Rating: 5/10
Review date: September 2, 2003
A new S.W.A.T. team is formed under the command of Sgt. Dan ‘Hondo’ Harrelson who is a legend in the community. After going through various trainings and surviving their boss who is keen to see them fail (for whatever reason), they are given an assignment to escort an international drug kingpin into federal prison. When he offers $100 million to whoever can free him, the new S.W.A.T. team has to do their very best to prevent that from happening.
I am very disappointed with S.W.A.T. because I was under the impression that it is going to be this kick-ass action movie after seeing the trailer. Add that to the fact that the casts are all good actors and actress (maybe not all but I certainly like them) and you’re supposed to have a great fun with this movie.
Unfortunately I didn’t get what I expected. The opening scene is good with some tension which engaged me but the movie spiraled downwards after that. The plot was predictable and there aren’t any major action scenes as advertised in the trailer.
I was hoping so badly that they wouldn’t choose to (minor spoiler) include a turncoat to avoid cliché but they did. Actually that was not too bad but it was so obvious after the opening scene that I almost could not believe it as the story unfolds.
As for acting wise, it’s kind of a hit-and-miss. Samuel L. Jackson is his usual self, starring as Sgt. Dan ‘Hondo’ Harrelson, the team leader who act tough and get the job done at the same time. Colin Farrell (Jim Street) looks as cool and charismatic as ever. LL Cool J and Olivier Martinez are not memorable in their roles (with the exception of Martinez’s French accent that is). Michelle Rodriguez again acts as the tough-as-nail bitch just like in Resident Evil and she has my appreciation as always; she is really born for such role.
I have to admit that I was deceived by the trailer since the final product doesn’t turn out to be the firecracker that I’ve been expecting. Director Clark Johnson may have helmed a lot of TV cop shows but he is not suited for action movies. The movie was a tad too slow in the first half, slowly exposing the storyline by showing the team’s various training program (one of the more interesting part of the movie). Meanwhile, when the action really starts in the second half, it feels as if it was rushed to conclusion with not enough emphasis given to the thugs trying to free the drug baron. I also dislike the clichéd mano-a-mano ending which I believe somehow put more merit on Jim Street character than the rest of the team.
S.W.A.T. could have been a great movie if only it is not plagued by weak script, extremely clichéd plot, boring dialogue, unmemorable music, lack of character development and any major (or even minor) action scenes with credible tension.
Memorable quote: “You know what they say, you're either S.W.A.T. or you're not.”
-Samuel L. Jackson as Sgt. Dan ‘Hondo’ Harrelson-
(c) Martin Taidy 2003