In this explosive blockbuster inspired by the ’70s television series, Farrell portrays Jim Street, an l.a.p.d. officer whose recent demotion to a desk job leaves him desperate for a second chance to don the elite s.w.a.t. uniform. That break comes when team commander Hondo (Jackson) is assigned to recruit and train five top-notch officers for a new s.w.a.t. unit. The new team is quickly thrown into action when a notorious drug lord offers a $100 million reward to anyone who can free him from police custody.
For producer Neal H. Mortiz, the $100 million bounty becomes a driving force in the film and broadens the scope of the action. "When I read about the reward in the script, my mind started racing, trying to imagine the effect that could have on a city, what havoc it could cause and how, from that, heroes would emerge to thwart those who were motivated by the drug lord’s offer."
Part of the continuing allure of police action films is the chance to get under the skin of a criminal, to glimpse into an alien world. They allow the audience an intimate look at the seamy side of society without becoming implicated in it. "Most of us are fascinated by how a crime scene is investigated, how the police figure out who the bad guy is, what his motives are and the tactics the police use to capture him," says lead star Jackson. "It’s a safe way for the audience to glimpse into this dark world and come away with an understanding of how it operates."
There is also the vicarious thrill of identifying with the hero’s bravery and skill, according to co-star James Todd Smith a.k.a LL Cool J. "We are entertained by characters who do things that require more courage and grit than the average person. We enjoy our heroes."
An undeniable attraction to police thrillers, according to S.W.A.T. director Clark Johnson, is the action. "There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline pump you get from a great car chase, a spectacular explosion, or a death-dfying feat," he says. "That’s really what it’s all about. But in order for it to have true impact, you have to be invested in the characters as well."
Moritz is no stranger to breathlessly exciting action films with XXX and The Fast and the Furious among his most prominent credits. For S.W.A.T. he turned to director Clark Johnson, a veteran of the police action genre on television. For several years, Johnson was an actor, and eventually a director, on the acclaimed series Homicide: Life on the Streets. He then went on to direct episodes of n.y.p.d. Blue and Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit.
Johnson came to the project well versed in the realities and challenges of police drama. His award-winning work as a director of critically acclaimed police series, along with his earlier background in special effects, provided him with the technical and logistical ability to effectively handle the film’s demanding schedule.
He could also boast of having played "so many cops in my career as an actor, that I know more about cop work than some real cops do," Johnson laughs. That hands-on experience proved to be invaluable in shaping the scenario for S.W.A.T. "As we were working on the script," says Johnson, "I would ask questions as if I was an audience member–such as ‘how would a s.w.a.t. team board a plane with hostages on board?’ We did research and it led to one of my favorite scenes in the movie, a training exercise aboard an old plane in the Mojave Desert. We show, step by step, how they go in there and defuse the situation without harming innocent bystanders. It was a great deal of fun showing the audience how the team functions."
Another question Johnson asked was "if you can get inside a house safely, how do you catch the perpetrator?" The answer was simple. You use a "molly," which Johnson describes as "a device that looks like a giant fish hook and once it penetrates the wall, yanks it out from the inside."
"If you’re going to make an action movie about s.w.a.t. you should come away knowing more about what these guys do," he continues. "And it should be plausible. Even in the finale, where we land a Lear Jet on a bridge, we checked with the faa and the Lear Jet company and came up with the specs. It’s actually possible."
S.W.A.T. opens on Sept. 3 in theaters nationwide.