S.W.A.T. is directed by Clark Johnson. The screenplay is by David Ayer and David McKenna from a story by Ron Mita & Jim McClain. The producers are Neal H. Moritz, Dan Halsted and Chris Lee. Gabriel Beristain, ASC/BSC is the director of photography. The executive producer is Louis D’Esposito. The co-executive producer is Todd Black. The co-producers are George Huang and Amanda Cohen. The production is designed by Mayne Berke. The film is edited by Michael Tronick, A.C.E. The music is by Elliot Goldenthal. The music supervisor is Evyen Klean. Christopher Lawrence is the costume designer.

- Rottentomatoes.com

Cast/Crew:

Written by: Robert Hamner (characters) Ron Mita (story) & Jim McClain (story) David Ayer (screenplay) and David McKenna (screenplay)

Directed by: Clark Johnson

Starring:

Samuel L. Jackson .... Sgt. Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson 

Colin Farrell .... Jim Street

Michelle Rodriguez .... Chris Sanchez

LL Cool J .... David 'Deke' Kay

Josh Charles .... T.J. McCabe

Jeremy Renner .... Brian Gamble

Brian Van Holt .... Michael Boxer

Olivier Martinez .... Alex Montel

Notes:

An actual police chase drove through the set during filming. Seemingly a first for actual L.A. area police chases.

The tune that the team sings at the table in the film's trailer, is the theme from the original TV series.

There is a scene in which the team is watching an episode of the TV series, "S.W.A.T." (1975). Steve Forrest, who played Lt. Harrelson is shown.

Director Cameo: [Clark Johnson] Deke's partner, who gets hit with a pan as Deke chases a suspect.

Rod Perry ("Deke" in the original series) cameos as "Deke's" father in the movie.

The opening sequence at the bank is loosely based on the 1997 North Hollywood Shootout. Several radio calls (e.g. "There's nothing we have that can stop them!") are also taken verbatim from the recording of the 1997 incident.

Mark Wahlberg was originally approached for the role of Jim Street.

As a "wrap gift" to mark the end of filming, Samuel L. Jackson offered the principal cast a signature 9-millimeter pistol with the letters S.W.A.T. inscribed on the handle.

Official S.W.A.T Website

Reviews:

ROLLING STONE REVIEW:

What we have here is a model for the paint-by-numbers, perfectly generic, proudly soulless summer action flick. An original idea would die for lack of oxygen in S.W.A.T., which means it will probably do boffo business. In an era when movies have become television with better air-conditioning and concessions than you get at home, S.W.A.T. delivers what's expected with TV-bred efficiency. And why not. S.W.A.T. (for Special Weapons and Tactics) started on the tube in 1975, producing thirteen forgettable episodes now available for masochists on DVD. For the big-screen S.W.A.T., Clark Johnson, a TV actor (Homicide: Life on the Street) turned TV director (The Shield), has been hired to helm his first feature. Johnson does a swell job with his movie-star cast, headed by Colin Farrell and Samuel L. Jackson: He makes them seem like TV actors. If they had any juice before -- Jackson defined juice in Pulp Fiction and Farrell oozed it in Phone Booth? -- they only dribble it out now. Johnson doesn't stop for the small moments that build character; he just moves things speedily along.

Farrell, the Irish actor and serial babe magnet, plays Jim Street, the stud king of S.W.A.T. That's what comes with top billing. But Street is in deep doo-doo. His trigger-happy partner, Brian (Jeremy Renner, so good in Dahmer, so wasted here), acted recklessly in a hostage situation. So Brian is out, and Street is off the street, reduced to baby-sitting weapons in the gun cage.

Not for long, though. Enter Dan "Hondo" Harrelson, the old S.W.A.T. pro, played by Jackson, who has been recycling his cool-cat routine way too much lately in crap like Basic, Formula 51 and XXX. Just say no, Sam. Hondo is putting together the baaadest S.W.A.T. unit yet. He picks Street, mostly because the choice irritates the lame-ass captain (Larry Poindexter). White-breadish Boxer (Brian Van Holt) and McCabe (Josh Charles) are already on board. For ethnic seasoning, Hondo adds black dude Deke (LL Cool J) and Latina chick Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez), a single mom with mucho 'tude'. Rodriguez has a sneer that can wilt steel. Too bad she didn't use it on the script, by David Ayer (Training Day) and David McKenna (American History X), who are both off their game. The feeble plot involves the S.W.A.T. unit's efforts to get French baddie Alex Montel (Olivier Martinez) from one jail to another despite his offer on television (there's that word again) to give "100 meeel-yon dollars" to anyone who can bust him out.

That's when the nuts emerge and the S.W.A.T.-ers run amok in helmets and Kevlar vests looking interchangeably busy as they deal with explosions, car chases, a pretty cool landing of a Lear jet on a bridge and a Judas in their midst (watch out for the one with champagne tastes).

It's all grinding formula, except for the stuff that shows the team members at play, hanging loose like they've had makeovers by the Fab Five from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. There's nothing fab about S.W.A.T. The whole thing evaporates while you're watching it.

- Rollingstone.com

Trailers:

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mymovies.net

Video Clips: Courtesy of Sony Pictures S.W.A.T. Featurette
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Movie Clip 1: S.W.A.T. School"
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Movie Clip 2: "You're Chris Sanchez?"
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Movie Clip 3: "I want you on my team"
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Movie Clip 4: "Dad's restaurant"
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Movie Clip 5: "100 Million dollars"
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Colin Farrell Interview
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Samuel L. Jackson Interview
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LL Cool J Interview
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Olivier Martinez Interview
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Michelle Rodriguez Interview
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DVD info:

• Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in other countries. Read more about DVD formats.) PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.

• Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby

• Rated: [PG-13]

• Studio: Columbia Tri-Star

• DVD Release Date: December 30, 2003

• DVD Features:

  • Commentary by director and cast

  • Commentary by screenwriters and technical consultant

  • Deleted scenes

  • Four featurettes: 6th Street Bridge, Anatomy of a Shootout, S.W.A.T.: TV's Original Super Cops, The Making of S.W.A.T.

  • "Experience the Sound & Fury of S.W.A.T."

  • Gag reel

  • Widescreen anamorphic format