> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# S.W.A.T. makes a better movie than TV series
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/s-w-a-t-makes-a-better-movie-than-tv-series/
- Published: 2003-08-08T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:41:53.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By REVIEW BY DAN DUNN Special to the Daily Press*

“S.W.A.T.” the short-lived 70s TV series about an elite Los Angeles law enforcement unit wasn’t very good. In all honesty, it stunk. The only memorable thing about it was the theme song, the sheer mention of which has probably induced many of you to break into a rhythmic hum. But this is one of the rare times we can appreciate Hollywood’s affinity for offal because without “S.W.A.T” the malodorous series, there’d be no “S.W.A.T” the highly entertaining movie. With a compelling story, strong characters and a number of gritty action sequences, “S.W.A.T” is proof positive that you can indeed polish a turd.

Colin Farrell plays Jim Street, a top-notch S.W.A.T. member who winds up in deep trouble after his mercurial partner Brian Gamble (Jeremy Renner) injures a civilian during a hostage situation. Gamble quits the force rather than accept a demotion from the calculating Captain Fuller (Larry Poindexter) but Street — with his eye on making it back to S.W.A.T — takes a dreary job working the gun cage. Six months later, legendary sergeant “Hondo” Harrelson (portrayed with aplomb by Samuel L. Jackson) enlists Street to join his new team of S.W.A.T. studs. It’s a nice bit of one-upman-ship for Hondo — who is being set up to fail by his old nemesis Fuller — and a chance for Street, who Farrell instills with the unruffled nobility of Steve McQueen in “Bullitt,” to redeem himself. (My guess is Street was also chosen because he’s played by a hot young Irish actor who will put female butts in theater seats for what is an otherwise unabashedly testosterone-fueled film.) Hondo’s unit also includes Deke (LL Cool J, who will knock you out with his dynamic performance), Boxer (Brian Van Holt), Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez of “Girlfight,” who sure isn’t just the token eye candy here) and T.J. (Josh Charles). After the requisite training/bonding sequences, the real action begins when the team is assigned to transport drug kingpin Alex Montel (Olivier Martinez) to a federal prison. Problem is, Montel’s offered a $1 million prize to anyone who can free him from police custody, leading all sorts of bad elements, including Street’s ex partner, to come gunning for our heroes. Now, if this premise sounds implausible, well, it is. But with several nifty plot twists and clever slight-of-hand, director Clark Johnson and his team make it pretty darn easy to suspend your disbelief enough to really enjoy this cool cop caper and the excellent performances that drive it. (Rated PG-13 for violence, language and sexual references.)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/080803-12_01.jpg)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 8, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/080803.pdf?ref=smdp.com)