denzel gets oscar, but all is not perfect...

Rating: Null/10 (25 March 2002)

SPOILERS ALERT I am glad the Denzel won his first best actor Oscar. I could think of other roles he has played more deserving of accolades. Fair enough, he does a fine job here.
The problem with this movies is not the acting, though Ethan Hawke is no giant. The problem with this movie is the writing.
I will give this movies top marks for disturbing imagery, and its hyper-adrenaline feel. But some things just do not make sense in the plot.
Denzel's character plays a street-wise narcotics cop, tough as coffin nail, always one step ahead of everyone. Ethan Hawke is a boy scout of uniform cop, that is on his first training day with Denzel.
We the audience are then taking for a ride. Denzel puts the rookie through hell, and we squirm watching.
He talks/tricks the newbie into smoking pcp, drinking beer, and pocketing confiscated money. If that doesn't push your sense of disbelief, Denzel, then shows him his personal whore, and bastard son. To cap off a typical LAPD first day, training day, Denzel then introduces Hawke's character to three high ranking government officials, all who reveal their high level corruption in casual conversation. From these three they get permission to murder a major drug dealer, and split four million dollars in drug money.
When Hawke's character refuses to go along after the murder, Denzel then tricks him into going to a rat's nest of gangsters, abandoning him to be murdered by the gang.
At this point we have to figure Hawke's character as a very stupid man.
Yet after he is released by the gangsters( for saving the leader's cousin that morning)he stalks Denzel at his whore's apartment, and get's the drop on him.
After the completely predictable long fight scene between Denzel, and Hawke, Denzel is confronted by all the gang members that he previously owned, and Hawke is allowed to escape. Instead of killing Denzel they just stare at him as though they very disappointed in him, and go home.
In the end, Denzel is killed by some Russians, whom we have never seen before in the movie.
Just a few holes in the plot?