Who's Bad?
Reviews of "S.W.A.T." and "Bad Boys II"

By Esther Iverem
SeeingBlack.com Editor and Film Critic

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S.W.A.T.

Breaking the mold of these high-octane flicks of summer, "S.W.A.T" has the feel and pace of an old-fashioned cop movie, with more drama than eye-popping action. While this band of super cops work through hostage rescues, bank robberies and prisoner escapes, the action unfolds at closer to real time and real life (and sometimes feels a little slow) but is not zipped along with hyper-quick editing or special effects.

Relying on the story means that director Clark Johnson has to rely on the actors. Colin Farrell, who seems to be in every movie that I see, keeps delivering his open-eyed, believable rendition of the White guy with a heart. Samuel L. Jackson looks very mature with his clean as a whistle baldie in the role of Lt. Dan "Hondo Harrelson. (Yes, I did say "Hondo." This must be one of those efforts at diversity casting). Wow, how many actors have gone from a jheri curl to dreadlocks to a salt-n-pepper afro to a baldie in their career? Sam is the man and he's got it going on. LL Cool J makes a notable appearance here and, most importantly, comes away with the signature movie line of the season. (you'll know it when you hear it.) Speaking of appearances, actress Michelle Rodriguez is part of the S.W.A.T squad and film fans will remember her from the 2000 flick "Girlfight."

For all of its plusses, which must include the script and dialogue, make no mistake, "S.W.A.T." is also a slick promotion for the police as a quasi-military force in the urban jungle." More than other police officers, these S.W.A.T. members—with their automatic rifles, camouflage fatigues and helmets—resemble any U.S. solider on the battlefield in Iraq, Afghanistan or wherever. (Though it is not clear how the camouflage clothing is an asset in the asphalt "jungle.") The officers drop down from helicopters, some are trained snipers, one officer, Jim Street (Farrell) even invents a heavy-duty battering ram that can take down the side of a house.

All of which is a very potent force against the urban hoards, depicted here as a largely criminal, insane or unworthy element. Even the lowly homeless are made suspect and the audience is asked to laugh at police brutality and the possibility of prison rape for a hated suspect. At some point, it seems that all of South-Central Los Angeles is in battle against this band of righteous officers after an international criminal offers on television $100 million to anyone who can bust him out of police custody. Further complicating the mission is the fact the Harrelson's boss is a prick and, for some unexplained reason, wants very badly for him and his squad to fail. While the urban masses as villified here, certain police elements don't fare much better. Pettiness and greed can be found in all quarters.

In the world of S.W.A.T., the path is narrow, the heroes are tough and the bad guys are very, very bad. When you are S.W.A.T., there is not much room for error, weakness or too much diversity. There isn't even room for a vegetarian who declines a good old American hot dog.

Despite the inclusion of some kick-ass artists like Jimi Hendrix on the soundtrack, this is not a fancy musical video for the police.

Bad Boys II

Despite the fact that in "Bad Boys II" there are more cars crashed than I've ever seen crashed in any movie ever, it is by far the best of the big action, fun flicks so far this summer. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence put the whoa factor back into going to the movies. Too bad the filmmakers, toward the end, ruin a perfectly good movie with a nonsensical reference linking Cuba to the U.S. drug trade.

After "Black Hawk Down," I don't really expect any better from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Maybe since the Ku Klux Klan also takes it on the chin early on in the story, the filmmakers figured that our sovereign socialist (and majority Black) neighbor to the south was fair game. But a far as enjoying the movie, the shoddy Cuba link occurs so late in the process that, by then, we've laughed at so many jokes and been so wowed by the loud music and zippy editing that it's easy to not let such ignorance totally spoil an $8 good time.

In this sequel to the 1995 hit, Smith and Lawrence reappear respectively as Miami narcotics detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, who are tracking the import of large amounts of the designer drug ecstasy into the city. The investigation leads them to a ruthless drug kingpin Johnny Tapia (Jorda Molla), who wants to take over the entire city's drug market. The detectives intense and dangerous work, combined with the fact that Mike has developed a romantic link with Marcus's sister Syd (Gabrielle Union), bring the two into such conflict with each other that they are in danger of blowing the case and putting themselves and Syd in danger.

On the job and off, this duo is funny and has serious jokes. Some of the credit has to be given to John Lee Hancock's screenplay, which despite the lame Cuba bashing, has good running jokes about anger management in the police department. But much of the big funny here, including the hilarious scene when a young suitor arrives to take Marcus's daughter out on a first date, is obviously cooked up by Smith and Lawrence. When, in the middle of a dangerous car chase in his Porsche, Mike suddenly starts bugging over minor damage to his car, all you can do is look at that Black man on the screen, laugh and say, "true."

Watching "Bad Boys II," it is easy to see why Will Smith was made into a star. He has the looks and presence and skills. It is also easy here to glimpse Lawrence's continued promise and talent as an actor, if only he has quality material to work with. He still is not forgiven for "Big Mama's House," and his stand-up film "Runteldat" was only marginal, but "Bad Boys II" at least puts Lawrence back in the game.

(First published July 18, 2003)

Esther Iverem's reviews often appear on BET.com and Africana.com.

— August 15, 2003

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