Grabbed my attention & never let go...

Rating: 9/10 (27 March 2002)

This film really got to me like no movie has in a long time. After about the first hour, I was on the edge of my seat and absolutely glued to the screen. The ending was somewhat weak like has been commented here before, but I'm not sure I could have taken another moment of intensity... I was 'in' the picture and lost to the world like nothing in a very long time. You could have grabbed a sample of my blood and come up with nothing but pure adrenaline.
Part of the reason might be a past history with a bit of street background in it (yes, I've met lowlifes although nothing as bad as portrayed here)... this brought up the atmosphere of some remembered horrors, and by the end of the film my heart was palpitating and I was physically choking. I went into this film with no 'prior knowledge' whatsoever (as a rookie), and it might have been a near heart attack for this over-35 guy... next time I'll read up on the plot a bit first.
For the average moviegoer, the realism may not jump out too much... if you've ever been on the streets sometime in recent memory (even briefly, and not necessarily in LA), this film is like spreading drugs out in front of a former junkie -- not pleasant, but try tearing your eyes away. And Denzel... was truly a surprise. I've never been too impressed by his somewhat wooden acting, but his 'moment' toward the end is up there with the best rant-fests I've seen from Al Pacino. The 'best actor' Oscar was deserved, imho.
9/10 (one point off for a weak ending).