S.W.A.T.: Firefight

Plot synopsis:
Sgt. Paul Cutler (Gabriel Macht) is an ex-military L.A.P.D. S.W.A.T. officer and considered to be one of the best, even holding a record of having no civilian casualties for ten years. After successfully rescuing hostages with no casualties, Cutler is requested to train the Detroit S.W.A.T. with an updated training curriculum from the F.B.I.'s Hostage Rescue Team training program. Shortly after arriving in Detroit, Cutler immediately imposes his authority and has a rough time with the Captain (Giancarlo Esposito) of the department as well as one of the senior S.W.A.T. leaders Justin Kellogg (Nicholas Gonzalez). During the middle of a training exercise, the team responds to an emergency call when ex-government agent Walter Hatch (Robert Patrick) is holding his girlfriend (Kristanna Loken) hostage.
The girl is rescued but takes Officer Kellogg's handgun and asks Cutler to move so she can shoot Hatch. When Cutler tries to calm her down, she puts the gun to her head and commits suicide. Cutler's 10-year record with no hostages lost is broken and it takes its toll on him. The rift between Cutler and Kellogg escalates at a local bar, where Cutler makes a bet for Kellogg to beat him in a higher score with an arcade machine in exchange for Cutler leaving the city. Kellogg loses the bet, and is instead reassigned to "Charlie Company". Due to low manpower, Cutler enlists military squadmate Lori Barton (Shannon Kane) to assist his training. As the training goes on, Hatch steals a binder which contains details of tactics and information on the members. Meanwhile, Cutler starts a passionate relationship with Kim Byers (Carly Pope), the Detroit PD's Psychiatrist. The phone calls from Hatch now increase and he kidnaps Kim after planting a bomb under Cutler's car and shooting a member of the S.W.A.T. team. The Captain orders Cutler to return to Los Angeles, where Hatch wouldn't be able to target him.
The S.W.A.T. team is then called to a derelict warehouse where things do not appear to be right as no officers are on the scene. In the van, communication from the station shows that the call was a hoax. One S.W.A.T. officer is killed by a bomb while Barton and Watters are kidnapped. Aware of the full situation, Kellogg gives Cutler access to the armory and a squad car to save the hostages at one of the training grounds. Cutler briefly rescues Watters, but Watters perishes due to gunshot wounds to the chest from one of Hatch's henchmen. Cutler manages to save Barton and pursues Hatch. Cutler engages Hatch in a hand-to-hand fight while Kim tries to cut free from a bomb vest. She manages to escape it after Lori breaks the chain holding her with a shot from her sniper rifle, and throws it towards Hatch just as Cutler kicks him back into the wall. Cutler fires a shot, hitting the vest and detonating it, killing Hatch. Support arrives, with Cutler graduating the surviving members. Cutler asks Kim if she wants to go back to Los Angeles with him.

Tags: revenge, murder, violence

Review:
SWAT is more like a glorified TV movie than a big budget Bruce Willis movie blockbuster.Its worth watching if you like your cop/hostage movies.
I'm a big fan of Robert Patrick, hold respect for Gabriel Macht and it was nice to see Kristana Loken even in a minor role, which she played in style.
If you evaluate the actors' performance based on the first SWAT movie with Collin Farrel and Samuel Jackson, you might be a little disappointed, but if you watch it as a stand-alone, you might like it.
The flip-side of this coin maybe some of you won't describe as something bad, but I personally am getting a little tired of a trend in recent action movies - sloppy endings.
Some may say "this is an action movie, just watch the action and don't think too much for the ending!" But I like endings that make me smile and think to myself "yes, that was good!".
I fully agree with some other reviews that point out that maybe due to time restrictions the movie was cut short, but unfortunately the part that suffers the most is the ending.
There are a few scenes throughout the movie that are just seen so many times and maybe if they were cut in order to add up a few minutes to the ending, the movie would have been better.
I like it very much when the good and the bad guy talk to each other, before the final showdown.
And something else - I really feel Robert Patrick's character (he is the bad guy) was presented too shallow.
He has too little screen time to convince the audience he really is the bad guy, which is a big flaw of the script in my opinion.
Patrick is a very, very, very underrated actor, especially when he plays bad guys and this movie does't utilize his talent whatsoever.
Don't get me wrong, this movie is worth a watch, if you like that genre (police, SWAT team action movies, hostages, tactics), you will enjoy it.
6/10 - because good acting is never enough to save a poor story or a poor movie as a whole..
It's the confirmation of what we already knew, five minutes after the movie started, this is a bad written script and a bad story-line.
Please put the 90 minutes that you would spend watching this movie to better use, because if you don't, you will regret wasting so much precious time!
I watched the trailer and thought this would be a good film, but it was so awful, I spent the last 30 minutes wanting the film to end so I could write this review and save people the time!
The main problems for me are awful acting, think cheese and rambo and you might have an idea, none of the actors gelled together to make it even feel like it was a good script, the baddies actually don't do anything during the movie to make you feel like its life or death, the storyline just has not been properly thought out and it shows.I don't know if this movie is going straight to DVD, but I would recommend it does and gets lost, because if I paid to see this I would be demanding my money back!!.
I've watched this movie and seen the other reviews, first lets me tell you a little about this movie.
Without giving too much away I'll say that there's a bad guy who doesn't take too kindly to the hostage dying, and makes this team leader his primary target, and everything pretty much goes from there.Now for the review, the movie in itself is not bad, the acting is pretty good, here's the reason why its getting such bad reviews.
Up to where the movie escalates into running out of time, its very good, but as soon as it gets to the point of where the main character is racing the clock, its missing..
The bad guys are literally 2 people, they aren't anywhere near as badass or as hardcore as it was portrayed, because it takes about 2 min to neutralize both of them, they make the main bad guy out to be really smart when in fact his "setup" was nothing short of childish, i.e. anyone with half a brain would have thought out a further trap plot then he did, from these things I can only conclude that there is a mass amount of movie missing, if there isn't however then the director knows nothing about how to end a movie and thats where the bad reviews come in.
The story is really badly done , events move way too quickly for the time frame and to be frank , it has all the cheese you would find in a 90's Si-Fi series.I promise you this will go straight to DVD and then straight to being a bad retail mistake!Advoid this shockingly bad film at all costs!.
OK, let me first say that this is my first ever review - I was compelled to write one based on simply how BAD this movie is.
Another reason I felt angry enough to write a review is because I normally like these kind of movies.
Normally all you have to do is include something like SWAT, SAS or Marines in the description of the movie and point me towards it and I will lap it up.
If you want some decent SWAT like viewing entertainment, I recommend Flashpoint (Canadian TV Series) or possibly watching paint dry could also be considered a viable alternative..
Los Angeles SWAT team leader Paul Cutler (Gabriel Macht) is sent to Detroit in order to certify the team there for Homeland Security work.
I am not a big action guy (I am a horror fan), but this film gripped me and never let go.
I watched it not expecting great things, especially considering the low ratings and the fact that its a straight to video bandwagon film.
Yes the acting is not Oscar threatening and there are some cheesy clichés but overall I thought it was a well presented mature film, at the right pace with an above average plot.
overall, although not on par with the 2003 original, it certainly stands up on its own as easy to watch action movie.
So if you like action movies with tons of shootouts, loud bangs and don't mind plot holes or people behaving strangely you'll love this film.
Although the original SWAT may have embellished the realms of reality a little, it was a movie I was still able to watch and enjoy to the most.
No doubt the money is there in the props and gear, but the execution is not beyond what I would expect to see on commercial TV in the middle of the day.I'm not adverse to stretching the realms of reality a bit, I enjoy the old Bond films as well as things like Die Hard 4, but the stretches of the reality in those films are within an expected context and add to the experience more in their own out there and comedic fashion.
In this movie however everything is pitched as though it is supposed to be dead serious, so if you're a person who has even half a clue, or an ounce of respect for that matter, of what these guys do in real life, then this movie will most likely eat at you the entire way through.
You could see this coming as soon as the opening credits rolled and we see a clip being filled with spent ammunition.So unfortunately I think we've just set the public impression and fear of what real SWAT teams are back about 20 years thanks to this movie, and I can now see a great many children being spanked and sent to their room for even suggesting any aspiration of being a SWAT officer when they grow up.Alas movies are not supposed to be documentaries.
So the one main comparison for me that comes to mind between the quality of SWAT: Firefight vs the original SWAT movie is the difference between Behind Enemy Lines with Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman and the later WWE produced sequel Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia.
Feels like it was made by a third rate director, who just graduated one of the better film schools, but who did it all by the book.Film is clear, good shots, and action is easy to follow.
Only character they actually started giving a bit of depth, was the guy who was eating all the time.
Worth watching if you like swat action.
If not, stay away, you will regret it.I'm still going to buy it, but only because I like SWAT movies..
But the movie showed solid script, above average production, simple and clear directing and good, I repeat, good acting of Gabriel Macht and other characters.
I just watched two absolute shocker movies (Hunt to Kill and Wall Street 2), which looked like they'd been made with a handy cam (similar to Blair Witch Project).
Let me assure you, the directing and producing of SWAT 2 is as good as the original SWAT movie.SWAT 2 is not in the class of an AVATAR or TITANIC (which are currently rated around 8.2 on IMDb), but it is easily as well put together as any action movie involving Sylvester Stallone or Jason Statham.
Had this film included Samuel L Jackson or another high-profile character it would have ended up at the box-office.Overall this film is very good and in my opinion a solid 7 / 10.
Robert Patrick is very good at playing the psycho bad guy, although he was a little over the top, I feel if he was not in it the movie wouldn't have been as good.
Don't expect a super great action movie, but if you want a very entertaining and tense movie you won't be disappointed in this one.
No sooner is he there than a botched hostage negotiation sets deranged stalker Walter Hatch (Robert Patrick) up to have a mad-on for him.Truth be told, the first SWAT film didn't do much for me, however that film had a few things going for it that this didn't, first most no one will mistake Gabriel Macht as an action hero anytime soon.
The banter between admittedly fairly well-done action sequences was atrocious and Robert Patrick, whom I usually enjoy watching, was utterly wasted in this drek..
I have been looking for a new hobby and watching this movie convinced me that writing screenplays is well within my abilities.
All I have to do is watch any blockbuster cop movie from the 80's, change the actors and come up with a catch phrase for the leading actor.
A real film about SWAT life would be great, but these action ones are simple guilty entertainment.
It is not one of the better action movies.
S.W.A. T.: Firefight is a movie geared for those who like action movies with details.
It is a good movie to watch with friends.
You know I love movies about SWAT teams, I love guns (although never actually held one) but this movie didn't make me feel the thing; even though they tried.
There's a final confrontation in an abandoned training facility when Walter takes Cutler's girl, the department's shrink, hostage.SWAT Firefight is a good low-budget action thriller.
The action is well-filmed and you do end up caring about the characters.
I wish there had been more focus on the training of the team, that was the original purpose of the movie, but that's completely set aside for the hunt for Walter.
Apart from the backdrop, the only other positive thing to say about this in-name-only sequel is that it makes the disappointing original movie look better..
Decent movie, well worth watching..
So, it was surprising to me to find out that, 8 years later, someone decided to make a straight-to-DVD sequel of that movie, surely with the intention of starting a low-cost franchise, with a famous title and a similar narrative formula to the ones from some modern TV programmes which combine cop action, melodrama and some special effects.
But even more surprising was the fact that I found S.W.A.T.: Firefight very entertaining and much better than the original, mainly thanks to Benny Boom's efficient direction and the competent performances.S.W.A.T.: Firefight might not be completely original, but the screenplay is well structured, and I think I liked it more as a cop drama than as an action film.
Even the occasional romantic scenes are made with subtlety, even if their only function is establishing a "damsel in danger" with the intention of adding suspense to the movie's ending.What takes me to one of the best elements from S.W.A.T.: Firefight: the villain.
I honestly could not swallow this actor in other movies I saw him (The Spirit, Whiteout and Love and Other Drugs), but in S.W.A.T.: Firefight, he brings a genuine and sincere humanity to his character.
As for the direction, I liked the style and the way in which the action scenes were filmed.
In conclusion, S.W.A.T.: Firefight is a very competent action film which ended up being much better than I expected, and which I consider to be worthy of a recommendation..
I'm a real fan of SWAT movies or shows, but this one was not worth the 90 min.
Like he threatens the good guy by shooting a 50 caliber over the phone saying how it "will kill a man through a wall from a mile away and he wouldn't even hear it" yet he never does anything with it...
instead he attacks with his own limbs and a pressure sensitive bomb trigger yet somehow the good guy is able to deal with the situation and eliminate him within a minute.in conclusion, its too macho too corny too cliché and too bad to be worth 90 minutes of your time..
Well this movie starts OK,tries to set base but can't.The script is very weak.....no real story whatsoever.They just wanted to show a maniac with arms going after the good guys....even with these kinds of resources they weren't able to pull this off.It has many flaws as well like: 1-When "Paul" makes "Watters" "the Sniper Man" instead of "Kellogg" the best shooter in the team.......it shows his poor judgement.
4-Well our lead goes to Detroit on mayor's request to certify there "SWAT" team....and at the end of the movie he says "consider them certified"like killing that alleged "maniac" and "watters" getting killed was the certification they needed.All in All it was a "boogusss" movie.....and don't just go there to see "S.W.A.T" in action ....you'll be disappointed..
I saw the first S.W.A.T. movie and I really loved it back then and now when this one came out I said this is going to be a great movie but when I saw the first 15 minutes or so I knew that it is not as good as the old one.
The worst part is as you watch it more you start to hate it more and at the end of the movie you will say: This is so bad , I wish I could get my 90 minutes back!
One last thing , what makes this movie so awful is the huge amount of unrealistic events in it and I am not talking about regular movie stunts like a car jumping a bridge or shooting while driving I am talking about a bomb that blows up while it is thrown out of a room and the two good guys (who are in the same room) do not get a scratch!.
come on...What's the point of the baddie practicing with a rifle that "kills you through a wall a mile away", apart from using 3 minutes of the movie?At the end, they get an unverified call about a guy who threatens to jump from a 4th floor.
Is this really the job of a heavily armed SWAT team to be there first?1/10 is very generous indeed.AVOID this movie, don't waste your time.
This movie was available ON DEMAND, so I thought I'd give it a chance, mostly because it starred Gabriel Macht, an actor I've enjoyed in supporting roles in major films.
The movie starts off well: Sgt. Cutler, an LAPD SWAT leader with a military background (Macht) is sent to Detroit to train-up their SWAT team for some special Federal hostage/rescue certification.
The film takes the time to develop the team members to some degree and includes the requisite tension between the new officer and the locals that leads to one of the more senior Detroit SWAT members, Kellogg, being "re-assigned," despite the fact that he's by far the team's best sniper.
We felt the team soul this is the most important part of the movie.This movie was like a weekly TV films.Maybe they can made lots of SWAT movies with same characters.Could be every year.Then it could be some kind of classic movie.7/10 Thank you !.
I've already added a few in the goofs section, but here are a bunch of things that made me not like the movie:-Detroit PD's SRT (not SWAT, as they are in the movie) is a VERY top notch unit, equal to LAPD SWAT in terms of quality officers, training, and equipment.
That they shoot on the move rather than standing still is NOT what sets them apart from police SWAT teams.-The fact that they called it "Detroit SWAT" rather than "SRT" shows a lack of attention to detail, IMO.
C'mon man!-And of course, my favorite thing (and they do this even in the good cop movies) the fact that police officers gun down the bad guys, and that's that.
It was so full of cliché's like the main guy goes to sort out a raggedy bunch of Swat from Detroit, where he bumps into the glamorous Police shrink and has a romance with her.