He is not a planner; he is an executor who will stop at nothing to make sure his objective is accomplished successfully.

“Spartan” blasts us right into the story. Kilmer is picked up at his ranch by a mysterious helicopter. On his face we can see something big has just happened. We learn the first daughter has vanished — most likely kidnapped. Kilmer and his new Ranger partner are assigned to track down her whereabouts.

There are too many subtle twists in this film that I don’t want to ruin, so I won’t go any further with the film’s story. But don’t worry, there is no 180 degree rotation of characters or shocking revelation that Kilmer is actually an intergalactic terrorist sent back in time to settle future scores. In other words, don’t sit through this film trying to figure it out; let it unravel itself.

Behind the story is David Mamet, the one-time playwright turned Hollywood director. Mamet’s unique storytelling attracts actors to films that will make money for nobody.

Mamet directs his films like they’re stage plays. While the frame often is graced with special pools of light, it’s obvious the actors come first in most of Mamet’s productions. Kilmer is just quiet enough to channel his character’s energy to the audience. We don’t need Kilmer to speak to know what he is thinking; we almost can see his thoughts through his eyes.

The real splendor of “Spartan” isn’t in its script. Most of the characters run around the film yelling, “Where is the girl?” The joy of the film lies in the delivery from the actors. By simply looking out a window, the actor is doing something. We get plenty of action and reaction without much dialogue at all, something that seems extremely difficult in the movies of today. Love him or hate him, this is something that Mamet knows how to command from his cast, and it is this quality that makes Mamet one of the best directors around.

Unfortunately, Mamet never has found box-office success as a director. While I was enjoying the first five minutes of “Spartan,” I found myself alone in a theater at our local cineplex. Finally a couple walked in, raising the median age in my theater from 23 to, I’d say, 40.

It’s not your fault you’ve never heard of “Spartan.” Although Warner Bros. has distributed this film, the big studios are reluctant to put marketing dollars into smart films. Maybe Mamet would get more support if he added a CG dog that could follow Kilmer around and make cute catch phrases with each new clue.

If you are a fan of new-age television action dramas like “24” or “The Shield,” then you will love “Spartan.” There’s not much more that can be said to get you out there to see it. It’s not often that our small town, first-run theater takes a risk on such a low-key film, so please take advantage before it changes its mind.