Heart of Darkness on the streets of LA

Rating: 6/10 (20 July 2002)

I like the movie. I live in LA and saw up close neighborhoods I wouldn't venture into with a panzered Humbvie. But I learned that gangs have a code of honor. The story of a rookie cop Jake (Ethan Hawke) getting his street IQ bumped up a few notches by veteran Narc Alonzo (Denzyl Washington). But is Alonzo the truth the way and the light or a seductive demon? There's enough seduction and mystery to keep us interested. There is a boatload of really good acting between the two leads as they drive around the streets of LA fulfilling Alonzos agenda. Unfortunately the movie has two really week moments for which I suspect director Antoine Fuqua is still taking heat. Both moments are heroic unbelievable revivals of Jake. I suggest Antoine should have made an alternate ending without such a heroic revival and stuck that on the DVD for the viewers who were taken out of their theatre seats and put on the streets of LA. 4 stars.