S.W.A.T.
User Score
6.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 49
  3. Negative: 7 out of 49

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  1. Melissa
    Feb 1, 2004
    4
    Yuck. Even taken for what it is, an action movie, no need for plot, the action sequences were haphazard, the special effects poor, and too many action sequences were way too dark to see what was going on. 4th rate, all the way.
  2. hoops2448
    Jan 21, 2012
    4
    Swat doesn't try to be anything more than a fast paced action film so I'm not going to treat it like high art but boy does it disappoint. It's not that it has bad actors. The leads (Colin Farrel and Samuel L Jackson) are good, the villain (Jeremy Renner) is menacing with decent time devoted to his back story and the supporting members of the team (Michelle Rodriguez and LL Cool J) are decent too. It's not about the writing although it is a little hammy at times. It's just that Swat is half a movie.
    Swat would be a pretty good action film if it didn't take so long to get started. The main story doesn't emerge until an hour has passed with the first hour being slow, uninteresting and just plain aggravating. The forming and training of the team could have taken half the time and could have been much more interesting. The unessential addition of Farrel's characters unhappy girlfriend just delays further and infuriates. The last hour itself is pretty decent with some great action and a nice brisk pace. The night-time setting does lead to some lighting issues with the final fight being hard to follow but it still entertains which is more than I can say about the beginning which is just dire. Finally if you're going to have a menacing villain, actually make him menacing. Olivier Martinez's French villain isn't so much bad as he is laughable. Someone who should be fearsome and dark is pompous and annoying and acts like his mummy took his toys away for being bad. It's just plain funny.    … Expand
  3. GinoE.
    Jun 19, 2004
    3
    S.W.A.T. is suppost to be an action movie.. But where is all the action? Especially at the end, where you really wait for something to happen, but it never does. The rest of it are just senseless scenes that have nothing to to with anything. This is what all of the action films are these days, but at least there is some firework in them. Not in this one though... And the French villain is awful... I truly hope they don't come up with a sequel.… Expand
  4. AnsonG.
    Jul 27, 2006
    2
    Very poor movie. It was too long to start the real action at the end. The previous chapter was nothing, absolute awful. I was bored of the major action scenes. i would rather take a nap for an hours and watch other action. S.W.A.T is rental.
  5. cameronmorewood
    Nov 12, 2012
    2
    S.W.A.T. is the worst Michael Bay film with which Michael Bay had absolutely nothing to do with.
  6. XCel
    Aug 15, 2003
    1
    Worst movie of the year... and I saw Gigli and View From the Top. Goes beyond bad to blatantly offensive, chock full of race-baiting, awful stereotypes, and the moronic gung-ho machismo that keeps Bush in office.It speaks volumes that the User Review average is over 8. I'm leaving the country ASAP.
  7. DinuF.
    Sep 21, 2003
    1
    The first minutes say all about the "proffesional" SWAT. the plot drives snipers to shoot while hostages are still in danger. no operation at same time (too hard for them to set up it seems.) would be a desaster in real life. the movie is a slap to everything more intelligent than a rock.
  8. Allen
    Aug 24, 2003
    0
    WORST MOVIE EVER!!!!! OMG this movie was aweful. I hated it. The charactors made no sence and there was way too much action, i mean it was non stop!! Take a break once in a while from all the shooting, it gave me a head ache. No wonder the old TV show was taken off the air. And another thing, at one part in the movie they start to sing their own theme song. What the hell was that about??? How would they know their own theme song for gods sake?? DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!! … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
45 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 35
  3. Negative: 9 out of 35
  1. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Stephen Hunter
    70
    While the movie is stupid, it is -- hooray, and let's put this in all the national ads! -- not appallingly stupid.
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  2. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Michael Atkinson
    10
    A prototypical new-millennium summer movie, S.W.A.T. is no more than an extended trailer for itself.
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  3. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    70
    Offers up the kind of pleasures that only a summer movie can...The cast is good-looking, the soundtrack is loud, the plot is stupid.
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