Denzel Washington's Oscar-Winning Turn Saves the Day Here.

Rating: Null/10 (1 April 2002)

"Training Day" is an intense cop flick that tries to show the mean streets of Los Angeles through the eyes of a young cadet wanting to be a detective (Ethan Hawke in a well-deserved Oscar-nominated performance). Of all the cops to have a day with, Hawke gets to ride with the fiery and out-of-control Denzel Washington (in an electric Oscar-winning turn). Washington is a rogue cop who runs everything everywhere he goes. However, Washington has a hidden secret that could cost him his life by the end of the day. The film could best be described as "The Los Angeles Connection" (ala "The French Connection" 30 years ago) and Denzel Washington makes Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman in "The French Connection") look like an eagle scout. Washington dominates the action and is the much-needed "fire" in "Training Day". On the opposite side of the coin is the equally riveting Ethan Hawke who acts as the "ice" to counter-act Washington's heat. Hawke is trapped in a situation where he sees all, but what can he really do about what is happening around him? Overall the film is a near-miss and really should have been a pure mess. Denzel Washington finally got a role where he could do what he wanted and more than anything "Training Day" is just an exhibition for Washington's out-of-this-world talents. With that said this is not Washington's greatest performance (I am partial to "The Hurricane" myself). Washington has made himself great by playing somewhat quiet and sympathetic characters and this role is the exact polar opposite of that. Ethan Hawke is super and this film truly put him into a higher class of actors. The research of this film is pretty impressive as the film-makers shot in real rough neighborhoods in Los Angeles and many real-life gang-bangers and thugs are prevalent throughout the film. Cameos by musical superstars Macy Gray, Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg are really some of the strongest scenes as all three do fine jobs in limited screen-time. Too many coincidences, a somewhat ridiculous confrontation between Washington and Hawke near the end and Washington's side-story are the main things I found a bit out-there. But in the end the film served its purpose: getting Washington the Best Actor Oscar. 4 stars out of 5.