S.W.A.T.: FIREFIGHT is a typically cheap B-movie thriller that follows a bunch of bland, handsome but soulless goons around as their SWAT team goes up against a psychopath bent on revenge. The only fun moment comes early on as Kristanna Loken shows up playing the girlfriend of the unhinged Robert Patrick, the only actor in this to give anything approaching a convincing performance. The rest is a mish-mash of cheaply-staged action sequences and dire dialog. The main actor is as wooden as they come and the whole story has a clichéd, seen-it-all-before feel.

I am very surprised by the low ratings for this film. I watched it not expecting great things, especially considering the low ratings and the fact that its a straight to video bandwagon film. However I was impressed. 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. The script was particularly impressive, instead of the usual 'gung-ho' or unrealistic machismo's there is a lot of normal, down to earth banter that goes on between the team that is very true to life. the realism of the action and more importantly the justification and technical stuff is also well written. I would suggest they don't have a top class professional adviser but they got by. things to consider, there are some (albeit only some) relatively well known actors, some impressive hard wear and sets, including some big explosions. all done on a budget of $8 million. overall, although not on par with the 2003 original, it certainly stands up on its own as easy to watch action movie. I would be interested to see what this film would have been with double or triple the budget.

This movie is a 5 out of 10 at best. 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. Maybe that was the problem, they tried too hard. You know... scenes with the gearing up and the cameras mounted on the guns and the battering ram... And of course every cliché you can think of is present, like the bomb defused when only 1 second remains on the timer. And let's not forget the errors. For example shooting a guy in the hand with a water grenade when he holds a gun, I mean come on, that's just stupid. Or just to mention another one, the main character first sees the wounded cop then investigates the house and finally he calls the ambulance. Come on! I know he loves his girlfriend (he just met) but in the meantime the other cop is dying! Stupid, stupid, stupid.I'm not saying you shouldn't watch the movie but don't expect too much. If you want to see something really good, watch "Flashpoint" instead. Now that is a cool movie. Not because they shoot every bad guy in "Flashpoint" but because they save lives. Not just the hostages' lives, everyone's. And you'll be glad when they won't fire their gun.

No, it's nowhere as good. The acting is two steps below no matter how one considers it. Robert Patrick, you should have stayed away from this project, as your acting requires better direction. As for the directors, the screen direction is actually what carries this movie! Very good! It's the personal interplay that tubes it, originating at the shoddy interplay between characters at the original script level.What I did enjoy about the movie, at least for the first half of the movie is that is seemed on the legit. Everything rang true. Then, things just sort of dissolved into a messy ending.This is a clear case of why multiple agencies should be involved in various stages of the screenplay as it develops, while there must always be someone with their finger on the button coordination all efforts from all sides so that By the way, I am so sick of "1-sec until she blows!" endings it's not even funny. Hollywood writers, STOP IT. Pop a boil on you backside and grow a brain. That's not the way to do it.Back to the picture, the lead character simply didn't have anywhere near the moxie to pull it. I don't have the face, but neither does Machete' star, either. He get's it, perhaps because of his prison background. So do I, perhaps because of my military background. This guy? He's a sty-faced stand-in trying to act tough in many situations in which so many Americans have not only been in, but in which they've already proved their worth.If you'd like to talk about capturing military experience, talk to the military. Or at least those of us who've been there, done that.