Training Day

Rating:
Summary: Denzel shines in dark cop flick.
Review: Training Day is a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred movie where idealism meets corruption in the LA police force. A brutal portrayal of narcotics detectives' approach to crime fighting. Denzel Washington is spellbinding as the experienced, cynical detective who takes rookie cop (Ethan Hawke) on his first day at work in the big bad city. There’s not much to laugh about here â€" comic interludes are few and far between â€" and if this is any indication of what goes on in LA, then its citizens should serio u sly consider moving to Alaska or Australia. I won’t spoil the movie for you but it provides an interesting look of moral codes and the whole good guys vs. bad guys schtick. Ethan Hawke is in my opinion a bit too blue-eyed and academic for the part. I would have liked to have seen Brad Pitt doing it, but maybe he’s too old. Keep some beer handy. You'll need a drink after this...

Rating:
Summary: LOVED THIS MOVIE
Review: This movie was very good. I loved Denzel Washington in this movie, in his other movies he always plays the good guy. But training day has a little bit of comedy, action, adventure and suspense all wrapped up into one. I would recommend this movie to anyone that i know.

Rating:
Summary: Denzel Washington at his best once again
Review: ***Movie fact: "John Q" was filmed before "Training Day", but "Training Day" was released first because the producers felt that it's unusual for Denzel Washington to play a heartless villian. They figured that if the audience didn't like him in that role, then "John Q" was to be the apology.

Denzel Washington needs no apologies for one of his best career performances in this wonderful action movie. This is one of the more unique and the best police movies made in 2001. It brilliantly desplicts the use and the dealing of narcotics. This describes perfectly how to be a good and a bad cop.

Washington deserved his second Oscar win for his portrayal of a criminal police officer, an unusual role for him. This proves that the brilliant actor has many more monumental roles in the future. Ethan Hawke deserved his first Oscar nomination as a cop in training trying to do the right thing. Hopefully, Hawke is seen more often in the future in roles like this. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Macy Gray prove in "Training Day" that they are talented outside of music.

The writers, the director, and the producers chose the perfect dark theme for this movie genre. They make Washington's character's lifestyle as dark as it should be. They desplict the drug houses and narcotic use as dirty as many of them are in real life. They give Hawke's character the light that it deserves for being the good guy. This combination blends with all events perfectly.

Those who are not used to such a unique movie may have to watch it twice to truly appreciate the quality. The first watch may seem unproportioned. The second watch will further understand all the scenes, therefore proportioning everything.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly ridiculous
Review: Every time I watch a Denzel Washington movie, I am watching Denzel's fiery, over-the-top persona. Thankfully, most of the movies he has done are well suited to this persona. Of course, I have not seen all of his movies, but the ones I have seen (Training Day, The Hurricane, Remember the Titans) back up this observation. I guess that John Q., Malcolm X, Antwone Fisher will give me the same "explosive performance." Sure, it is good occasionally, but brilliant? I wouldn't go that far.

In Training Day, Denzel is his usual self. His performance is adequate because the role is scripted for his style. However, the premise of the movie is so ridiculous that Denzel's usual, predictable work only adds fuel to this sinking ship. The police officers (mainly Denzel's character) are so totally corrupt and sink to such depths that any rational person would have a hard time accepting their antics, even on a lazy Saturday afternoon with nothing else to do. My advice? Don't waste your time on this ridiculous and predictable movie.

Rating:
Summary: Good DVD for a great movie.
Review: When I first heard that Denzel Washington won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in this movie, I had not yet seen it, but being familiar with his work, I thought that he had probably turned in a good performance. When I finally got around to seeing "Training Day", I was extremely impressed by his work and I thought that awarding him the Oscar was one of the best decisions the academy had made that year. Next to his performance in "Malcolm X", this is probably Denzel's finest hour. Watching the movie, I got the feeling that he really understood Alonzo and wasn't just saying his lines like a drone. It's great to see him playing such a different and interesting character instead of just another "good guy role".

While Denzel really steals the show here, Ethan Hawke turns in some excellent work as well. He plays Jake Hoyt to perfection and also appears to have a good understanding of
what the character is like. He's extremely believable as the young, some what naive, rooky cop who just wants to help people out and maybe bring a little recognition to his name in the process. There's great chemistry between him and Denzel too, best exhibited in the restaurent scene in the beginning of the movie. Some great work by both actors.

The direction from Fuqua is great too. You can see that he's grown a lot since "Replacement Killers". When I first watched the movie, I didn't really think the direction was anything special, but after I listened to the commentary, I developed more appreciation for his work. The story about how he was able to shoot scenes in the gang neighborhoods was especially entertaining.

While the story isn't the most realistic one imaginable, it's still absorbing and doesn't follow the same old pattern and get boring like many other cop movies tend to do. The twists and turns keep coming, although they aren't as unexpeted to the viewer as they are to Jake. It's pretty easy to see the general idea of what's going to happen after a certain point, but's it's still entertaining to see how things unfold.

The DVD features are decent, but they leave some stuff to be desired. Fuqua's commentary is good, but it would've been nice to see one from Ethan Hawke and Denzel too. The deleted scenes and alternate ending are all pretty good and so is the behind the scenes documentary. All in all, it's a pretty good buy.

Rating:
Summary: Denzel at his best
Review: Trainig Day is a great crime movie. Denzel Washington does his best performance of his career playing Alonzo. Alonzo takes a young rookie officer, played by Ethan Hawke, on a ride around town on his first day and shows him much more than he thought. Great Acting, great directing, great movie. Denzel definetely deserved the oscar. It's a little unrealistic.

Rating:
Summary: Welcome the New Age of Police Drama On Screen
Review: I'm not gonna run my fingers over the keyboard like everyone else trying to write an essay for college, I would'nt really even call this a review. The Academy Award nominated 'Training Day' is a terrific film using the remarkeable dramatic acting talents of both Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington. It also takes the bar and raises it on gripping content in the dangerous world of police work, in this case narcotics in one of the most dangerous gang regions of the country. Taking place over a 24 hour period, decorated officer Alonso Harris molds and shapes a young, fresh-out-of-academy rookie beat cop (Hawke) into his idea of the LA narcotics officer that will get the job done right. Ethan Hawke slowely learns how rough of an edge the job has, where normal rules of Community Oriented Policing don't apply. In a powerfull scene during a raid of a drug kingpin's home, the line we're all so familiar with between what rules movie cops break and what lenghts are not gone to or discussed..is drawn what has to be the last possible time. I don't think anything done in the future with this kind of film or TV show could put a more surprising and shocking turn of events on police misconduct. Officer Harris' young trainee learns a new and untold meaning to 'Justifiable Homicide', what goes on behind closed doors of well-respected politicians and the cost of actually making the narcotics department work in this day and age...a cost that never makes the news quite the way it happens. I've read so many reviews from these four-eyed computer geek people who will sit here all day with their chocolate milk and tear the plot apart, complaining they 'don't understand why' this and they 'don't understand how' that...For instance the final confrontation in the film before Hawke hunts for his training officer, when Alonzo leaves for dead his trainee with the hispanic drug higher-ups. Not to give anything away, but if you listened to all the dialogue following the raid on Roger..when Denzel can be heard saying "Make sure that bathtubs' clean ya hear?", you can piece together the plot as Alonzo, knowing the family to the young girl rookie Hawke saves from rape on the street, would know that Hawke would explain to the girl's cousin how he saved her in order to save his own life...I mean the movie IS called 'TRAINING Day'. The film produces incredibly well-done performances by both stars and supporting cast, and this could possibly be the LAST great police drama that sets you on the edge of your seat and makes you compare in your head the lies, crimes and daily events of law enforcement within the story to news and real events of police drama on the streets in this country. It holds it's ground, does'nt attempt to make anything seem more comforting to the viewers, and ends on a small audio note SO appropriate to the entire film it almost makes me cry its' so good.

Rating:
Summary: Fine Crime Drama
Review: Denzel Washington pretty much does a first this time around, as he plays a villainous corrupt narcotics detective named Alonzo on the mean streets of Los Angeles. He then takes an ambitious but good-hearted rookie named Jake (played by Ethan Hawke) under his wing, on a tutorial, and shows him the routine of a narcotics detective. However, Alonzo has quite a few obstacles in store for Jake, and not the least of them is witnessing some of Alonzo's brutal police tactics.

Joseph Sigmond wrote a very descriptive, in-depth review on January 13, 2003 for this movie. However, I don't really want to spill every single detail on the film and ruin it for somebody who hasn't seen the movie yet, but things twist and turn, and eventually the bad that was done seems to be compensated for (at least on Alonzo's part.) If there was a moral or lesson to be learned on this 'training day,' it seemed to be: you reap what you sow.

The scenes and dialogue get quite graphic at times, so I wouldn't advise the faint of heart to view this film. Just a warning. As far as performances are concerned, Washington won an award for his performance in this, as it was a first for him to play an extremely menacing character, and he plays it quite convincingly well. Hawke did an excellent job as the good-hearted rookie, and it was quite interesting seeing his temperamental swing (at the end of the movie) contrasted with the innocence he seemed to portray throughout the movie.

While a crime drama, there's plenty of humor found here, but the humor is quite scathingly dark and sinister.

Also features appearances from superstars Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Macy Gray. Most of the time, musicians make appearances in films, and don't leave much of an impression (other than the fact that they're famous), but what's interesting is how well each of these respective musicians' characters fit well into the story, and each give perfectly convincing performances, as opposed to just being objects of show, possibly to attract extra attention to the film. Also features actress Eva Mendes and veteran actor Scott Glenn.

Rating:
Summary: hot pace....unrealistic
Review: in all of my 20 yrs working in a major law enf agency and working in every division, unit..etc, i never ran across a guy that even resembled denzel's washington's character....alonznzo harris, and yes, i have run across...characters portrayed by eathan hawke,.....more than i can shake a stick at....!!!

1st order of business: enforce the law not break it
unlawful order's to smoke dope
getting into a specialized unit
and committing crimes.

denzel washington's portrayal of a twisted cop is very much
up to par, as like the characters in..." the shield"
after all it's just acting !!!!!!!!!!!

don;t ever get the idea that gangs of these bad cop's exist

maybe a bad apple or two, they will enentually be caught

and fired...!...........see the movie , buy it...

just don't believe it , as reality

Rating:
Summary: Over The Top... Overrated... Overhyped... Outrageous...
Review: This is part review and part rant. But mostly rant.

I had absolutely no desire to see "Training Day." Nothing about the previews appealed to me. The word-of-mouth from friends was... Well, they mostly bad-mouthed the movie, as they were at a loss to understand why so much praise had been heaped on this far-fetched "cartoon."

But I decided to see for myself and pay the rental fee at Blockbuster. Thank heavens I didn't waste my hard-earned dollars buying the DVD because having seen the movie once, I have no desire to see it again.

For the record, I admire Denzel Washington -- certainly one of our greatest actors. I found his performance in "Philadlephia" absolutely reviting -- as Oscar-worthy as Tom Hanks'. Of course, 1993 was a banner year for the Best Actor category, with Liam Neeson in "Schindler's List" and the overlooked Kevin Costner in the terribly under-appreciated "A Perfect World."

So, my main interest in "Training Day" was seeing the performance judged superior, by the Academy Award voters, to Russell Crowe's in "A Beautiful Mind." Crowe's portrayal of John Nash was brilliant -- tormented, arrogant, pitiful. And he ages 40 years in the course of the film.

Now I don't know a thing about Russell Crowe the man, but his work in "A Beautiful Mind" was astonishing. Truly one of the greatest performances I've ever experienced.

I'm afraid the 2001 Oscar race for Best Actor was a popularity contest, with the final decision based more on the actor's personalities instead of their performances. It was Denzel's time, his turn, whatever.

Sadly, that his moment of triumph would be associated with "Training Day" only adds more tarnish to the Academy Awards, ranking right up there -- or down there? -- with other Oscar travesties such as "Shakespeare In Love" over "Saving Private Ryan" or, for that matter, Crowe for "Gladiator" over Hanks in "Castaway."

I actually found myself snickering through much of "Training Day," which stretches your willing suspension of disbelief with a series of ridiculous violent confrontations and implausible coincidences, then snaps it with an utterly unconvincing, completely outrageous climatic fight scene. Apparently, Ethan Hawke's rookie detective could fly.

How can some call this movie gritty and realistic?

Which brings me back to my BIG RANT about "Training Day." Denzel Washington's character is representative of the entire movie: Over the top . . . overhyped . . . overrated . . . totally lacking subtlety . . .

His performance seemed so forced, inappropriately silly rather than sinister.

As for the director, he obviously held the reins loose throuhgout the film, but he should have definitely pulled them in during that ludicrous third act.

"Training Day" is a definite rent-first, buy-later DVD. I don't regret renting it. I watched it and didn't necessarily hate it, yet I can't recall anything I particularly appreciated about the film.

There are some interesting though not necessarily memorable moments in "Training Day," but as a whole it was pretty hallow.