I'm a pretty cold-hearted bastard when it comes to law enforcement. The way I see it, a murderer shouldn't be thrown in jail, a murderer should be beaten to death by the family of the victim. A rapist shouldn't be thrown in jail either. A rapist needs to have his penis amputated. Of course, when forced to define "murderer" and "rapist," I'm suddenly dealing with some gray area. I understand that. Generally speaking, however, I think that justice needs to be swift, logical, and most of all, brutal. Rehabilitation is wonderful, in theory, but rehabilitation isn't realistic. We need to focus more on punishment. Does that mean I'm a big supporter of the death penalty? Actually, no. I'm not sure where I stand there. If it was guaranteed that the person given the death penalty was guilty of murder, then I'm all for it. Kill 'em all! But if just one innocent person is put in an electric chair, that's one innocent person too many, and I'm not sure that's worth it.
I'm sorry, it must seem like I'm totally on my soapbox right now. Don't worry, there's a point to all this.
Based on the trailer, "Training Day" is a movie that seems to be about two cops, one of whom shares my opinion of how true justice should be served. He bends the rules a little - okay, he bends the rules a lot - but he's doing it to make the streets safer, right? It's all for good, right? Someone like me should appreciate a cop like that, right? Well, sure... up to a point. The thing is, if a cop goes overboard, he's no better than the people he's trying to rid the streets of. Does the cop go overboard in this movie? I'm not telling, ya gotta see for yourself. But define "overboard"...
I like "Training Day" a lot. Scene after scene, I was totally into the movie. The acting, the directing, the music, the script... they're all exceptional. Unfortunately, the ending is a letdown. It isn't horrible, it just isn't all that satisfying. One problem is that it has the typical Hollywood ending, the kind that almost makes you wanna roll your eyes. The other problem with the ending is that it doesn't tell you how everything is dealt with emotionally once it's over. After everything that happens in the movie, I wanna know what it does to a person. Other than that, though, "Training Day" is a fast-paced, entertaining, thought-provoking movie that I thoroughly enjoyed.
What EVERYONE is gonna talk about in "Training Day" is Denzel Washington, and justifiably so. Wow. I can't put into words how electrifying he is in this movie. His performance may be the best of his illustrious career, and that's saying a lot. He's one of the best actors on the planet, and this is the best work he's ever done. If he doesn't get nominated for an Oscar, it'll be a huge surprise. Not only that, I can honestly say that so far, no actor has come close to Denzel's performance in this movie. Unless an actor comes outta nowhere within the next three months and delivers a performance as good as his, then it's no contest, Denzel Washington should get the Oscar for Best Actor. With a performance as amazing as his, you would think that his co-star wouldn't have a prayer, but lemmie tellya, Ethan Hawke impressed me. I remember back when I saw "Reality Bites," which ended up being tied with "Empire Records" as my most hated movie of all-time, and Ethan Hawke played the character I hated the most, so I didn't like him as an actor. I know that makes no sense, but whatever, I'm a freak. But since that horrible movie, he starred in "Before Sunrise" and "Great Expectations," two movies I like. Now with "Training Day," he's truly redeemed himself. He holds his own against Denzel, and there's no way that coulda been easy. Another actor I should mention is Cliff Curtis. Cliff Curtis makes a short, but powerful appearance. His name probably doesn't ring a bell, but believe me, the guy is talented, and he has a thousand faces. He was a Mid-Easterner in "Three Kings," he was a South American in "Blow," and in "Bringing Out the Dead," he was... black? Puerto Rican? I don't really remember. Well, in "Training Day," he's Mexican. The guy has a face where it seems like he can play any nationality he wants to. Most importantly, though, he's a phenomenal actor. I hope he makes it big, because he deserves it.
"Training Day" was written by David Ayer, who helped write "U-571" and "The Fast and the Furious." I never saw "U-571," but like "The Fast and the Furious," "Training Day" is a lot better than one should expect, and it has an ending that's disappointing. David Ayer is a great writer, but he needs help when it comes to how to end a movie. Then again, I'm the last person who should be criticizing a writer, especially one as good as David Ayer. The director is Antoine Fuqua, and this is his third feature film. His first two were the Jamie Foxx movie, "Bait," and "The Replacement Killers." He's a former music video director, and it shows. The guy is very flashy. With "The Replacement Killers," his first film, he was TOO flashy, to the point of distraction. I never saw "Bait," but with "Training Day," it's obvious that he restrains himself now. He knows exactly when it's time to throw in the flash, though. He's matured immensely since his first film, and he's a very talented guy. Lotsa talent in this movie.
This movie has it's flaws, but the good things about it are REALLY good. It's a raw, gritty movie that may make some viewers uncomfortable, but people will be talking about it. Whether they're talking about Denzel Washington's amazing performance, the subject matter, or even the many cameos, people WILL be talking about this movie. "Training Day" is a movie that demands your attention. Don't miss it.
Scale of 1-10: 9