As with all things Hollywood, what you see on the big screen is rarely a honest representation of reality. Some films try to be, some films claim to be, or like 'S.W.A.T' some films just couldn't care less about representation and just get on with blowing shit up. Director Clark Johnson to his credit though does manage to coat the film in a sort of cool calmness, which I suppose intentional or not, might quite accurately mirror the professional behaviour of an elite police unit like a S.W.A.T team. It is this steadiness that really makes the film something to think about watching and by dedicating the first half of the movie solely to character building, when the big bangs do start to happen, they feel all the more satisfying because of it. This kind of film structure is actually not that common within the action genre anymore, so the sense of watching something slightly different does come as a welcomed attribute in the films favour. Though in all honesty some, like myself, may find this un-even balancing of the 'action / character build up' ratio a little off putting. Nevertheless what makes you think makes you watch, and even though I'm for the most part commending the way this picture has been made please don't be mistaken in thinking I'm saying it is anything other than just above average for its genre. Absolutely worth a look for action fans, but for everyone else it's just your main stream slightly above par Hollywood churn out with a few splashes of originality.

3/5