S.W.A.T.

When even dynamic, charismatic Samuel L. Jackson seems bored, you know your action movie is a lifeless failure. The first hour of this assemble-the-team super-cop movie is long on testosterone clichés and short on everything else. In fact, there isn't even a plot initially--just shaky, pseudo-gritty Cops-style footage; training montages set to grinding, angry-white-boy rap soundtracks (providing, incidentally, zero insight into what S.W.A.T. teams really do); and tons of laughably conspicuous soft drink and fast-food product placement. Jackson and his team (including rebellious Colin Farrell, suave LL Cool J, and tough Michelle Rodriguez) sleepwalk through this cardboard cutout of a movie barking bad dialogue until a sexy French crime lord (Olivier Martinez, Unfaithful) is arrested during a routine traffic stop and offers $100 million to anyone who busts him out of prison. When the real action finally begins as the bad guy is transported to the pen, the team's ineptitude almost ends up giving a bad name to S.W.A.T. programs. Not recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentaries (one by director Clark Johnson, and costars Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J, Brian Van Holt, Josh Charles, Jeremy Renner, and Michelle Rodriguez; the other by writers Ron Mita, Jim McClain, David Ayer, and David McKenna), a 21-minute “making of” featurette, the nine-minute featurette “Anatomy of a Shootout,” the seven-minute featurette “S.W.A.T.: TV's Original Super Cops,” the five-minute featurette “6th Street Bridge--Achieving the Improbable” on the bridge scene, eight deleted scenes, “The Sounds of S.W.A.T.” with weapon demo segments and shootout scene breakdowns (for angle function use), a three-minute gag reel, cast filmographies, and trailers. Bottom line: a handsome extras package for a disappointing film.] (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Review--November 16, 2004--Columbia TriStar, 117 min., PG-13, $26.95--Making its second appearance on DVD, 2003's S.W.A.T.: Superbit boasts a slightly improved visual image and sharper audio (thanks to the Superbit process's higher bit rate for recording). Bottom line: if you already own the original extras-filled "special edition," you won't need this--especially as the film itself is disappointing.]