RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T.

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

S.W.A.T. (2003)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
48 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:160

Fresh:76

Rotten:84

Average Rating:5.4/10

Consensus: A competent, but routine police thriller.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for violence, language and sexual references

Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:Aug 8, 2003 Wide

Box Office: $116,643,346

Synopsis: They’re the best of the best, the elite of law enforcement. And they’ve been recruited for their most dangerous mission ever. Inspired by the popular ‘70s television series, the... They’re the best of the best, the elite of law enforcement. And they’ve been recruited for their most dangerous mission ever. Inspired by the popular ‘70s television series, the explosive action-thriller S.W.A.T. stars Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell, is produced by Neal H. Moritz, directed by Clark Johnson and features an ensemble cast that includes Michelle Rodriguez, James Todd Smith (aka LL Cool J), Brian Van Holt, Jeremy Renner, Josh Charles and Olivier Martinez. Farrell portrays Jim Street, a former S.W.A.T. team member, who along with his partner Brian Gamble (Renner), is thrown off the team in the aftermath of a controversial decision they made during a robbery/hostage standoff. Gamble quits the force in disgust, but for Street, being a policeman is his life and he agrees to a demotion, hoping to someday have the chance to redeem himself and once again wear the privileged S.W.A.T. uniform. Street gets that chance when team commander Dan “Hondo” Harrelson (Jackson) is assigned to recruit and train five top-notch cops for a new Special Weapons and Tactics unit (S.W.A.T.). The other members of the new team Hondo recruits are Deacon “Deke” Kaye (James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J), Chris Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez), Michael Boxer (Brian Van Holt) and T.J. McCabe (Josh Charles). After weeks of demanding physical training, the new S.W.A.T. team is quickly thrown into action when a notorious drug lord Alex Montel (Olivier Martinez), audaciously offers a $100 million bounty to anyone who can free him from police custody. As they escort the kingpin out of Los Angeles and into the hands of the Feds, they are pursued by a ruthless and well-armed band of mercenaries. Columbia Pictures Presents An Original Film/Camelot Pictures/Chris Lee Production S.W.A.T. starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, James Todd Smith (aka LL Cool J), Brian Van Holt, Josh Charles and Olivier Martinez. 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. [More]

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Olivier Martinez, Michelle Rodriguez

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Olivier Martinez, Michelle Rodriguez, Josh Charles, LL Cool J, Brian Van Holt, Ken Rudúlph, Jeremy Renner

Director: Clark Johnson

Director: Clark Johnson
Screenwriter: David Ayer, David McKenna, Ron Mita, Jim McClain
Story: Ron Mita, Jim McClain
Producer: Neal H. Moritz, Dan Halstead
Composer: Elliot Goldenthal
Studio: Columbia Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 5

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Sep 19, 2006

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for S.W.A.T.

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
N/R

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 29 2009 03:15 AM

Cinema Crazed

N/R

Urban Cinefile Critics

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 18 2008 03:47 AM

Urban Cinefile

splat
2/5

Mark Halverson

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 07 2008 03:16 AM

Sacramento News & Review

tomato

J. R. Jones

As summer shoot-'em-ups go, this is pretty well executed, with plenty of macho posing and gunfire.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 20 2008 05:06 PM

Chicago Reader

splat

Philip French

A lively, mindless police thriller.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 20 2008 05:05 PM

Observer [UK]

splat
2/4

Joe Lozito

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 27 2007 03:15 AM

Big Picture Big Sound

tomato
3/5

Alan Morrison

Solidly entertaining without being spectacular.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 01 2006 03:38 AM

Empire Magazine

splat

Jessica Winter

he high definition SWAT training footage resembles a US Army recruitment ad, appropriate since TV journeyman Johnson imagines downtown LA as an unpatrolled Baghdad, swarming with guntotin' mercenaries pursuing their share of the bounty.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:16 AM

Time Out

tomato
4/5

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 06 2005 07:45 PM

Film Threat

splat
C-

Bill Clark

Watching the wheels come off of S.W.A.T. is quite a sight.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 26 2005 06:14 PM

FromTheBalcony

splat
D

Nick Schager

Is there an actual character in S.W.A.T.? A plot? A single intelligent or exciting sequence?

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 04 2005 09:29 PM

Lessons of Darkness

tomato
B-

Philip Martin

...a case of a modest workmanlike film exceeding diminished expectations

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 29 2005 07:29 AM

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

tomato
6/10

Tony Medley

This is an enjoyable entertainment, but I can’t really call it any more than average.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 07 2004 07:30 PM

tonymedley.com

tomato

Peter Rainer

There is something sneakily gratifying about all this.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 07 2004 09:16 AM

New York Magazine

tomato
4.5/5

Jake Euker

I think intentions matter. On its own terms, this vaguely retro S.W.A.T. is honest filmmaking and bang-up entertainment to boot.

comment Comment | Jul., 02 2004 02:36 PM

F5 (Wichita, KS)

splat
2.5/5

Brian Mckay

I didn't pay nine bucks for this in the theater. I know which movies are worth paying for, and which barely merit an absent-minded dumping to the bottom of my NetFlix queue.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 21 2004 02:38 PM

eFilmCritic.com

splat
2/5

Peter Bradshaw

Reasonably entertaining for the first half-hour, after which your eyelids will be heavy.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 15 2004 05:13 PM

Guardian [UK]

tomato
3/4

Greg Maki

... S.W.A.T. is an action movie for those of us who want to see more than shiny cars and musclebound meathead heroes of the Vin Diesel variety.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 05 2004 09:02 PM

Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

tomato
3/5

Daniel M. Kimmel

S.W.A.T. may well be the set up for a movie franchise. Let’s hope the producers understand why this one works.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 02 2004 03:03 AM

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

splat

Paul Arendt

'Meat and potatoes action cinema.'

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 08 2003 04:32 AM

Teletext

 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
all

Latest News for S.W.A.T.

August 24, 2006: "28 Weeks Later:" Sequel Signs a Leading Man
You might not know the name, but odds are you'd recognize the face... Fox has signed actor Jeremy Renner to star as a heroic soldier in their "28 Days Later" sequel --... More...

July 27, 2006: Box Office Preview: Miami Vice Turns Up B.O. Heat
With cops, drug dealers, and lots of bullets flying, the action film Miami Vice hits theaters across North America this weekend with its aim squarely on the number one spot.... More...

July 05, 2006: Trailer Bulletin: Harsh Times
I saw "Harsh Times" almost a year ago, and I remember thinking "Wow, Christian Bale is a force of freakin' nature in this flick." I also expected that the... More...

February 21, 2006: Trailer Bulletin: The Sentinel
Kiefer Sutherland and Michael Douglas play Secret Service agents on opposite ends of the law in "The Sentinel," the latest flick from "S.W.A.T." director... More...

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
66% 66% Public Enemies
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
75% 75% Julie & Julia
32% 32% Terminator Salvation

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
88% 88% Inglourious Basterds
78% 78% The Hangover
49% 49% Taking Woodstock
26% 26% The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
47% 47% The Girl From Monaco

More New Releases…

RT On Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196

What’s Hot On RT

James Cameron

James Cameron

We look at the Avatar director's career

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Check out the brand new trailer now!

SAG Awards

SAG Awards

Find out who got nominated!

Nominee Gallery

Nominee Gallery

See who got nominated for Golden Globes!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
94
  • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
1
  • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
19
  • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
30
  • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
28
  • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • Prince of Persia Featurette Posted Source: Yahoo! Movies
4
  • Trailer Bulletin: Robin Hood Source: ComingSoon.net
61
  • Mel Gibson Plans a Mexican Vacation Source: Variety
8
  • New Iron Man 2 Clue Posted Source: Screen Rant
26
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Awards Tour 2009: Golden Globe Noms Here!
144
  • Total Recall: James Cameron Movies
76
  • Critics Consensus: Avatar Is Certified Fresh
71
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Girlpower Rules Again with Princess at #1
70
  • Awards Tour 2009: Inglourious Basterds Lead Critics Choice Noms
44
  • Awards Tour 2009: Avatar Best Picture at NYFCO!
38
  • Weekly Ketchup: James Cameron Plans a Fantastic Voyage
34
  • Awards Tour 2009: SAG Nominations Are In!
34
  • The Effects of Where the Wild Things Are
32
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Tron Legacy, and more!
20
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
24
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • S.W.A.T. at Rotten Tomatoes
  • S.W.A.T. at IGN
  • S.W.A.T. at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
MSN's Year in Review
MSN's Year in Review External Link

Take a look at MSN's choices for the Top 10 films of 2009.

40 Best Films of the 2000s
40 Best Films of the 2000s External Link

Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!

Tarantino's Characters
Tarantino's Characters External Link

Hollywood.com explores why QT's characters resonate so well with audiences.

Top 10 Movies of 2009
Top 10 Movies of 2009 External Link

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Top 20 of the Decade
Top 20 of the Decade External Link

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.