Prepare for training.

Rating: Null/10 (2 June 2002)

Slick, stylistic good cop/bad cop story where Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke, 'Gattaca') must prove to Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington, who deservedly earned the Best Actor Oscar for this) that he has what it takes to become a narcotics officer - in a very shady part of town. He's got just one day. Training Day. As the two embark on a 24 hour rollercoaster ride through the rough streets, they will avoid death time and time again; bust, break and take down numerous 'bad guys'; steal money; kill somebody; and stab you in the back... and twist the knife.
The Hawke/Washington pairing is well selected - the unlikely duo share great chemistry and bounce off eachother covincingly (despite half of Denzel's lines being ad-libbed). Their performances are extremely strong, as are 'Collateral Damage' terrorist Cliff Curtis and also recording superstars Macy Gray, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. This movie never drags along at a slow pace - it's fast, furious and ultimately viewer-hooking with a believable storyline, plot and characters. The DVD also features an alternate ending - so for all of you out there who were disappointed at the climax (I'm not one of them) you can take comfort in the extra scenes. An inevitable sequel is probably being planned already - and that's more than O.K. by me!