Below average, and way below expectations.

Rating: 4/10 (17 October 2001)

OK, despite the reviews of critics nationwide this movie falls way short of it's target to be a gritty if overdone wanna-be-good-cop-goes-bad story. Are critics afraid to pan Denzel?
Denzel never convinces us that he was ever more than a thug with a badge. He plays the character so over-the-top in love with himself that he doesn't even know the boys in the hood hate his guts. The role of narcissistic punk comes way to easy to Denzel (but that is true in most of his roles) and he pushes the character way beyond any belief.
Hawke never grabs us an innocent but well-meaning guy, just young and really, really dumb (gives the gang his gun to see?). Why do they give a guy a drop-dead beautiful, could be a cover girl wife when it is no part of the story? I thought the story would get back to her, but she was just a distraction.
All the characters, like Scott Glenn's, were underdeveloped.

If you are a huge Denzel fan you will enjoy this movie as he is on screen non-stop. If you are a movie fan go see something else.