LA SWAT's finest leader named Cutler is tasked with training Detroit SWAT. He isn't crazy about the idea but goes anyway. He finds a team that's a bit disorganized and unfocused. He's supposed to get them ready to pass some FBI certification. Right in the middle of the first training session, they get a call of a hostage situation. Cutler decides to change roles and sends another guy as the sniper instead of the sniper expert. When he and the sniper expert arrive, they find Walter, played by Patrick, holding a gun to a girl. Cutler orders the shot but his sniper misses so they have to shoot the bad guy--non-lethally. Cutler orders the expert sniper to contain the hostage, he fails to do so, the girl grabs a gun and shoots herself.
Despite the disaster of an operation, Cutler is still allowed to be in charge. He fires the guy who failed to contain the witness after a battle of wits. As his replacement he brings in some skinny girl whom he knows from their days in Iraq. She of course if superior to all the other guys. Training continues. But Walter has been freed and we learn that he's tracking the SWAT guys. He gets one of their training books, starts harassing Cutler with phone calls, leaves a flower arrangement at his house, plants a bomb under his car. One day he shows up at the police station. But he's followed by agents from the State Department, who tell police that he's a valuable guy and that they can't touch him.
Walter continues to plan revenge. We learn that during the hostage situation, it was the girl, Walter's girlfriend, who posed the risk and he was trying to resolve the situation. When finally the Detroit top cop tells Cutler to get lost, the team resigns in protest, so he has to revert his decision and let Cutler go after Walter, which is of course just what Walter wants. 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 enjoyed the tone of this movie. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's not goofy either. It doesn't make Detroit looks as bad as Hollywood usually likes to do. The Cutler character is also interesting because he's not the super-cop who comes to rescue the incompetent Detroit cops. He's no authoritarian but handles things with humor and wit. Some of the Detroit cops actually look like they could be cops. Just Cutler is rather skinny for the part. But Macht makes up for it with charisma. Relationships are also handled well, especially between Cutler and his new girl. They don't end up in bed immediately after meeting each other, and they aren't obnoxious or abusive to each other either. 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. Also a shame that Kristanna Loken doesn't get more screen time. Overall an entertaining movie.
Despite the disaster of an operation, Cutler is still allowed to be in charge. He fires the guy who failed to contain the witness after a battle of wits. As his replacement he brings in some skinny girl whom he knows from their days in Iraq. She of course if superior to all the other guys. Training continues. But Walter has been freed and we learn that he's tracking the SWAT guys. He gets one of their training books, starts harassing Cutler with phone calls, leaves a flower arrangement at his house, plants a bomb under his car. One day he shows up at the police station. But he's followed by agents from the State Department, who tell police that he's a valuable guy and that they can't touch him.
Walter continues to plan revenge. We learn that during the hostage situation, it was the girl, Walter's girlfriend, who posed the risk and he was trying to resolve the situation. When finally the Detroit top cop tells Cutler to get lost, the team resigns in protest, so he has to revert his decision and let Cutler go after Walter, which is of course just what Walter wants. 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 enjoyed the tone of this movie. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's not goofy either. It doesn't make Detroit looks as bad as Hollywood usually likes to do. The Cutler character is also interesting because he's not the super-cop who comes to rescue the incompetent Detroit cops. He's no authoritarian but handles things with humor and wit. Some of the Detroit cops actually look like they could be cops. Just Cutler is rather skinny for the part. But Macht makes up for it with charisma. Relationships are also handled well, especially between Cutler and his new girl. They don't end up in bed immediately after meeting each other, and they aren't obnoxious or abusive to each other either. 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. Also a shame that Kristanna Loken doesn't get more screen time. Overall an entertaining movie.