S.W.A.T. (2003)

Director:

Clark Johnson

Writers (WGA):

Robert Hamner (characters)
Ron Mita (story) ...

Release Date:

8 August 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Even cops dial 911

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.

Plot Keywords:

SWAT Team | Police | Hostage | Bank Robbery | Shot

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

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

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, language and sexual references.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:18SG | Iceland:12 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | India:A (cinema release) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The SWAT Officers who deliver the secure phone at the beginning of the film in the bank robbery scene were actual LAPD SWAT Officers who were on scene as technical advisors for the film, and got to put on their uniforms and do it "for fun".

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the final scene outside the S.W.A.T. van from the outside, the camera crew is reflected on the black paint and in the window as the shot tilts up.

Quotes:

[the team's progress is halted by a firmly locked gate]
Deke: Ain't this a bitch?
Street: A cold hard one.

Movie Connections:

Features "S.W.A.T." (1975)

Soundtrack:

Just Because

Underrated

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.