S.W.A.T. (film)


S.W.A.T. is a 2003 American action crime thriller film directed by Clark Johnson and produced by Neal H. Moritz. It is based on the 1975 television series of the same name and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Josh Charles, Jeremy Renner, Brian Van Holt and Olivier Martinez.
In the film, Hondo and his SWAT team are tasked to escort an imprisoned drug kingpin/international fugitive to prison after he offers a $100 million dollar reward to anyone who can break him out of police custody.
S.W.A.T. was released in the United States on August 8, 2003 and grossed $207 million worldwide.

Plot

The Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team, including officers Jim Street and his partner Brian Gamble, infiltrate a bank taken hostage by robbers. Gamble disobeys orders and engages the robbers, wounding a hostage. He and Street subdue the criminals, but are taken off SWAT by Captain Fuller, commanding officer of the LAPD Metropolitan Division. Fuller offers Street the chance to rejoin the team by implicating Gamble, but he refuses and is demoted to working police inventory in the "gun cage", while Gamble quits the force and ends their friendship.
Six months later, the chief of police calls on Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson, a Marine Force Recon veteran, to reorganize SWAT. Hondo takes an interest in Street, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, and recruits him and fellow officers TJ McCabe, Michael Boxer, Deacon Kaye, and Christina Sanchez to his new team, despite Fuller's protests. They bond as they train together and pass their final exercise, a simulated airliner hijacking; celebrating afterward, Street has a hostile run-in with Gamble. The team succeeds in their first real mission, subduing an unstable gunman by using a wall-breaching battering ram designed by Street.
French drug lord Alexander Montel arrives in Los Angeles and kills his uncle, assuming control of his family’s criminal empire. Driving to the airport, he is pulled over by police for a broken tail light, and detained due to discrepancies with his false I.D.; authorities determine that he is an international fugitive. Montel’s associates, disguised as LAPD officers, attempt to rescue him as he is being transferred to prison, killing two Sheriff’s deputies. Hondo's team arrives in time to kill the gunmen and recapture Montel. Escorted past reporters, Montel announces to the cameras that he will "give 100 million dollars to whoever gets out of here", drawing the attention of criminals across the city.
The LAPD prepare to transfer Montel into federal custody by air, but Gamble shoots down the helicopter with a high-powered rifle. The police send out a large convoy, which is ambushed by gang members but discovered to be a decoy for Hondo's team, who transport Montel in two SUVs. McCabe is revealed to be in league with Gamble, who critically wounds Boxer and escapes with Montel and McCabe to the subway. Pursued by SWAT, Gamble and his men hijack a subway car and flee through the sewers. The officers avoid a Claymore mine set by Gamble, and use it to blow open the tunnel’s locked exit. Fuller sends all available units to Hawthorne Airport to prevent Montel escaping by plane.
Hondo’s team commandeers a limousine to reach the airport, but realize that Gamble has seized a private plane which will land on the Sixth Street Bridge to fly the criminals out of the country. Preparing to take off, the plane is intercepted by the SWAT team. Gamble's men are killed, Sanchez is wounded while Kaye arrests Montel, and Hondo confronts McCabe, who commits suicide. Street pursues Gamble to the railyard under the bridge, where they fight hand-to-hand until Gamble is knocked under a passing train and killed. Fuller and the rest of the LAPD arrive, and Hondo’s team deliver Montel to federal prison. Driving home to Los Angeles, they receive a report of an armed robbery in progress, and Hondo, Street, Kaye, and Sanchez respond to the call.

Cast

Original series actors Steve Forrest and Rod Perry have cameo appearances; Forrest drives the team's van, while Perry appears as Kay's father.
Reed Diamond has a cameo as Officer David Burress. Diamond and director Clark Johnson appeared together on for three seasons. Johnson himself has a cameo as "Deke's Handsome Partner," who gets hit with a pan while Deke chases a suspect.

Production

, Rob Cohen, Antoine Fuqua, Michael Mann, Joel Schumacher, Tony Scott, Zack Snyder, Roger Spottiswoode, and John Woo were all approached to direct the film before Clark Johnson signed on. They passed because they were all busy with other projects.
Mark Wahlberg was the first choice for the role of Jim Street, but turned it down in favor of portraying lead role in The Italian Job. Paul Walker was originally cast and had even started training for the part, but had to drop out due to filming on 2 Fast 2 Furious. Colin Farrell eventually replaced him. Vin Diesel was offered to portray Deacon "Deke" Kaye, but passed because he was in production with The Chronicles of Riddick and LL Cool J was then cast. At one point during the early stages of development, Arnold Schwarzenegger was considered for the role of Dan "Hondo" Harrelson, but he declined and Samuel L. Jackson took the part.
The bank robbery in the film's opening was choreographed to closely resemble the North Hollywood shootout of 1997.

Soundtrack

composed the soundtrack.

Release

S.W.A.T. saw a nationwide release in North America playing in 3,202 theaters, on the weekend of August 8, 2003.
The film was released in Japan in the weekend of 27 September 2003 and United Kingdom, in the weekend of December 5, 2003.

Home media

The film was released on DVD as S.W.A.T. Widescreen Special Edition on December 30, 2003 and on Blu-ray Disc on September 19, 2006.

Reception

Box office

In its opening weekend, S.W.A.T. grossed $37,062,535 playing in 3,202 theaters, with a $11,574 average per theatre and ranking at #1. The biggest market in other territories being Japan, United Kingdom, Spain and Germany, where the film grossed $16.9 million, $9.7 million, $7.1 million, $6.47 million respectively. At the end of its box office run, S.W.A.T. grossed $116,934,650 in North America and $90,790,989 in other territories, resulting in a $207,725,639 worldwide gross, roughly surpassing The Fast and the Furious.

Critical response

Reception for the movie was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 48%, based on 168 reviews, with an average rating of 5.42/10. The site's consensus reads, "A competent, but routine police thriller." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 45 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "Mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F.
Film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave S.W.A.T. a favorable rating of three stars, as well as a thumbs up on At the Movies. He complimented the characters, dialogue, and the action sequences which he found believable.

Accolades

Legacy

Film

A direct-to-video film titled ' came out in 2011. None of the main actors reprised their roles.
A second direct-to-video movie titled ' came out in 2017.

Television series

In February 2017, CBS ordered a pilot based on the movie with Justin Lin, Shawn Ryan, and Moritz as producers. Stephanie Sigman, Shemar Moore, and Jay Harrington were reported to star in the series. Justin Lin was announced to be directing the pilot.