S.W.A.T. (film)

Infobox Film | name = S.W.A.T.


caption = Promotional poster for "S.W.A.T"
director = Clark Johnson
producer = Dan Halsted
Chris Lee
Neal H. Moritz
writer = Characters:
Robert Hamner
Story:
Ron Mita
Jim McClain
Screenplay:
David Ayer
David McKenna
Uncredited:
George Huang
Lem Dobbs
Chris Morgan
Craig Fernandez
starring = Samuel L. Jackson
Colin Farrell
Michelle Rodriguez
LL Cool J
Olivier Martinez
music = Elliot Goldenthal
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = August 8, 2003
runtime = 117 min.
language = English
Spanish
French
budget = US$ 80,000,000.
imdb_id = 0257076
mpaa_rating = PG-13 for violence, language and sexual references

"S.W.A.T." is a 2003 action crime film and is based on the television series of the same name. It was directed by Clark Johnson and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, LL Cool J and Michelle Rodriguez. It was released in the United States on August 8, 2003.

Plot

The film begins with a hostage situation in Los Angeles (loosely based on the 1997 North Hollywood shootout). Officer Jim Street (Colin Farrell), a hot-shot cop from the Los Angeles Police Department and his S.W.A.T. Team are sent to stop a gang of robbers who have taken over a bank. His high-tempered partner and close friend Brian Gamble (Jeremy Renner) disobeys a direct order from their lieutenant, and purposely wounds a hostage in a non-vital area, (shoulder) to distract the robbers. Gamble and Street are demoted by Tom Fuller (Larry Poindexter), the SWAT captain. Gamble quits following an argument with Fuller. Street is punished, taken off the S.W.A.T. team and sent to work in the "gun cage," where he looks after gear and weapons.

The Chief of Police calls on Sergeant Dan "Hondo" Harrelson (Samuel L. Jackson) to help re-organize the S.W.A.T. division. Hondo is transferred in, and soon puts together a diverse team, including himself, Street, Chris Sánchez (Michelle Rodriguez), Deacon Kay (LL Cool J), T.J. McCabe (Josh Charles), and Michael Boxer (Brian Van Holt).

Meanwhile, a drug lord by the name of Alex Montel (Olivier Martinez) kills his father and uncle for control of the family's crime empire. The L.A.P.D. stop Montel for a broken taillight, detain him, and eventually learn he is an international fugitive through Interpol. As they are transferring him, his associates, dressed as LAPD officers, assault the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department bus Montel is on in an attempt to free him. Hondo's S.W.A.T. team foils the assault. As Montel is being brought into the police station in front of a group of reporters, he yells to them “I will give one hundred million dollars to whoever gets me out of here.”

The L.A.P.D. makes plans to transfer Montel into federal custody. They plan to fly him away, but a mysterious attacker (later revealed to be Gamble) shoots down the helicopter. The police next send out a large convoy, which is attacked by gang members. It turns out to be a decoy, and Hondo's team has spirited Montel away in two S.U.V.s. However, T.J. has been plotting with Gamble, and the two succeed in taking Montel from the other officers. Hondo and the rest give chase, and there is a final fierce battle, Gamble's group against the S.W.A.T. team. Hondo's team is victorious. T.J. kills himself rather than be captured, and there is a vicious hand to hand fight between Street and Gamble, with Street emerging the eventual victor when he kicks Gamble under the wheels of a passing train. The S.W.A.T. team delivers Montel to a federal prison to await trial.

Cast

*Samuel L. Jackson as Sergeant Second Grade Dan "Hondo" Harrelson. In the beginning of the film, Hondo is an inactive member of S.W.A.T. He is brought back by the Chief of Police to head a new SWAT Element. He is a former Recon Marine. He uses both an M4A1 and MP5. He personally upgraded the trigger of the M4A1 that he uses. His call sign is 70 David. His new team, fully recruited and assembled by himself, is:
*Colin Farrell as Police Officer Third Grade Jim Street. He is originally assigned to S.W.A.T., but after an incident with his partner he is removed from the team and placed in the "gun cage." After Hondo sees how well he can shoot and being able to identify his modifications in moments, he is recruited for Hondo's new S.W.A.T. team. He created the battering ram/grappling hook used during the SWAT team's first mission(which he's dubbed "The Key To The City"). He is a former Navy SEAL and uses an M4A1 on SWAT missions.
*Michelle Rodriguez as Police Officer Third Grade Chris Sánchez. She was a frequent applicant to S.W.A.T, who has applied 3 times but rejected each time due to the captain's sexism. Hondo persuades him to allow her to be on his team. She carries an MP5 on SWAT calls. She has a daughter named Eliza.
*LL Cool J as Police Officer Third Grade Deacon "Deke" Kay. A Patrol officer and father of two children, he is also recruited by Hondo. In the SWAT team, he is armed with a Shotgun and later Hondo's MP5, and serves as the rear-guard of the team.
*Josh Charles as Police Officer Third Grade T.J. McCabe. He is a member of S.W.A.T. He initially has problems with Street, but as they are continually forced to work together, they become more of a team. Near the end, however, McCabe betrays S.W.A.T. and teams up with Gamble, critically wounding Boxer in the process. After Gamble's plan falls apart, T.J. commits suicide to escape going to prison.
*Jeremy Renner as former Police Officer Third Grade Brian Gamble. He is Street's former partner who quits L.A.P.D. after being demoted due to, while violating a direct order not to engage an enemy, shooting a hostage. Gamble later takes advantage of Montel's offer of reward to anyone who can free him by forming a group of other ex-S.W.A.T. members to free him and then escape to Mexico. Gamble feels that his ex-partner betrayed him in the captain's office, which makes the extraction of Montel personal.
*Brian Van Holt as Police Officer Third Grade Michael Boxer. He is a S.W.A.T. officer who also has worked with Hondo before. His sister was involved with Street and broke up with him after he was transferred to the gun cage. He is armed with a M4A1.
*Olivier Martinez as Alex Montel. He is an international criminal and his family controls a huge drug empire which values into the billions.
*Reg E. Cathey as Lieutenant Second Grade Greg Velasquez. He is field commander of D Platoon (SWAT) and old friends with Hondo. Call sign 10-David.
*Larry Poindexter as Captain Thomas Fuller. He is Commander of Metropolitan Division (Home of the LAPD SWAT) D Platoon and disliked by many S.W.A.T. officers. Call sign R-commander.
*Denis Arndt as Sergeant Howard, head of another S.W.A.T. element.

Cameos
*Bridget Powers as herself
*Larry McCormick as himself
*Don "Magic" Juan as himself

oundtrack

Elliot Goldenthal composed the movies soundtrack.

Differences from TV Series

* "Hondo" (played by Samuel L Jackson) is an African-American in the movie whereas it was played by Steve Forest (a caucasian) on TV
* TJ McCabe turns out to be one of bad guys in the movie whereas in the TV series, he never did anything to jeopardize the safety of the team
* The "Deke" character (played by LL Cool J) in the movie is relegated to being just one of the members of the team whereas this character was second-in-command to Hondo in the TV series
* The TV series did not have any female cast members in the original SWAT team
* There are only 5 original members of the SWAT team in the TV series, whereas that number is 6 in the movie

Box Office totals

* Budget - US$ 80,000,000
* Total Domestic Grosses - US$ 116,934,650
* Total Overseas Grosses - US$ 90,790,989
* Total Worldwide Grosses - US$ 207,725,639 [ cite web | work=boxofficemojo.com | title=S.W.A.T. (2003) | url=http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=swat.htm | accessmonthday=April 23 | accessyear=2006]

References

External links

* [http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/s.w.a.t./ S.W.A.T. Official Site]
*imdb title|id=0257076|title=S.W.A.T.

Box Office Leaders USA
before = American Wedding
date = August 10
year = 2003
after = Freddy vs. Jason