DENZAL, Finally Plays a Bad A**

Rating: 8/10 (7 April 2003)

Training Day is a great crime, drama, action, thriller, and cop/detective film. The screenplay is very rich and smooth, very free flowing. Great from start to finish. Training Day is one of my Top 5 favorite films to come out of 2001. The story is about a young police officer (Hawke) trying to make detective the fastest way, by being a narcotics officer for 18 months. He has one day to prove himself to his boss, Detective Alonzo Harris (Washington). This becomes his Training Day. Through out the film he finds out that being a narc is more then he bargained for. The film is about wrong and right and making the right decisions under extreme pressure. Denzal Washington gives a fantastic performance as Detective Harris. He is a man that has no morals and is using the badge to perform crimes against the criminals he is putting away, or trying to put away, either by death or prison. Denzal's powerful performance earned him an Oscar for best actor in 2002. Ethan Hawke gives a emotional performance as Officer Jake Hoyt, the new guy in training. He was also nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor. Another great cop/detective film that came out recently is Narc (2002). I highly recommend both of these films. I give Training Day * * * * (out of 5 stars).