Related Resources • "S.W.A.T." Video Interviews and Movie Clips • "S.W.A.T." Movie News and Trailer • "S.W.A.T." Photo Gallery • Cast and Crew List • Movie Reviews

Do you remember the '70s cop show this action-thriller is based upon? If your answer is no, then you're probably in the majority. It was never considered to be one of the best police shows on TV but it was entertaining. Everything was neatly wrapped up in 60 minutes and the bad guys always got what they deserved (a formula that still holds true for most primetime dramas to this day). Best of all, you didn't have to be a brain surgeon to follow the storylines. Fast-forward 30 years and "S.W.A.T.'s" mindless energy is brought to the big screen. "S.W.A.T" is the perfect August release - not too much dialogue, a whole lot of action, and an easy to follow plot populated with believable characters.

Physically speaking, you couldn't ask for a more attractive cast than this gang of hotties. You've got Hollywood bad boy Colin Farrell as a hotshot cop, Olivier Martinez (the hunk Diane Lane lusted after in "Unfaithful") as the uber-criminal, LL Cool J looking mighty fine and flashing his six-pack abs, the epitome of cool Mr. Samuel L. Jackson chewing up the scenery, and the lone female star - Michelle Rodriguez - playing her trademark 'tough girl' character with just the right amount of sex appeal thrown in. Get past their movie star good looks and you'll find an ensemble cast who've really succeeded in forming a convincing onscreen team. The group chemistry works well enough that you're left with the feeling these actors hung out after the director yelled, "Cut."

The story follows S.W.A.T. team commander Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson (Jackson) as he meticulously puts together a new five-member S.W.A.T. team. His selection includes a few members sure to piss off his nemesis, Captain Fuller (Larry Poindexter), a man Harrelson loves to irritate. Harrelson's 'old school' and has a history with Fuller that's never really fleshed out. He's been brought back to work under Fuller to help stem the tide of bad publicity that surrounds the LAPD, and neither man is happy about the situation. Deke Kaye's (LL Cool J) selected because of his impressive record, Michael Boxer (Brian Van Holt) and TJ McCabe (Josh Charles) because they've worked with Harrelson before, Jim Street (Farrell) because of his sharpshooting abilities and the fact he's on the outs with Captain Fuller, and Chris Sanchez (Rodriguez) is given the golden opportunity to be the first woman on a LAPD S.W.A.T. team.

Harrelson's team is quickly thrown into action to deliver drug kingpin Alex Montel (Martinez) from police custody to the Feds. Montel announces a $100 million reward to anyone who breaks him out, making life very difficult for the officers charged with escorting him across Los Angeles. Thugs come out of the woodwork to try and collect on that reward, providing the best action sequences of the film.

There were a few scenes that didn't work for me and that could have easily been left on the editing room floor in order to move the film along (at 118 minutes, it struggles to keep up the pace during the last 30 minutes or so). In particular, a scene with Colin Farrell's character joining Michelle Rodriquez at her home for her daughter's birthday party could have justifiably been cut from the film. It felt too contrived, too much like the filmmakers were blatantly manufacturing a scene just to show the audience Rodriguez's character had a softer side underneath that tough exterior. Trust me, the audience will get it without the water fight and balloons. There's also a big testosterone-filled fight scene that plays out a little on the corny side.

Overall, "S.W.A.T" is a fun summer movie. Mindless entertainment, escapism, or whatever you want to label it - "S.W.A.T." is worthy of a two-hour investment.

Grade: B

"S.W.A.T." was directed by Clark Johnson and is rated PG-13 for violence, language and sexual references.