neumu [ cinematronic ]




	S.W.A.T.
	Clark Johnson Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Olivier Martinez, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Josh Charles, Brian Van Holt, Jeremy Renner 2003		Just what we needed: Another overwrought summer blockbuster "inspired" by a defunct, hackneyed TV series. This time, it's the 1970s cop show "S.W.A.T." Hoping for a franchise, the producers of the "S.W.A.T." film poured on the star juice, signing Samuel L. Jackson ("Shaft") and Colin Farrell ("Phone Booth") to play members of the Los Angeles Special Weapons and Tactics unit. It's not unwatchable, sporadically embracing the thrill-ride credo that makes for optimum vacation viewing. But the early character-building moments are a hard slog, and the action sequences come off as gratuitous, not plot-advancing. "S.W.A.T." were they thinking? Demoted officer Jim Street (Farrell) gets a chance to revive his career when S.W.A.T. commander Hondo (Jackson) recruits him and a few other personality-traits-with-names (Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Josh Charles). For their first assignment, the S.W.A.T.-ters must transfer a psycho drug lord (Euro-heartthrob Olivier Martinez) from police custody to the feds. The villain promises $100 million to anyone who can free him from captivity. Every armed wacko eager for the payoff gets on it. Guns blaze. Cars crash. TV show theme chugs away. Audience nods off.