S.W.A.T.
When a situation needs more than simple handguns, call in those people with special weapons and tactics. Quelling a bank robbery went reasonably well with the exception of a hostage getting injured. That alone gets Jim Street (Colin Farrell) demoted to the gun cage while partner Brian Gamble (Jeremy Renner) chooses to leave the force. 6 months later, the luster that is the L.A.P.D. is dulling and some fresh blood is needed. Bring in the old guy, Sergeant Hondo (Samuel L. Jackson), to form a new S.W.A.T. team and be the best of the best. As a result, he recruits Street, Chris Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez), David Kay (LL Cool J), and two other S.W.A.T. veterans. The first true situation they must handle is a prisoner transfer (Oliver Martinez) wanted in 12 countries. With his money, he offers $100 million to anyone who can break him out. Predictably, the gangs come out to do the deed but one breaks out of the pack, led by Gamble himself, pitting old friends against each other.

What it lacks in story and, especially in the second half, plausibility, S.W.A.T. exceeds in simplicity. And simplicity in an action movie is a good thing. A flimsy start leads into a great training sequence which seems real and was very interesting. The second half is a series of chase scenes, explosions, and a plane landing, but it doesn't go overboard like this summer's Bad Boys II did. It gives reason for each of those things to happen, even if it is crazy to believe it could actually happen in real-life. A lack of fanciness leads to function and this is a decent thriller. Stick Jackson into any picture and it pretty much excels (well, save for those Star Wars pics). Yes, it could have been a bit smarter by making the priosner exchange go through a few more hoops, and that means not having the Gamble character connected to Street all together. Nevertheless, it's a fun movie to watch, from initial training to the final track. 3 stars