Colors II

Rating: 4/10 (28 October 2002)

A seasoned narcotics officer takes a rookie out for one day of on the job training to determine if he's worthy of joining the elite undercover department. Is LA really this big of a mess? This movie makes Capone's Chicago look like Bedford Falls. But don't believe it. Thanks to your friendly neighborhood Liberal Thought Police media correspondent, a big city cop can't so much as clean his gun without being brought up on misconduct or excessive force charges. So the idea of Los Angeles being a modern day Dodge City with the cops shooting and beating up the street scum is about as far from reality as a Bill Clinton testimony. This is one of those films that is at times so over the top brilliant, and at others so patheticaly stupid, that you wonder if it wasnt a splicing of efforts by 2 different directors. But its all one guys work, and sadly the stupidity leaves a stronger aftertaste than the quality. Whats good is the entire first hour and Denzel's and Hawke's work throughout. Whats bad is the typical, utterly unoriginal and predictable ending. How can one movie go from so fresh to so moldy stale within the short span of two movie hours? Figure that one out and the world is your oyster.