S.W.A.T.

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Seventies TV series S.W.A.T. centered on an elite cadre of cops with mustaches willing to pick up where their donut-engorged subordinates left off. Underscoring a decided lack of mustaches in contemporary cinema, in comes the big-screen adaptation, featuring Samuel L. Jackson (as Dan “Hondo” Harrelson) and his mustache and Colin Farrell (as Jim Street) and his bushy eye mustaches. It’s enough facial hair to complete a satisfying remake full of explosions and chase scenes that nod to the original.

When an imprisoned European drug lord offers up $100 million to anyone who can bust him out of the cooler, ’do-ragged gangstas citywide lay down their 40s and blunts and take note. And when news leaks that he’s being moved from local to federal custody, L.A. hoodlums get their one big shot—and we get our movie premise. Enter S.W.A.T.—the group in charge of escorting him from prison A to prison B. Jackson and Farrell fit nicely into their relegated roles as veteran hard-ass and up-and-coming hard-ass prodigy, respectively, with the rest of the group split between TV series originals (LL Cool J is David “Deacon” Kay, Josh Charles is T.J. McCabe) and politically correct add-ons (Michelle Rodriguez as the sassy Latina ready to kick your ass). Like all filmed cop units, these S.W.A.T.-ers toss around witty banter, disregard for regulations, and bullets into crowds like it’s their job. And, thankfully, for the movie’s sake, it is. Want nostalgia? Try 18 different versions of the original S.W.A.T. theme—funk, hard rock, techno, you name it, they paid to sample it—that provide backup for the mindless explosions and shoving matches. Repeat until bad guys are properly thwarted, and you have yourself a worthy action flick.

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