Rating: 
Summary: Strong acting, strong Script, Terrible message
Review: The trailers on this film are deceptive. I expected a cop buddy comedy, maybe with some light violence. But it is one of the most violent, foul-mouthed movies I've ever seen. I am no prig, and neither is my 94 year old stepfather, who loves good action films. But we both walked (well, I walked, he rolled in his wheel chair) out of this one shaking our heads. The acting was brilliant. Denzel Washington takes on this role like he has lived his life in the hood-- so different than the polished types he tends to play. Ethan Hawke does a great job portraying an ambitious yet naive rookie. But the message here, that you have to break the law to maintain the law is just plain bad. It is so cynical and portrays so much evil and corruption. We don't need this kind of message out there. About 60% of the way through, the end becomes obvious. We have enough crap in the real world so we don't need this kind of darkness. If I were just rating this movie on the acting, I'd give it a five. If I were rating it on the power of the screenplay to keep you glued to your seat, I'd rate it a five. But there is more to making a movie than those factors. Shame on these great actors for signing on to a film with such a dark, cynical message. Oh yes, the roles allow the actors to show their best. But this film shows that their judgment was not very good.
Rating: 
Summary: Training Day is no training, its a masterpiece.
Review: Denzel Washington is the greatest actor of all time. Taking one of the greatest risks of his career has proven to be a prosperous move. Denzel's portrayal of a corrupt Los Angeles cop, Alonzo Harris is by far Denzel's best performance since The Hurricane. Clearly a different role than any played by Denzel, he revels in the opportunity to be dastardly and cunning in Training Day. Denzel's mastery and freedom to explore an array of emotions coupled with an arsenal of the making of a great performance is not the only praise for this film. Director Antoine Fuqua's (The Replacement Killer, Bait) true talent also emerges in this gritty drama, shooting the film in some of L.A.'s most notorious neighborhoods as well as Antoine's dedication to authenticity. Ethan Hawke,(Hamlet, Snow Falling On Cedars), as Jake Hoyt, the young rookie corrupt by Alonzo, emerges in his first cop film, a trooper, going blow for blow with Denzel. Ethan's masked innocence and eventual unveilled anger penetrates the senses meshing beautifully with Denzel's undeniable bad boy image. See Training Day and learn about an incredibly well-written script and an obviously talented cast and crew (Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog and Macy Gray all give great performances and should be praised for their authentic portrayals. See Training Day now in theaters now.
Rating: 
Summary: Corruption like you've never seen it
Review: What takes a bit of the luster off of Antoine Fuqua's excellent "Training Day" is the reality of the recent LAPD Rampart Division's investigation. For Fuqua is not dealing with "what might have been" but what is. And consequenty "Training Day" must be evaluated on that level: as a documentary with dramatic overtones or docu-drama.
With that in mind, "Training Day" is an extremely violent, bloody and intelligent treatise on police corruption the likes of which I've never seen on film. Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington), the leader of a band of vigilantes with LAPD badges (yes, I know that is a contradiction in terms), is charged with showing rookie Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) the ropes of the narcotics division. The film takes place in real time: approx. 16 hours. Much is revealed in those 16 hours that will set your hair on end as it did Jake's. Antoine Fuqua does a terrific job of keeping the film moving at breakneck speed and he makes Los Angeles look as beautiful as I've ever seen it on film except for maybe in "Chinatown." Be prepared for a Denzel the likes of which you've never seen: perverse, misanthropic,violent,full of braggadacio and sexual energy. He is the film's centerpiece and he chews up everyone and everything in sight. Ethan Hawke, so good in "Gattaca," holds up well but it's a battle for him to hold his own against Denzel Washington. "Training Day" is a terrific movie-movie and it is obvious that there is logic and a substantial world view operating here. Bravo.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing portrait...
Review: Roger Ebert considered this movie an "over-the-top" dark comedy, and gave it a thumbs-up. Richard Reoper hated it, saying it was too predictable and simply bad. I strongly disagreed with both of them. Instead, I felt "Training Day" was a disturbingly realistic portrait of life for police officers in the roughest areas of American cities; a place where even the most well intentioned of hearts can become twisted and corrupted by the lure of power, prestige, local fame, and of course -- money. Denzel Washington's performance in this film is convincing...it will scare you. Ethan Hawke was great too. Look out for impressive cameos by Calvin Broadus (better known as Snoop Dogg), Andre Young (better known as Dr. Dre) and Macy Gray. My movie-going experience was only ruined by one thing: the sight of 'suburban' parents irresponsibly bringing their pre-teens (couldn't have been older than 8) to watch this ultra-violent film. What were they thinking? It made me sick. This is a must see, but it definitely won't leave you with a good feeling after you leave the theatre. Thanks for reading... C.H.R.
Rating:
Summary: Intense! entertaining! denzel at his best!
Review: Training Day was a treat to watch. ethan hawke plays the role of a cop trying out to gain entry into a prestigious narc unit. once there he finds out that the line between black and white, good and bad has diffused into countless shades of grey. Denzel plays IMO his most intensive role yet. if not intense, it is a side of denzel which we have never seen before and had i not seen it with mine own eyes, wouldve questioned whether it was in his capacity. Go out and see this one!
Rating:
Summary: another good one for denzel fans
Review: this was a very good movie. lets just say denzel is not your typical good guy, save the day person. you will be in for a surprise. so i was shocked from the type of character he was portraying. this is a keep, go see it
Rating:
Summary: Skip this one!
Review: I hate to even give this movie one star. However, Denzel does play an interesting role. I lasted only one hour in this movie, told my husband I was going to the restroom and never went back. I stuck my head in a few times and all I can say is DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. I would not even rent it. It is a shame to see two great actors (Hawke and Washington) waste their talents in this movie. Go see Serendipity or Hearts in Atlantis.....much better!
Rating:
Summary: Denzel's performance makes this a must see movie
Review: Wow,what a movie.Denzel's performance as Alonzo is awesome.It definitely lived up to my expectations.It's a gripping story from beginning to end.Even Ethan Hawke shines in this one,although not as much as Denzel.If you like a good gritty street drama,with a little hip hop flavor,this movie is all you,trust me on that one.
Rating:
Summary: Virtuoso performance doesn't excuse irresponsible violence
Review: I wish I could give this movie the high rating its acting performances deserve. No doubt about it, this movie has some of the most dynamic acting I've seen out of Hollywood in years. If I consider Denzel Washington's performance on its own merits, it is an amazingly explosive, finely nuanced balance between good and evil. Washington plays Alonzo Harris, a veteran and street-wise narcotics officer with an impressive success record. Throughout the first two thirds of the movie, Washington keeps you guessing - is Alonzo the good guy or the bad guy? Washington dominates every moment that he is on screen, and you will be constantly surprised by the power he brings to the role. In addition to Washington's mesmerizing performance, Ethan Hawke more than holds his own as the rookie beat cop riding along with Alonzo on his first day as a narcotics officer. So, I wish I could say kudos to the actors without reservation - but like everone else, actors must be held responsible for the message they have chosen to send out into the world, and the message this movie sends is not acceptable. Not only does this movie confuse violence with entertainment, but it also glamorizes the ganster attitude and lifestyle. Most offensive of all, the movie is based on the paranoid concept that police corruption is not only rampant, but that it is also absolutely necessary. Alonzo's creedo is that any action, any violation of civil liberties or code of ethics, is acceptable so long as the end result is the eradication of some criminal element. This idea is pounded on again and again, with increasingly horrifying effect. I'll leave it to you to decide whether the ending affirms this creedo or not - there is plenty of ambiguity and some added gratuitous violence. Regardless, by that point the moral value of this movie is irredeemable.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Movie
Review: This movie was awesome. I know I'm probably going to sound like everybody else, but this was possibly Denzel Washington's best performance. He was awesome as the tough, corrupt cop. Usually we see him as a good guy, but it was interesting to see him play a bad guy and do it well. The script also offered a lot of witty lines. The only bad part in the movie was one of the last scenes that was a little farfetched. Nevertheless, the awesome performance by Denzel Washington and the mostly good script overshadows that one scene to give the movie 5 stars. Go see this movie!
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