S.W.A.T.

Plot

An imprisoned drug kingpin offers a huge cash reward to anyone that can break him out of police custody and only the LAPD's Special Weapons and Tactics team can prevent it.

Release Year: 2003

Rating: 5.9/10 (61,347 voted)

Critic's Score: 45/100

Director:
Clark Johnson

Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez

Storyline
Based off of a one time T.V. show, two Los Angeles S.W.A.T. officers Jim Street and Brian Gamble were sent in to foil an extremely violent bank robbery. Although they thwarted the robbery, they shot a hostage in the process. Street was suspended from S.W.A.T. while Gamble was fired altogether. After 6 months, a veteran S.W.A.T. officer, Daniel Harrelson or "Hondo", is told to assemble a S.W.A.T. team for his division. He chooses other S.W.A.T. officers as well as 3 rookies. However, after they pass the S.W.A.T. training, they receive a message that a French crime boss, known as Alex Montell is trying to escape from prison. This will not be easy to prevent, especially after Montell promises $100 Million to his rescuers.

Writers: Robert Hamner, Ron Mita

Cast:

Samuel L. Jackson
–

Sgt. Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson

Colin Farrell
–

Jim Street

Michelle Rodriguez
–

Chris Sanchez

LL Cool J
–

Deacon 'Deke' Kay

(as James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J)

Josh Charles
–

T.J. McCabe

Jeremy Renner
–

Brian Gamble

Brian Van Holt
–

Michael Boxer

Olivier Martinez
–

Alex Montel

Reg E. Cathey
–

Lt. Greg Velasquez

(as Reginald E. Cathey)

Larry Poindexter
–

Capt. Thomas Fuller

Page Kennedy
–

Travis

Domenick Lombardozzi
–

GQ

James DuMont
–

Gus

Denis Arndt
–

Sgt. Howard

Lindsey Ginter
–

Agent Hauser

Taglines:
Even cops dial 911

Details

Official Website:
Sony Pictures [United States] |
Sony [Brazil] |

Release Date: 8 August 2003

Filming Locations: Ambassador Hotel – 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $70,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $37,062,535
(USA)
(10 August 2003)
(3202 Screens)

Gross: $116,643,346
(USA)
(2 November 2003)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

When a location was being picked for the plane escape, one consideration was closing I405 or a stretch of another highway to land a Learjet on, but that was "out of their reach", so they shut down the 6th St Bridge from 6pm to 5am every night for filming, and used CGI effects for the plane's approach. The scene with the aircraft taking off was actually done, with an aircraft equipped with a V8 engine so they could drive it down the bridge.

Goofs:

Factual errors:
Dispatch claims the Hawthorne airport beacon is on "after closing hours". Beacons are always turned on after sunset or when visibility is below three miles.

Quotes:

[From the first trailer]

Hondo:
Let's try to get in the killing mode.

Chris:
I am in killing mode.

Hondo:
So why you smiling?

Chris:
Because it tickles me.

User Review

Underrated

Rating: 6/10


I haven't read the comments of others, so I'm not sure why it's rated
so low. This is a pretty decent yarn with some good action and suspense
in it. The story is almost believable. A drug dealer is detained by the
Police and offers $100 million to anyone who can spring him. The offer
is taken up by several people and the Los Angeles Police Department
finds itself outgunned. Their only hope is the newly formed SWAT team,
headed by Samuel L. Jackson. The whole SWAT thing is new and no one
likes it. While, today, many people still don't like the idea of SWAT
teams, they are now a part of the law enforcement landscape. It's too
"Military" for most people. The film shows the build up and some of the
training of the SWAT team, and their duel with the bad guys in the end.
It kept my attention and I found it entertaining. And isn't that what
the industry is all about? I gave it a 7.