Plot: What’s it about?
Jim Street (Colin Farrell) was once a member of the most elite squad on the police force, but he was thrown off the S.W.A.T. unit. He and his partner Brian Gamble (Jeremy Renner) were involved in a hostage situation, a crisis that requires flawless execution by the police. But when an order was disobeyed, Street and Gamble were knocked off the squad. The two were bumped down to lesser positions, which didn’t sit well with either man. But Gamble fought back and as a result, he was fired, though Street chose to take his lumps. He wanted to earn his way back into the squad, as remote as that chance seemed to be. Down the road, the police find themselves on the public’s bad side, as confidence in their services is low. This prompts an overhaul of the S.W.A.T. system, starting with a new leader with experience, a man named Hondo (Samuel L. Jackson). Hondo returns to his original precinct to put together a new, more effective S.W.A.T. unit, one which he will hand select and train himself. His team is a strange assortment, including a street cop with attitude, Deke (LL Cool J), a single mother with a mean streak, Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez), a brilliant, refined police officer, McCabe (Josh Charles), and Street, who is given a second chance. When the time comes to defuse a major crisis, can the new squad prove its worth?
The trend of making older television shows into movies isn’t a new one, as we’ve seen The Brady Bunch, The Addams Family, and even Scooby Doo hit the big screen. In S.W.A.T., the material lends itself well to a motion picture’s larger scope, but director Clark Johnson and his crew have veered far from the original elements. The main issue is the cast, which ensures the elite squad of officers has a wide ethnic assortment. To me, that just screams political correctness, which is a bad idea in a movie that tries to be hard and on the edge. I didn’t mind LL Cool J or Michelle Rodriguez, but Colin Farrell and Samuel L. Jackson are poor choices to fill their roles, as a result the film falters on much of its potential. As expected, the focus is on action and minimal care was taken with the rest of the picture, but action overload can be fun. Instead, too much time is spent on the training process of the officers, which yields enhanced anticipation. But Johnson is unable to deliver a climax that can satisfy that anticipation. So we have all this build up, but it leads to a passable conclusion, instead of a balls out finale to end the movie in explosive fashion. S.W.A.T. has some moments, but with a mismatched cast and a weak director, it was doomed from the gates. If you’re interested, a rental will suffice in almost all cases.
I think that poor casting choices could be blamed for a lot of the film’s failures, but not all of the workers seem to be misplaced. I think Michelle Rodriguez was a wise choice for her role and in the end, she is one of the movie’s bright spots. She is able to bring a tough as nails presence to the movie, which is needed. Her costars come off as loudmouths, but Jackson and Farrell aren’t the kind of actors to be this kind of tough. But Rodriguez is the genuine article and even as the lone female, she is the toughest of the lot. At same time, she never loses her softer side, which gives her a real edge in this kind of picture. A hard, tough woman who happens to be beautiful and have a sensitive side, just the order S.W.A.T. needed. The rest of the cast is unable to raise their performances to the same level however, so she often seems wasted in the role. Even so, she is game and puts on her best effort, which is all we can ask. Other films with Rodriguez include The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil, Blue Crush, and Girlfight. The cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Caveman’s Valentine), Josh Charles (Threesome, TV’s Sports Night), and Colin Farrell (Phone Booth, Minority Report).
Video: How does it look?
S.W.A.T. is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is business as usual for a new release from Columbia, which means we have a well crafted presentation. A few instances of halos and edge enhancement can be seen, but these errors never blossom into serious worries, so no need for concern. The print is in excellent condition, while the image is crystal clear with a vivid, highly refined presence. The detail level is superb throughout, with even small touches coming across with great clarity. No troubles with colors either, as we have vibrant, natural hues at all times, with no signs of errors to mention. I found contrast to be great as well, with stark and consistent black levels and no loss of visible detail. So a few small flaws aside, this is yet another terrific looking new release from Columbia.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was also very pleased with the audio here, as the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track packs a real punch. This is to be expected, given the film’s focus on action. The surrounds are used almost all the time, whether via sound effects or the film’s musical soundtrack. Even with all this action going on however, I never noticed any evidence of volume imbalances, as all the elements seemed in fine form. So while the surrounds were being powered with sound effects and music, the vocals still came across in crisp, easy to understand shape. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You can listen to two audio commentary tracks here, the first with director Clark Johnson and assorted cast members, the second with four of the writers involved. Johnson is joined by stars Samuel L. Jackson, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Josh Charles, Brian Van Holt, and Jeremy Renner, so a lot of voices can be heard. The cast was recorded in a separate session, with Johnson’s comments edited in at times. This was a mistake, as Johnson is serious and tries to impart production details, while the cast just jokes and makes fun of the movie. In the end, it proves to be a lackluster session that isn’t worth the effort. The writers’ session is much more focused, with a lot of great information found throughout. A number of brief, promotional featurettes are also found here, with only The Making of S.W.A.T. clocking in at over ten minutes. This disc also includes some deleted scenes, a gag reel, and a few talent files.
