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Movies / On DVD / S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T.

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S.W.A.T. (2003)

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Reviews Counted:160

Fresh:76

Rotten:84

Average Rating:5.4/10

Consensus: A competent, but routine police thriller.

Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: They’re the best of the best, the elite of law enforcement. And they’ve been recruited for their most dangerous mission ever. Inspired by the popular ‘70s television series, the... They’re the best of the best, the elite of law enforcement. And they’ve been recruited for their most dangerous mission ever. Inspired by the popular ‘70s television series, the explosive action-thriller S.W.A.T. stars Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell, is produced by Neal H. Moritz, directed by Clark Johnson and features an ensemble cast that includes Michelle Rodriguez, James Todd Smith (aka LL Cool J), Brian Van Holt, Jeremy Renner, Josh Charles and Olivier Martinez. Farrell portrays Jim Street, a former S.W.A.T. team member, who along with his partner Brian Gamble (Renner), is thrown off the team in the aftermath of a controversial decision they made during a robbery/hostage standoff. Gamble quits the force in disgust, but for Street, being a policeman is his life and he agrees to a demotion, hoping to someday have the chance to redeem himself and once again wear the privileged S.W.A.T. uniform. Street gets that chance when team commander Dan “Hondo” Harrelson (Jackson) is assigned to recruit and train five top-notch cops for a new Special Weapons and Tactics unit (S.W.A.T.). The other members of the new team Hondo recruits are Deacon “Deke” Kaye (James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J), Chris Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez), Michael Boxer (Brian Van Holt) and T.J. McCabe (Josh Charles). After weeks of demanding physical training, the new S.W.A.T. team is quickly thrown into action when a notorious drug lord Alex Montel (Olivier Martinez), audaciously offers a $100 million bounty to anyone who can free him from police custody. As they escort the kingpin out of Los Angeles and into the hands of the Feds, they are pursued by a ruthless and well-armed band of mercenaries. Columbia Pictures Presents An Original Film/Camelot Pictures/Chris Lee Production S.W.A.T. starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, James Todd Smith (aka LL Cool J), Brian Van Holt, Josh Charles and Olivier Martinez. S.W.A.T. is directed by Clark Johnson. The screenplay is by David Ayer and David McKenna from a story by Ron Mita & Jim McClain. The producers are Neal H. Moritz, Dan Halsted and Chris Lee. Gabriel Beristain, ASC/BSC is the director of photography. The executive producer is Louis D’Esposito. The co-executive producer is Todd Black. The co-producers are George Huang and Amanda Cohen. The production is designed by Mayne Berke. The film is edited by Michael Tronick, A.C.E. The music is by Elliot Goldenthal. The music supervisor is Evyen Klean. Christopher Lawrence is the costume designer. [More]

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Olivier Martinez, Michelle Rodriguez

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Olivier Martinez, Michelle Rodriguez, Josh Charles, LL Cool J, Brian Van Holt, Ken Rudúlph, Jeremy Renner

Director: Clark Johnson

Director: Clark Johnson
Screenwriter: David Ayer, David McKenna, Ron Mita, Jim McClain
Story: Ron Mita, Jim McClain
Producer: Neal H. Moritz, Dan Halstead
Composer: Elliot Goldenthal
Studio: Columbia Pictures

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Reviews for S.W.A.T.

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121 - 140 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

It can only meet you halfway: you have to be able to grin at this stuff, not sneer.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
08/07/03
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

[Jackson and Farrell] manage to keep us interested with pure charisma.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
08/07/03
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

S.W.A.T. is mostly standard-issue muddle.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
08/07/03
Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An outstanding pulp thriller.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
08/07/03
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

The best summer action movie since 1994's Speed.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
08/07/03
Mack Bates
Mack Bates
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Though the film's second half has some good action moments, it never fulfills the promise of its earliest scenes.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
08/07/03
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An over-amped action film with just enough character shadings and color to make us wish it were better.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
08/07/03
Eric Harrison
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle

A noisy, standard-issue cop actioner.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
08/07/03
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[N]ot... actively awful -- it’s just sort of boring and completely predictable and a little bit laughable in its psychology.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
08/07/03
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

The camaraderie is realistic and heartening, the escape plan is exciting, and the ladies will love it when LL flashes his abs.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
08/07/03
E! Online

A fun way to kill two hours.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
08/07/03
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News

One long adrenaline shot that never takes itself seriously and never pauses long enough to worry about making much sense.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
08/07/03
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
Paul Clinton (CNN.com)
CNN.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The fresh cast breathes some life into the proceedings, and it looks good on screen, but the formulaic plot gets less and less believable as it goes along.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
08/07/03
Christian Science Monitor

A big, near-incoherent action thriller best suited for audiences who don't mind being pummeled into submission.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
08/07/03
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune

It's every police movie you've ever seen wrapped into one, done so stiffly that the characters are barely able to bend at the waist to collect their hundreds of spent shell casings.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
08/07/03
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

If this movie was going to be sold in a grocery store, it would be in a plain white box with black letters that say, "GENERIC SUMMER EXPLOSION MOVIE."

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
08/07/03
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

As close as we're going to get to a 2003 version of The Fast and the Furious.

Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
08/07/03
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
Planet Sick-Boy

Cliche reheated many times over

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
08/07/03
Chris Barsanti
Chris Barsanti
Filmcritic.com

S.W.A.T. proves something of a throwback entertainment in this summer of digital-effects duds. The story couldn't be more cliched or conservative.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
08/07/03
Glenn Lovell
Glenn Lovell
San Jose Mercury News

S.W.A.T. fits its late-summer release date. It senses we’ve been worn out by blockbusters, and doesn’t try too hard to please us.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
08/07/03
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
 
 
121 - 140 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
all

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