An Oscar-winning performance, but a mediocre flick.

Rating: 5/10 (16 November 2013)

"Training Day" is Denzel Washington's master class in dominating a movie. He's compelling, explosive, magnetic, all of it. In the hands of someone less daring, Alonzo Harris could've been just a cardboard bad guy. But Washington handily makes the role his. He owns this movie.
And up until the pivotal scene with Scott Glenn, this movie is a kickass crime thriller. It's here (sadly) that things start falling apart. Til now, Ethan Hawke's internal struggle gives the movie its dramatic weight when Denzel's not on screen. But at this point, the movie's about a thug with a badge buying search warrants with stolen money, and the rookie being asked to shoot someone dead with no provocation. There's nothing left to the character of Alonzo Harris, seeing as he's just a criminal trying to buy his way out of a screwup with the Russian mob. All the b.s. he'd been spewing to Hawke is nothing. And everything from then on (Hawke's miraculous salvation from execution, ridiculous fistfight on rooftops, etc.) is just absurd.
The brilliant first half crime movie gives way to the typical contrivances of a David Ayer script. It's all still worth the watch just for Denzel Washington's riveting performance. It's just a shame the rest of the package doesn't live up to that incredible talent.
5/10