Blu-ray Movie Reviews

S.W.A.T. Firefight (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn  |  Mar 4, 2011

LAPD officer Paul Cutler (Gabriel Macht) leaves the sun and fun of California when he's ordered by Homeland Security to relocate to Detroit in order to train its S.W.A.T. team on the latest rescue techniques. Things are going great until a botched domestic dispute turns ugly and the surviving spouse (Robert Patrick) wants revenge.

I had low expectations considering this is a direct-to-video release, which allowed me to moderately enjoy the flick. The script, acting, and production value all have a low-budget "made for TV" feel, but director Benny Boom does his best to keep a brisk pace to keep it interesting.

Video Highlights

  • AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
  • Digitally shot with occasional video noise
  • Mediocre detail
  • Deep blacks
  • Ashen flesh tones

Audio Highlights

  • DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
  • Engaging score
  • Intelligible dialog
  • Adequate imaging
  • Plenty of discrete effects from the surround speakers

Sony generally produces excellent looking Blu-rays, but this one fails to impress. I'm sure many of the faults in the video are due to the low budget, but the DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack has its moments.

Bonus Materials br>

  • Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
  • BD-Live Enabled

I enjoyed the original S.W.A.T. a lot but this sequel doesn't bring much to the table. The action is decent enough but the character development is nonexistent and there's not much replay value. If you're mildly interested, I would go the rental route.

Release Date: March 8, 2011
Studio: Sony

Movie: 5/10
Picture: 7/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS40 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Integra DTC-80.2 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PVA-PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics

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