A well-constructed story, until...

Rating: Null/10 (24 May 2004)

*Spoilers!* A lot has been said about how this film paints a bad picture of the LAPD, or how it depicts the worst aspects of humanity: betrayal, treachery, greed,etc. However, though it places its tale within a realistically urban environment, TRAINING DAY is actually a clever tale of how Washington's character sets up his scheme to get the money to pay off a p*ssed-off Russian gangster. THAT IS THE STORY. For the most part, the story works well, with good-guy trainee Hawke finding himself in ever-more compromising positions as Washington builds up to his money-acquiring caper.
The only weak part of the plot occurs when Hawke is saved (during a lethal poker game) due to the most far-fetched example of good fortune/coincidence seen in a movie for a long time. Maybe reviewers try to get more out of this movie than is actually there because Washington got an Oscar for his role.