History YMMV / SWAT

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!!The 2003 film

* FridgeBrilliance: How cool is it that [[Music/LLCoolJ a rapper]] lands a role in a film, based on a TV show, whose very theme he happened to use in a rap song ("I'm Bad") 16 years earlier?
* HilariousInHindsight:
** Creator/JeremyRenner going rogue against Creator/SamuelLJackson's organization [[Film/TheAvengers2012 before it was cool!]]
** Ten years later, Creator/MichelleRodriguez engages in [[Film/TheFastAndTheFurious another car chase]] to prevent the BigBad's plane from taking off with his hostages.
** Deacon Kay relays what he would do if he had huge amounts of money that Alex Montel offers: he would hire Creator/HalleBerry as his personal trainer. This is within earshot of Montel. In real life, Olivier Martinez, who plays Montel, would marry Halle Berry in 2013.
** The "Polish hostage" played by David St. James is apparently paranoid of robot aliens (as he says "It's the damn robot aliens!" when Street uses his "Key to the City" weapon to breach the house). St. James would have a bit part as a NASA scientist in ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'', which is about a robot alien invasion.
** Creator/ColinFarrell and Creator/JeremyRenner--who play bitter enemies in this film--went on to play Bulls'''eye''' in ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' and Hawk'''eye''' in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', two Creator/MarvelComics characters known for their marksmanship skills. Amusingly, Bullseye actually [[LegacyCharacter became]] Hawkeye in Marvel's ''ComicBook/DarkReign'' storyline.
*** For extra points, Farrell's character in this movie is a hero while Renner is one of the villains. This is the inverse for the Marvel characters they are known for playing.
* NightmareFuel: The opening shootout can induce chills if you're listening to the police radio traffic that goes on between dispatchers and the cops engaging the bank robbers before the SWAT team shows up. The actual police chatter from the real Hollywood shootout, and paraphrased in the film, is, "We can't stop'em. They have automatic weapons, there's nothing we have that can stop them."
* RetroactiveRecognition:
** Creator/JeremyRenner was a relatively obscure character actor when he was cast as Gamble in this movie. He wouldn't achieve widespread recognition until ''Film/TheHurtLocker'' started generating Oscar buzz five years later. Then, of course, there was his appearance as [[ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} Clint Barton]] in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'',[[note]]He actually debuted in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' but more people saw ''Avengers''.[[/note]] which [[StarMakingRole finally propelled him to superstardom]] a big ''nine'' years after this movie came out.
** The lady who gives the officers a hard time for arresting a black guy is Creator/OctaviaSpencer, who went on to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress playing Minny Jackson in ''Film/TheHelp''.
* SignatureScene:
** The opening hostage standoff and its aftermath are pretty well-known for how it has both fast-paced action and deconstructs an archetypal CowboyCop moment with a series of {{Surprisingly Realistic Outcome}}s.
** The scene of a bunch of gang-bangers attack a police convoy to try and spring the captive Montel is familiar even to some people who haven't seen the whole movie due to how strategic and well-armed the gangbangers are and how it is a memorable part of the trailer.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The trailers made it look like SWAT would have to fight off hordes of criminal gangs after Martinez's hundred million dollar offer to free him. There's exactly one attack by one gang, before [[spoiler: SWAT is betrayed by one of their own for the money.]]
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The film came out near the end of the summer of 2003, right at the height of the Bush era -- and it ''shows'':
** Tellingly, the villain is a thoroughly despicable French criminal who's repeatedly subjected to [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkey anti-French epithets]] stemming from back when the French were still AcceptableTargets because they opposed the invasion of Iraq.
** The Latina TokenGirl on the S.W.A.T. team is mockingly called "[[Music/JenniferLopez J. Lo]]" once by Gamble. Back then, Jennifer Lopez was still a household name before ''Film/{{Gigli}}'' put her career on the decline.
** But far more telling is the portrayal of the [[CowboyCop rough-and-tumble methods]] used by the S.W.A.T. team. Music/LLCoolJ's character bashes a civilian for her "liberal" views after she dares to criticize him for roughing up an African-American perp in South Central (though it's worth noting that four out of the five characters in the scene, Street excepted, are black), and there's an extended scene where the two main characters mock a S.W.A.T. candidate because he's never had a civilian complaint against him, and [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass prides himself on handling every past situation nonviolently]]. Considering the large-scale controversy and protests against PoliceBrutality and the militarization of police in TheNewTens, which made police reform a hot-button issue, these scenes couldn't possibly pass a test audience a decade later.
* ValuesDissonance: Jim Street is shunned by fellow SWAT officers, and questioned by Hondo, over the suspicion that he stayed on the force when his partner Gamble didn't because Street ratted Gamble out for disobeying orders.[[note]]He didn't: the commanders planned to keep them both in the division but Gamble RageQuit over being kicked off the SWATTeam, and then Street turned down Captain Fuller's offer anyway.[[/note]] Beginning in the 2010s, there's been increased public scrutiny over police misconduct in the United States, and coverups of same by fellow officers (the so-called "blue wall of silence"), [[HarsherInHindsight which can make this concern seem unpleasant]].

* AcceptableTargets: In addition to being a ByTheBookCop, one SWAT candidate who is quickly dropped from consideration is a vegetarian. This is part of what gets him disqualified, with Hondo wondering aloud how he can trust a man [[RealMenEatMeat who won't eat a good ol' American hot dog]].
* AcceptableEthnicTargets: Anti-French epithets are tossed around pretty liberally, concerning the French villain Alex Montel.
* AcceptableReligiousTargets: Street's coworker, a recent Mormon convert, is mocked because he frequently drinks caffeinated sodas behind his wife's back, knowing that she'd kill him if she found out.
--> "Gus, you're cheating on your wife... with fast food."

** The Latina TokenGirl on the S.W.A.T. team is called "[[Music/JenniferLopez J. Lo]]" at least once. Back then, Jennifer Lopez was still a household name before ''Film/{{Gigli}}'' put her career on the decline.
** But far more telling is the portrayal of the [[CowboyCop rough-and-tumble methods]] used by the S.W.A.T. team. Music/LLCoolJ's character bashes a civilian for her "liberal" views after she dares to criticize him for roughing up an African-American perp in South Central, and there's an extended scene where the two main characters mock a S.W.A.T. candidate because he's never had a civilian complaint against him, and [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass prides himself on handling every past situation nonviolently]]. Considering the large-scale controversy and protests against PoliceBrutality and the militarization of police in TheNewTens, which made police reform a hot-button issue, these scenes couldn't possibly pass a test audience a decade later.
* ValuesDissonance: Jim Street is shunned by fellow SWAT officers, and questioned by Hondo, over the suspicion that he stayed on the force when his partner Gamble didn't because Street ratted Gamble out for disobeying orders.[[note]]He didn't: the commanders planned to keep them both in the division but Gamble RageQuit over being kicked off the SWATTeam.[[/note]] Beginning in the 2010s, there's been increased public scrutiny over police misconduct in the United States, and coverups of same by fellow officers (the so-called "blue wall of silence"), [[HarsherInHindsight which can make this concern seem unpleasant]].

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The film came out near the end of the summer of 2003, right at the height of the Bush era -- and it ''shows''. Tellingly, the villain is a thoroughly despicable French criminal who's repeatedly subjected to [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkey anti-French epithets]] (back when the French were still AcceptableTargets because they opposed the invasion of Iraq), while the Latina TokenGirl on the S.W.A.T. team is called "[[Music/JenniferLopez J. Lo]]" at least once (back when Jennifer Lopez was still a household name, and before ''Film/{{Gigli}}'' put her career on the decline). But far more telling is the portrayal of the [[CowboyCop rough-and-tumble methods]] used by the S.W.A.T. team. Music/LLCoolJ's character bashes a civilian for her "liberal" views after she dares to criticize him for roughing up an African-American perp in South Central, and there's an extended scene where the two main characters mock a S.W.A.T. candidate because he's never had a civilian complaint against him, and [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass prides himself on handling every past situation nonviolently]]. Considering the large-scale controversy and protests against PoliceBrutality and the militarization of police in TheNewTens, which made police reform a hot-button issue, these scenes couldn't possibly have passed a test audience a decade later.

* AcceptableTargets: In addition to being a ByTheBookCop, one SWAT candidate who is quickly dropped from consideration is a vegetarian. This is part of what gets him disqualified, with Hondo wondering aloud how he can trust a man [[RealMenEatMeat who won't eat a hot dog]].

* AcceptableTargets: In addition to being a ByTheBookCop, one SWAT candidate who is quickly dropped from consideration is a vegetarian. This is part of what gets him disqualified, with Hondo wondering aloud how he can trust a man who won't eat a hot dog.

* ValuesDissonance: Jim Street is shunned by fellow SWAT officers, and questioned by Hondo, over the suspicion that he stayed on the force when his partner Gamble didn't because Street ratted Gamble out for disobeying orders.[[note]]He didn't: the commanders planned to keep them both in the division but Gamble RageQuit over being kicked off the SWATTeam.[[/note]] Beginning in the 2010s, there's been increased public scrutiny over police misconduct in the United States, and coverups of same by fellow officers (the so-called "blue wall of silence"), which can make this concern seem unpleasant.

* AccetableTargets: In addition to being a ByTheBookCop, one SWAT candidate who is quickly dropped from consideration is a vegetarian. This is part of what gets him disqualified, with Hondo wondering aloud how he can trust a man who won't eat a hot dog.

* ValuesDissonance: Jim Street is shunned by fellow SWAT officers, and questioned by Hondo, over the suspicion that he stayed on the force when his partner Gamble didn't because Street ratted Gamble out for disobeying orders.[[note]]He didn't: the commanders planned to keep them both in the division but Gamble RageQuit over being kicked off the SWATTeam.[[/note]] Beginning in the 2010s, there's been increased public scrutiny over police misconduct in the United States, and coverups of same by fellow officers (the so-called "blue wall silence"), which can make this concern seem unpleasant.

** Creator/JeremyRenner was a relatively obscure character actor when he was cast as Gamble in this movie. He wouldn't achieve widespread recognition until ''Film/TheHurtLocker'' started generating Oscar buzz five years later. Then, of course, there was his appearance as [[ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} Clint Barton]] in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', which [[StarMakingRole finally propelled him to superstardom]] a big ''nine'' years after this movie came out.

** The lady who gives the officers a hard time for arresting a black guy is Creator/OctaviaSpencer.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The theme music, possibly the most thrilling musical creation of 1970s TV.

** Ten years later, Creator/MichelleRodriguez engages in [[Franchise/TheFastAndTheFurious another car chase]] to prevent the BigBad's plane from taking off with his hostages.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/JeremyRenner was a relatively obscure character actor when he was cast as Gamble in this movie. He wouldn't achieve widespread recognition until ''Film/TheHurtLocker'' started generating Oscar buzz five years later. Then, of course, there was his appearance as [[ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} Clint Barton]] in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', which [[StarMakingRole finally propelled him to superstardom]] a big ''nine'' years after this movie came out. Made even stranger by the film also starring Creator/SamuelLJackson, who plays his boss Nick Fury in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', and Creator/ColinFarrell who played [[Film/{{Daredevil}} Bullseye]], another Marvel character whose abilities involved perfect marksmanship.
** The lady who gives the officers a hard time for arresting a black guy? Creator/OctaviaSpencer.

** The film can be seen as good!Bullseye vs bad!Hawkeye. Bonus points that Bullseye took [[ComicBook/DarkReign a disguise as Dark Hawkeye]] in the comics.
** Music/LLCoolJ was [[Characters/NCISLosAngeles Sam Hana]]

* RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/JeremyRenner was a relatively obscure character actor when he was cast as Gamble in this movie. He wouldn't achieve widespread recognition until ''Film/TheHurtLocker'' started generating Oscar buzz five years later. Then, of course, there was his appearance as [[ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} Clint Barton]] in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', which [[StarMakingRole finally propelled him to superstardom]] a big ''nine'' years after this movie came out. Made even stranger by the film also starring Creator/SamuelLJackson, who plays his boss Nick Fury in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', and Colin Farrell who played [[Film/{{Daredevil}} Bullseye]], another Marvel character whose abilities involved perfect marksmanship.

** Ten years later, Creator/MichelleRodruigez engages in [[Franchise/TheFastAndTheFurious another car chase]] to prevent the BigBad's plane from taking off with his hostages.