Training Day (2001) User Reviews (827)

Still relevant nearly two decades later

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 8/10 · 11 April 2020]

Jake(Hawke, innocent yet with some edge) has been on the force for over a year and a half now. He wants to make detective, and that means joining Narcotics. For his titular training day he must impress Alonzo(Washington, simultaneously threatening and charming). He will soon find that this is a cop who crosses the line frequently. Exactly how far is he willing to go?

The acting by both leads is amazing. Honestly, for everyone in this. Denzel steals the show, but Ethan still really makes a mark. This is immensely gritty, with many honest looks at what happens in the bad neighborhoods of LA, as told by a screenwriter and director who actually lived there. The authenticity is a huge part of why this is so compelling. With a few exceptions, you really feel like this could happen(there are things that are not very credible. Others have already detailed them, I don't really have anything to add), and it really provokes a discussion of police brutality. Despite an episodic nature, every scene has a distinct purpose in the overall narrative, although for a number of them, you won't realise what it is until later.

This contains a lot of strong language, some brutal violence, and a little nudity. I recommend it to everyone who can stomach the contents. 8/10

Fantastic, Denzel Washington's finest hour

[ExpendableMan · 9/10 · 15 May 2006]

Before seeing this movie, my impression of Denzil Washington as an actor wasn't especially high. Not to say that he isn't talented, just that ever since Crimson Tide he appeared to be slotted neatly into every stern hero in every serious political thriller to be trotted off the studio assembly line for years. But then came Training Day and his role as Alonzo Harris and all that changed. Shrugging off the overly serious good guy image once and for all, Washington here is a revelation; a barking, ranting maelstrom of police brutality who believes that maintaining order on the crime ridden streets of LA means being even more ruthless than the drug dealers he faces on a day to day basis. His performance elevates the film from standard thriller fare into an exemplary story that has quite rightly become one of my favourite films of all time.

Set over the course of twenty four hours, the film whisks Ethan Hawke's naive young police officer onto an introductory day of Narcotics work under Alonzo's tutelage. As the hours go by, Hawke is subjected to more and more violence as the heat and paranoia of suburban Los Angeles combined with his loose cannon superior officer play a heavy toll on his nerves. Consequently, the film is very much a two man story with Hawke and Washington playing off against each other expertly as polar opposites. One young, inexperienced and a firm believer in the rule book, the other older, more cynical and twisted by all his years on the streets into a bull-headed monster.

The story itself is fraught with tension. Alonzo forcing his young protégé to smoke PCP at gunpoint is just the start and from there on the pulse pounding never stops. The execution scene where Hawke realises just how far gone his partner is for example is one of nail-biting pressure and shortly after, his encounter with a trio of Mexican gang members is jaw dropping, working as the exact moment you realise how much hot water he has found himself in.

The end result is nothing less than a brilliant thriller. Hawke and Washington make for a phenomenal double act and the pace only occasionally lets up to allow the characters time to breathe and establish the depth that makes you care for them more. Highly, highly recommended so long as you're prepared to be absolutely terrified of Denzel Washington for years to come.

What Movie Were You Guys Watching?!!

[gurochuck · 9/10 · 24 April 2006]

I know I'm late as hell and I hate to break the overall 'vibe' about this movie but this movie was great when I saw it in the theater and gets better every time I watch it over again. And this is mainly because of the performances by Denzel and Ethan. I don't know what you guys expected but the movie CLEARLY suggests that Denzel is a crooked, burnt-out, streetwise cop and Ethan is a 'wet-behind-the-ears' clueless rookie. So knowing that, WHAT DID YOU GUYS EXPECT, Malcolm X, Remember The Titans, The Hurricane?? If you were, then maybe you all need to be checked out. The reason why this movie was so great is because it wasn't the typical Denzel 'role model' movie. We KNOW that he can play those roles well so it's a testament to his acting ability that he can portray the other side of the spectrum. And my hat goes off to Ethan because he bounces off Denzel flawlessly.

I hate to break the news to you guys but cops like Alonzo ARE OUT THERE and need to be acknowledged. Acting like the problem doesn't exist does not solve it. You don't have to go that deep to know that Alonzo was once a good cop who just got fed up w/ 'police procedures.' If you acknowledge that Jake's shallow-mindedness at the beginning of the film only allows him to look at the perks of making detective and how the progress of the day transforms him, you can really appreciate Ethan's portrayal of him. Let's face it, a bad day at the office when you're a narcotics detective differs greatly from that of an office executive and the different stresses can warrant different results.

Even the street rhetoric was authentic. Maybe you guys need to get out of the 'burbs more. You guys didn't actually expect eloquent dialogue with little or no profanity, did you? The only part of this movie I struggle with is Dr. Dre's terrible overacting and that isn't nearly enough to take away from the overall result.

Next time you guys bash a movie, make sure to try to be objective and rate what you see and not what you're used to seeing!!

Training Day is a prime example of how just one scene can elevate a film to greatness.

[TheMovieDiorama · 8/10 · 27 February 2018]

You all know the scene I'm talking about. Alonzo's monologue against the street that he thought would cooperate with him. That scene. Urgh, genius. A rookie narcotics officer is paired with a more experienced, albeit corrupt, detective for a day of training in the urban streets of Los Angeles. What looks like a semi-professional day on the job turns out to be a nightmare for the rookie. There are a ridiculous amount of positives, but unfortunately there are various negatives that prevents the police drama from being classed as a classic. At its core, this is a character study. A twisted, demented and self-assured detective who may have started out with the right intentions, but gradually becomes corrupted by the streets. The screenplay consistently reaffirms the idea that it is the environment that changes a person. Being adaptable under given scenarios. The depiction of the streets of Los Angeles and the black and white segregation is rather prominent throughout the film's runtime. Yet it feels extremely real. It is the gritty and dark undertone embedded within the narrative that intrigues you and makes you invested in the characters. Speaking of our protagonist(s), Ethan Hawke was sublime as the naive rookie who just wants to help the world, one crime at a time. However, Denzel Washington just owns every scene in what I can only describe as his best performance. His acting was ferocious. Conveying confidence and fear simultaneously. David Ayer's best script (although that's not saying much...) and Antoine Fuqua's best directorial effort. It's just a shame the ending was unsatisfying with too many plot conveniences throughout. What were the chances that the girl they saved at the beginning was the cousin of a Sureño who was going to kill Jake!? Absurdly convenient. Then later we get the craziest overkill of the decade. Bullets galore. Alas, I do find this to be a gripping police drama and Washington's best performance. That's enough for me to highly recommend this.

The power of Denzel

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 18 August 2015]

LAPD narcotics detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) takes rookie detective Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) on his training day. Alonzo is a harsh spoken street-wise cop pushing the envelop in South Central L.A. Mostly he goes right over the edge.

This is all Denzel all the time. It's his relentless power. There's no logic or plot worthy of following. That's not the point of this movie. The audience is Ethan Hawke as he tries at first to submit to the Denzel hurricane. Then we're trying gather our feet in the storm. Finally we have to make a decision about his character. This is a tour-de-force performance from Denzel and nothing less.

unrealistic and disappointing

[submerged99 · 20 January 2003]

*Spoilers*

I watched Training Day a few days ago and thought the movie had some major plot holes and wasn't impressed by DW's perfomance.

"King Kong aint got nothing on me?" come on... I can think of other characters he's played that were much better than his Training Day character...Alonzo.

I was wondering why the whole elaborate set-up for Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) to take the fall. Why didn't Alonzo simply shoot Scott Glenn, take his money, and leave the body until someone discovered it and conclude Glenn killed by robbers?

Also, after when they were in Glenn's house, they dug a big hole in his kitchen to get the money that had been buried in a chest. They cut through the floor with an ax and dug it out. After Alonzo shoots his partner, they radio the dispatch to tell them an officer has been shot.

This would've gotten an immediate response from all cops in the area. How did they fill in the hole in the kitchen so quickly and replace the floor boards they chopped up witht he ax? If they didn't do that and the hole was still uncovered..it seems like a homicide detective would have been somewhat curious about it and would have asked questions.

Plus, they tell the officers that Hoyt was shot Glenn and the cops don't take him in for questioning and let him continue on his shift. It's seems like he would've at the very least been taken off his shift until internal affairs investigated the shooting.

Next, Alonzo leaves Hoyt with some gangsters, assuming they were going to kill hoyt. How did Alonzo plan to explain that to his supervisors? He abandons his partner on the first day, his partner disappears and no one would think twice about it?

Police Chief"Detective Alonzo, your partner is missing, he never clocked out of his shift and his wife and family want to know what happened to him. Can you tell us what happened to your partner and why you never reported his disappearance to us?"

Detective Alonzo"Chief, I went to see some Mexican gangsters with Hoyt, while we were still on duty. When I was ready to leave, Hoyt was playing cards with the gangsters and drinking with them. He was having such a good time that I decided to let him stay. I didn't think it was important and that's why I never reported it to anyone."

I guess I could go on and on about this movie but I was extremely disappointed with it and expected more out of it.

More plot holes than bullet holes

[mreisman · 6/10 · 23 February 2003]

I'm not really sure what the point of this movie was, other than to look cool and to give Denzel a badass persona with which to chew the scenery. The characters make reference to the "chess game" going on between them, but it's really a game of kick the can. They only manage to keep it moving forward one hour, at which point it just could becomes a big checkers endgame, full of black-leather gold-chain-danglin' fury, signifying nothing. This movie pistol whips you with countless racial stereotypes, and F's you up with an anticlimactic, silly ending that would be satisfying only after a hit of PCP-laced dope. The friends who recommended this to me ought get their own special brand of "street justice". Garbage.

Stunning performance by Denzel Washington...

[Cocacolaguy912-2 · 10/10 · 28 December 2006]

"Training Day" was a very good movie. I like movies that shove it in your face and make you deal with it...movies like, "Black Hawk Down"...no clichés, no touching moments, just brutal, bitter realism. "Training Day" was such a movie. However, the one thing that made this film really shine was the performance by Mr. Washington. To me, a good actor is someone who just IS a character...if it isn't obvious that they are acting than they are doing a good job. That was the case with Washingon. He just was Alonzo. Every pantomime, every word, every glance was performed masterfully. Did Mr. Washington deserve his Oscar? Absolutely. 200%. Some people say, "not Oscar material" and I must wonder, what film...what performance were they watching?

Nothing special

[Alexander666DeLarge · 6/10 · 12 September 2002]

This movie is nothing more than another action movie. It has some nice action scenes and that's about it. Denzel Washington's role is overrated. The only thing that gave him the oscar is that he never played the villain. But his acting isn't that great.

It's just like if Tarantino would win an oscar for making a Disney movie...

Movie rating 5/10

Alonzo Harris: To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf ( A+ Movie) My Ratings 10/10

[THE-BEACON-OF-MOVIES-RAFA · 10/10 · 8 February 2020]

The most intense ride along ever. Antoine Fuqua directed a wild cop drama like you have never seen before. Dealing with systematic corruption in the police force, crime investigation, drug dealing, bribery, and ethics. Training Day is a visceral sprint into law enforcement. Training Day forces you right into the position of a rookie cop asking yourself what would you honestly do in the same situation. It is brilliant due to David Ayer's clever and complex script alongside Fuqua's innovative and gritty direction. Training Day is timeless thanks to its commentary on police corruption and our contemporary police brutality problem. I think everyone needs to see Training Day. Denzel Washington is the real star as he comes across as the most real and selfish cop ever put on screen. His violence, anger, and ingenuity are met with his display of likability, experience, and results. Washington portrays a man of deeply held convictions that poses as a good cop to fool all those around him. Washington earned that Oscar for real. You will absolutely despise his character by the end. Notably, Ethan Hawke is the everyman rookie cop that we are meant to empathize with from the very first scene. We are along for the ride right by Hawke's side and he plays it wonderfully. From the naive well wisher that does not understand the streets to the honest cop that does the right thing, Hawke pulls off a very relatable performance in Training Day. He plays off of Washington's outgoing psychopath very convincingly down to the last. I like Hawke in Training Day quite a bit. I must mention there are so many neat cameo and supporting roles scattered throughout Training Day. From Scott Glenn, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eva Mendes, and Terry Crews. Training Day's cast is wild. Everyone is realistic and feels a part of this horrid world of crime and corruption. In all, Antoine Fuqua did a phenomenal job directing Training Day. It has aged well with the same intensity as when it first released in theaters. Training Day is still shocking and visceral down to the last moment. This is a brutal ride along for the books, but well worth the watch.

Adequate

[screenman · 7/10 · 10 May 2009]

With two very engaging actors taking lead roles, in the form of Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke, this movie seemed to promise a great deal. Yet somehow it never live up to its pretensions.

The beginning was almost a cliché of the genre, in which Hawke as naive rookie gets treated with cynical contempt by his street-wise bad-ass mentor, Washington. The whole thing has a slightly de-ja-vu look about it, as other equally good movies resonate in one's memory.

But just as it begins shuffling towards Boredom Street, the plot quickens and undergoes a dramatic and unexpected shift. A likable bad guy, played by reliable Scott Glenn is ruthlessly slain by the mentor (who has clearly crossed the line) in punctuation for stealing his $4million stash. The whole thing is rigged to look like a shake-down that went wrong. It certainly gets your attention.

Needless to say; the rookie wants no part of it and declines his share in the pay-off. You know from that point on that a collision course is inevitable.

Later this rookie is left in the hands of a bunch of homicidal Hispanics who have evidently been paid by his mentor to whack him. He survives this experience by a coincidence that borders upon the supernatural and is rather hard to take seriously. Still; he does, and now goes after his 'villain' mentor.

After that we are back to formulaic again. The ending is as weak as the beginning. Our rookie survives, the mentor gets wasted (by Russian mafia types) there's a brief off-camera newscast voice-over explaining that he's a 'hero' cop who died in the line of duty, blah,blah, blah.

A group of shady senior law officers referred to as the Three Wise Men and who are also evidently rotten as hell - of which Tom Berenger is wasted in a cameo role - are never seen or heard from again. It's a very incomplete and unsatisfactory denouement. I'm left thinking that the money or the celluloid just ran out before the story could be wound up.

You can see hints of 'Serpico' - which is more believable, 'The Rookie' - which is more fun, 'Deep Cover' which is more gripping, and one or two others. This work is adequate. The script is decent; acting is mostly good; location, lighting and sound do the business. Editing seems a bit choppy at times. It lights up predictably, shines brightly for a while, but fades without much flair.

Worth a watch if you get the chance, but not recommended for any particular quality.

Authentic, Intelligent & Utterly Engrossing

[seymourblack-1 · 9/10 · 27 January 2012]

This movie's a top quality police drama that's not only violent, tense and exciting but also authentic, intelligent and utterly engrossing. It's set in the most dangerous neighbourhoods of L.A. where undercover cops regularly have contact with drug dealers and gangsters and also face high-risk situations on an almost daily basis. The men who undertake this work have to assume many of the characteristics of the criminals they pursue in order to be accepted and in so doing are expected to avoid being sucked into behaving in the same way as the people they're seeking to bring to justice. Needless to say, not every officer manages to do this.

Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke)is an ambitious young rookie who wants to advance his career by becoming a member of an elite squad of undercover officers who work under the leadership of Detective Sergeant Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). When Alonzo agrees to take Jake on a one-day ride-along, Jake's thrilled, eager to learn and hopeful that he can show that he has the qualities needed to be a successful member of Alonzo's team.

Jake is naive, idealistic and totally unprepared for the events that he'll experience during his training day. He's initially disconcerted by Alonzo's repartee and sense of humour and is later unsettled by some of his mentor's practices, which seem incredibly unorthodox. Alonzo has many years of experience in undercover work and so Jake is reluctant to challenge his methods too strongly.

After observing the sale of some drugs in a park, Alonzo chooses not to make any arrests but simply acts in a very threatening manner towards the buyers and then confiscates their drugs. When Jake sees a young girl in an alley being sexually assaulted by two men, he overpowers them on his own and is then surprised when Alonzo decides not to report the incident after viciously beating up the two attackers. Alonzo knows that the girl's related to a gang member who will ensure that the two men are suitably punished but Jake is appalled by the use of this kind of street justice.

Later, Jake accompanies Alonzo when he uses a fake search warrant to enter a drug dealer's house so that he can steal the dealer's money and on another occasion when Alonzo and the rest of his squad kill a drug dealer who used to be a cop so that they can steal his money. Jake refuses to take a share of the proceeds but then is forced to change his mind after Alonzo threatens to frame him for the murder.

During his day with Alonzo, Jake is forced at gunpoint to smoke marijuana (laced with P.C.P.) and later pressured into drinking whisky and beer. He also learns that Alonzo owes a large amount of money to some Russian gangsters from Las Vegas and that the money stolen from the drug dealers is to be used to pay them off.

Jake's recognition of how corrupt Alonzo had become had grown as the day progressed but things then become even more threatening when he realises during a visit to a Latino gangster's home that Alonzo has abandoned him and the gang are determined to kill him.

"Training Day" contains plenty of action and violence but it's all relevant to the story and is very effective in portraying the level of danger that Jake finds himself in. The way in which the story unfolds draws the audience into identifying with the hapless trainee and in so doing makes the whole drama extremely gripping. The initial meeting of Alonzo and Jake is fascinating and the way that their relationship develops turns out to be both interesting and unpredictable. The inclusion of sequences filmed on location in the neighbourhoods where the action is set, enhances the realistic feel of the whole project and the authentic sounding dialogue strengthens this further.

Denzel Washington's Oscar winning performance captures perfectly Alonzo's unique combination of charm and menace and Ethan Hawke is extremely impressive as a young guy who experiences the most eventful and memorable day of his life.

didn't buy it

[william_blake · 6/10 · 24 July 2002]

as my personal opinion, i have to say dr.dre and snoop dogg were much more convincing as l.a. street men as denzel will ever be. all the time i could see denzel's black suite and red tie. shrug. what do i know about l.a. street life, but that's just the way i felt. meanwhile, ethan hawke, sigh, has never been my favorite actors, performs a whining mouse-like role as the partner, maybe it's supposed to be that way, didn't like it anyway.

anyhow, the strong points of this movie are good action sequences, nice street feeling and an ok plot. there are all kinds of good side characters in this film, some who are shamefully underused. actually, the lead pair is the only one that i didn't really like. the higher-then-average rating i gave came really from the general feeling in the movie, thanks to the side roles.

the last 20 minutes of the film is bucket stuff though, i've seen a similar ending a thousand times already. the director could have thought of something more original.

A filmmaker's dilemma (some spoilage included)

[hike_on · 4/10 · 1 December 2001]

Do you take big money from a studio, thus enabling you to hire the actor that could make your movie great, knowing that the studio will make certain script requirements guaranteed to ruin the whole thing?

This movie was so bad, but came so close to being so good. I was thrilled for the first, say, 105 minutes of Training Day. Then, rather than giving us a shocking ending, which would have been ok, or an ambiguous ending, which would have been better, we are given a cheesy formulaic ending. Not only that, the last 15 minutes are an assault on the viewer's intelligence. We are required to believe that Hawke's character would give up his weapon, we are hit with a ridiculous coincidence with the wallet, and it is suggested that our hero would know how to use LA's bus system to travel (quickly, another joke) from Boyle Heights to South Central (for those of you not from here, that would not happen). Then Washington's character leaves Hawke's alive, and...oh forget it, the list just keeps going.

But up until that point, I was so impressed. Hawke's internal struggle was great to watch, and pretty plausible. Washington, awful as his character was, was a joy to watch. It was fairly reflective of local issues, coming on the heels of the Rampart police scandal, in which cops in one part of the city (where most of the movie was set) took over the streets, making a huge impact in crime while doing some terrible things. The action scenes (until the latter moments) were fairly realistic looking and fun to watch. The character actors in smaller roles (Macy Gray, Snoop Dogg, and especially Cliff Curtis and his friends) were outstanding. You know, this movie had everything I would have wanted, except for an ending that didn't p*** me off.

Go see this movie, but once it moves to the bathtub, feel free to stop.

Street Justice Dispensed

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 19 April 2008]

Ethan Hawke, bright eyed and innocent, reports to his training officer for his first day on the job in narcotics in the LAPD. He never could have fathomed just how much he would learn on that very first Training Day.

His training officer is Denzel Washington, a thirteen year veteran on the police who's put in a few years in plainclothes in Narcotics. He certainly has the experience, but just what kind of experience and what he imparts to Hawke is the subject of Training Day.

A film like Training Day will rise and fall with the performances of these two characters since one or the other and mostly both is on screen from the beginning. Fortunately both Washington and Hawke complement each other's performances like jigsaw puzzle fit.

It is no accident that Denzel Washington won his second Oscar, his first as Best Actor. This performance is working on so many levels it's astonishing. Washington is at all times, charming, capable, corrupt, violent, street smart, and arrogant. What I liked most about it is how the various facets of this character are revealed bit by bit to the audience and to Hawke though not at the same time.

As for Ethan Hawke it takes him to realize just exactly what he's dealing with in a training officer. Hawke was nominated himself as Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Jim Broadbent for Iris. Still it remains his career role so far.

Corruption in the Los Angeles Police Department isn't exactly a new story. In fact one of the supporting players, Scott Glenn who plays a drug peddler and well, did another film about LAPD corruption in Extreme Justice. LA Confidential also dealt with this issue recently, another fine film.

Denzel Washington is a great example in this film of the arrogance of power. He's a guy who dispenses more street justice than going through the traditional system. So with what happens to him here, he gets one of the best comeuppances ever seen on the big screen.

And I won't say what it is, but you've got to see Training Day to find out.

Denzel at His Best

[minister_of_silly_walks · 10/10 · 27 February 2020]

Denzel Washington shines in this movie about a crooked, burnt-out cop taking on a wide eyed rookie as his partner, proving once again that he is one of the best actors of his generation. His performance is incredible and he commands the screen every time he is in a scene. The suburban streets never seemed so real, depressing and raw showing us that maybe the ones designated to make a community safer and more prosperous are actually the cancer that drags it further down.

A Shocking Farce

[slinky-8 · 18 April 2002]

After seeing this movie I was convinced that the Academy Awards is fixed. Where do I begin with the absurd implausibility and script of this film? What starts off with a decent premise disintegrates about midway through the movie where the "rogue" cop can somehow get away with virtually everything. Denzel is a baddie that is not only untouchable, but seems to have been unnoticed by everyone, including the press and those who are not involved in the corrupt underground. The plot holes are gaping, especially where he leaves his partner to an uncertain fate for reasons unexplained and with an escape that gives a whole new meaning to the words "deus ex machina." The ending, where a white man can simply walk through a tough black neighborhood and then get their backing, was about as awkward as John Goodman on a tightrope. Worse is how Washington's partner is able to pull of physical feats that rival those of coming back from being pummeled more than Rockey and being able to leap tall buildings in a single bound *and* showing strength and "stickum" like Superman and Spiderman. You'll wonder who thought up this tripe. Denzel Washington is a fine actor but the script was so awful that Denzel was left with the memorable tag line "you shot me in the a**!!!!" I fail to see how any actor could win an Oscar with such a poor script. The "all black win" at the Oscars was unquestionably pre-scripted for this warm fuzzy feeling of accomplishment to America. Denzel may deserve an Oscar for another film, but combine this tripe with Halle Berry (and there were plenty of other films and performances that were far better than hers) and you can understand what kind of contrived garbage you have here. If you want to see another fine black actor who hasn't won an Oscar and should have that appears in an awful film that should, unfortunately, prevent him from receiving an Oscar, go see Morgan Freeman in "Along Came a Spider" -- another contrived piece of garbage.

not great

[mjm10000 · 6/10 · 17 August 2003]

The only really reason this movie gets a 6 from me is the ending. I really thought it was a 3 out of 10 until the ending of the movie, the ending made the movie worth watching. I me how much can you stand a rogue cop movie. It takes away your confidence in the real police to see them potrayed this way.

Excellent film that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat and blow you away

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 9/10 · 2 August 2006]

If you ask me, TRAINING DAY is an excellent film that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat and blow you away. Harris (Denzel Washington) kind of gave me the creeps. You'll understand why once you've seen this movie. In my opinion, the performances were top grade, the direction was superior, the costumes were perfectly designed, and the cast was perfectly chosen. Also, the soundtrack is really good, too. Before I wrap this up, I must warn you that this movie is very violent if you're going to see it, so viewer discretion is strongly advised. Now, in conclusion, if you're a fan of Denzel Washington or Ethan Hawke, I highly recommend this movie. It's sure to keep you guessing from start to finish.

Over the top, all the way around

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 27 March 2002]

Greetings again from the darkness. Not much to say about this except it is not much fun to watch from any perspective. Everything is over the top ... the acting, the directing, the story, the music. It is nice to see Mr. Prima Donna, Denzel, in a bad guy role, but I would much rather see him play a smart/cool bad guy than this loose cannon who would have been shot much earlier in his police career. Ethan Hawke flops through his role like a fish out of water, and what is the deal with the "3 wise men"? Looked to be some type of X-files rip off. Anyway, just a waste of time.

Washington is sensational

[r96sk · 8/10 · 5 September 2020]

Denzel Washington is sensational in this, the plot might not quite match his performance but 'Training Day' is still a great watch. It's a riveting 122 minutes, I'm just not in love with how the premise is played out.

Washington's character, Alonzo, never really changes throughout, despite a supposed problem of his. I kept waiting for a reason to change the opinion that the first act puts to you regarding him but it never came, there's never a point I cared for him and I assume I was supposed to... at least to some degree? Also, his issue is thrown at you in one scene and isn't really mentioned again until the end. I get the character, just not his arc.

Ethan Hawke is very good, too, in this, even if I kept hearing Tom Cruise when he spoke... You also have a load of now familiar faces involved, including Eva Mendes, Raymond Cruz, Cliff Curtis, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Terry Crews. Quite an interesting cast list, that.

Loved all of this, except the (still good) plot execution. Maybe that's just me though. From what I've seen, Washington's best performance so far. He's the main takeaway from this whatever way you look at it.

King Kong ain't got sh*t on this movie !!!

[RayKarago · 7/10 · 15 April 2015]

One thing I will say about this film is that it has some of the best one liners ever put on film. I would say that you would have to watch this film for the one liners that Alonzo (Played by Denzel Washington) spills.

The film as itself is a lot of fun but it still has some flaws. Overall praise has to go to Denzel Washington, who is loving every minute of his performance as the villain. He does all the villain clichés, smiling, laughing and ranting, things you just love to see villains do. However, they don't just make him bad, the brilliant writing also makes him a complex character, giving a twisted morale compass. You actually question his sanity because, despite all the evil things he does, he actually thinks he is doing the right thing, its performances like this that remind me why Denzel Washington is my favorite actor and can do almost no wrong.

The film also does well at setting atmosphere, you really get a sense of these places in fact I even read that they had filmed in areas such as Compton. The appearances by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were awesome and well place and I loved the Latino gangsters that Hoyte has to face at the end of the film, one of them played by Cliff Cirtus who I believe can play any ethnic group.

However, I do have one issue with the film and that is its secondary character, Hoyte, played by Ethan Hawke. Don't get me wrong, I will take nothing away from Hawke's performance but they made the character of Hoyte so bland and predictable, the goody goody, always does right and I know thats what they were going for but they could have made him more interesting, maybe he is tempted by Alonzo and almost turns to the dark side or at the end of the film, something to make him more complex, particularly after all he has gone through.

Overall, if you like cop/crime thrillers then you will definitely enjoy this, if you want something with a lot of depth this may not be for you but hey, watch and make your own conclusion.

Denzel's Acadamy Award Winning Moment

[Tantive7 · 10/10 · 31 January 2006]

In his Acadamy Award Winning Performance,as best Actor.The movie, as the title suggests, follows a single day in the life of rookie cop Jake Hoyt (Hawk) as he is subject to a single day of evaluation by a senior, decorated police narcotics officer Alonzo Harris (Washington) to see if he has what it takes to be a 'narc'. Almost immediately Hoyt is placed on the back foot, constantly caught off guard by Alonzo's nature, his ability to switch between a cold, no-nonsense street-wise player, a genuinely caring and good intentioned leader, and occasionally jovial companion. From their first encounters though, where Hoyt tells Harris he will do "anything you want me to do", the situations Hoyt is taken into become more and more morally ambiguous, from the simple use of excessive force to outright illegal activity, forcing Hoyt to decide which side Harris is truly on, whether to trust him, or whether Hoyt is the unwitting centerpiece of a huge and complex web of lies and set-ups in order for Harris to for fill his own sinister motives..This is the movie that won Denzel the Oscar that year for Best Actor!! A must watch

A corrupt man in a corrupt world

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 30 July 2009]

Ethan Hawke has a "Training Day" - from hell - and learns that his trainer (Denzel Washington) is way out there in this 2001 film directed by Antoine Fuqua. Featured in the film are Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin, Eva Mendes, and Snoop Dogg.

Hawke is a young family man, Jake, who is teamed up with a decorated narcotics detective, Alonzo, to see if Jake has what it takes to work the street and go undercover. Alonzo is a very unsettling guy - joking one minute, mean the next - and Jake doesn't know quite how to take him. He just knows the job means a lot to him.

Gradually it dawns on him that a) Alonzo is more corrupt than any of the perpetrators he says he's after; and b) he's setting Jake up so that he's part of some dirty work and therefore won't be able to talk.

Really top-notch, edgy performance from Denzel Washington, who is always full of surprises, here playing an unpredictable character. This was his Oscar winning role, and it was deserved, though there's no question that he deserved it in the past too. The film is full of action, violence, and really raw characters - one certainly gets a sense of the mean streets from watching this film. Ethan Hawke acts just as a man who doesn't know what's going on would - unsure, embarrassed, nervous, scared, but very determined and quick-thinking, as he realizes what he's gotten himself into.

Shocking, violent, bloody, and fast - that about sums it up. Some excellent performances along the way, too, from everyone involved.

Nothing Special, Just "Typical" Denzel.

[Gerrit-KvdH · 4/10 · 10 December 2005]

To tell you the truth,

now that i am commenting on this movie i do have a "guilty feeling", giving this movie a score of : 1 out of 10.

So i changed it to : 4 Out Of 10!

But really after watching it : i couldn't really do anything else!

The hole show was Denzel Washington and to this day now i really can't understand why the plot was so predictably Poor!

It's easy to predict a "Denzel Washington-Movie" when you see it. Because the role is always the same : "A man ho has to run from his family to protect his wife and child and also has to deal with the mafia. or like in this movie he deals with Drug-mafia's and for once he's the Bad Guy!."

This one wasn't special although i must admit i have a "Soft-Spot" for the "Beautiful, Foxy and Sexy Femme Fatale" Eva Mendes.

This movie just didn't do it for me.

Denzel Washington is an actor but is he a great actor?

He has won an Oscar, but let me ask you this : Is everyone ho wins an Oscar "Worthy" of winning the Prize?

Is John Ruiz truly a Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the world?

Is Lennox Lewis one of the all-time great Heavyweight Boxing champions?

The answer on the Denzel Washington question will always be a split decision, in my eyes.

The best movie i saw of him was : "The Hurricane".

That was truly a brilliant performance, but "Training Day" is not.

And i think that movie will always make the grade in my book.

The "annoying" thing about this movie is that the "predictability" is pretty "obvious and boring".

When i mean "Predictability" i mean : Guns, Drugs, Mafia, shootout and This and that.

And even if Denzel played the "Bad Guy".

There wasn't anything "Special" about that role.

Russell Crowe's "Beautiful Mind" but especially Will Smith's Ali are much better "Performance's".

Some people on "this Board" seem to think this movie is "real day to day life." or think that this Denzel's best performance.

Well i don't think so!

Hurricane was his best, Malcolm X i wasn't impressed with and Out Of Time was Good to watch but Sanaa Lathan and again Eva Mendes made it even more Tasty!

And all that talk about this movie being real "day to day" life?

How "Out of touch" can you be?

At the end of the day everyone is in titled to his opinion.

So my conclusion : This movie isn't one of "Denzel's" better performance's. Eva Mendes will always be "Beautiful" on the screen, she is a "Very Underrated" Talent.

Ethan Hawke seemingly is very popular for his "role", witch was pretty good.

And there are a lot of "unnecessary" "Rappers" invited like Dr. Dre and Snoop "Doggy" Dogg.

And that doesn't much help the credibility of the "real life case" of this movie, that is put forward by some people on this board.

And although the movie is rated "High" by many in my eyes the movie was nothing special than a "Mediocre, Nothing Special Predictable" Performance.

For the people ho enjoy these kind of "Action, Drug Mafia and Denzel type movies" I'd recommend it.

But for people ho are looking for "more" depth and a better or a more "Real Life" performance, i say : This is not the movie for You!

My Score : 4.2

"Groeten" from Gerrit