Synopsis: The Los Angeles police department encounters problems transporting an internationally wanted criminal. And when the police have a problem, they call S.W.A.T.

Now for the Zone's Eye View:

By Michelle Snow

Director: Clark Johnson

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Josh Charles, T.J. McCabe, Jeremy Renner, Brian Van Holt, Olivier Martinez, Reginald E. Cathey and Larry Poindexter

Jim Street [Farrell] is a S.W.A.T. officer caught between a rock and a hard place. If he doesn't rat on his delinquent partner Gamble [Renner], Capt. Fuller [Poindexter] will have him demoted to the gun cage for a recent operation that resulted in a hostage getting shot. He chooses not to, but the Captain lets everyone think he did. 

Six months later, the S.W.A.T. department is being revamped with older, more experienced officers getting drafted back to the teams. Enter Sgt. Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson [Jackson]. He's given orders to assemble a new S.W.A.T. team, with the catch that Fuller gets the right to veto any member he doesn't like. Hondo pulls Street from the cage and with his help, assembles a team that includes David 'Deke' Kay [LL], Chris Sanchez [Rodriguez] and two of Street's old team mates, Boxer [Van Holt] and TJ [Charles]. Fuller grudgingly approves the motley crew with the proviso that if the team fails their final test of S.W.A.T. school, Hondo and Street are gone from the force. You just know they'll succeed, but the way they do it is original and a good use of the member's strengths.

Hondo's team is enjoying a much-needed day of relaxation with their families when they get the call. Internationally wanted drug dealer/terrorist Alex Montel has been captured and S.W.A.T. is needed to ensure a safe transport for the prisoner. It proves to be more difficult than intended when Montel announces on live television that he will give $100 million to whoever sets him free. 
As you can imagine, all hell breaks loose and the body count rises as Hondo and his team fight to get Montel to prison. 
Loosely based on the 70's show of the same name, S.W.A.T. definitely ranks up there as one of the best action films of the summer. A strong cast, lots of action, and a clever, fast paced plot all contribute to the enjoyment of this film. This is the film that Bad Boys 2 should have been.

As the two leads, Jackson and Farrell work off each other's cockiness to portray a partnership that is full of respect for each other. LL Cool J again turns in a solid performance and Rodriguez continues to work the tough girl persona to full effect. There's no dead weight on this team.

And while this movie doesn't venture into any new territory, it works hard to just do it right. It has the right amount of action, plot twists and humor to keep the pacing of the story moving at a fast clip. 

Just as the police department calls on S.W.A.T. when it has a problem, so, thankfully, did the summer movie season. This is a great end of summer popcorn flick.


9 out of 10