Supposedly,
this is the second straight-to-DVD sequel to the 2003 feature reboot of Robert
Hamner’s 1975 TV show S.W.A.T., but
none of the characters are the same (not even from the prior DVD sequel) and
the action moves from LA to exurban Seattle. It seems like strangely
unnecessary branding, as if every movie about the FBI had to credit the Efren
Zimbalist, Jr. show. In this case, it obscures what is important about this
film: Michael Jai White being a badass. Quite conveniently, the villains will
come to the good guys, Die Hard-style
in Tony Giglio’s S.W.A.T.: Under Siege,
which releases today on DVD.
Even
on the Fourth of July, there will be no rest for Travis Hall’s S.W.A.T. team.
They have been mobilized to back-up a DEA agent supposedly intercepting a
massive drug shipment. Of course, there are way more cartel thugs at the remote
warehouse than they had been told to expect. Instead of drugs, they find a
seriously cut dude with a scorpion tattoo chained up in the shipping container.
Since
they lost their sketchy DEA dude in the firefight, they will have to
interrogate Scorpion as they call him (and indeed it turns out to be his
handle) on their own. Basically, Scorpion tells Hall there will be a bunch of
really bad cats coming your way, but if you uncuff me, I’ll help kill as many
as I can, or words to that effect. It is a pretty fair deal, even if the
S.W.A.T. officers do not fully trust Scorpion. Regardless, the shadowy international
kingpin will show up with a small army of mercs, just like Scorpion predicted.
Without
New York and Los Angeles theatrical releases, S.W.A.T.: Under Siege will sadly be ineligible for Oscar
consideration. However, you can do far worse if you just want to see some
testosterone on screen. As Hall, Sam Jaeger is likably clean-cut and shows off
some solid action chops, but White really takes ownership of the film,
unleashing his inner Bane as Scorpion. Among the bad guys, Monique Ganderton
(Charlize Theron’s stunt person in Atomic
Blonde) totally outshines the dudes as Simone, the chief
enforcer-bodyguard.
