*** Official "TRAINING DAY" Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now the Official Review Thread for "Training Day". Please post all HTF member reviews in this thread. Any other comments, links to other reviews, or discussion items will be deleted from this thread without warning! If you need to discuss those type of issues, I have designated an Official Discussion Thread which can be found at this link .
Again, without warning, I will delete all posts that are not a HTF member review!
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Crawdaddy
------------------
Peter Staddon: "I didn't say you can put 'Monkeybone' back!"
[Edited last by Robert Crawford on October 05, 2001 at 12:50 PM]

 

[AJ Johnson]

Not much of a review but I have to say this is one of the best experiences I've had at the theater lately. Very good movie. Denzel Washington actually made me believe I was watching someone other than Denzel Washington for a change. He really pulled me into his character..as did Ethan Hawke.
------------------
http://www.angelfire.com/sk/hitman1/AJtheatercover

 

[Aaron Hose]

I'll keep this plain and simple... it was MUCH better than I expected...great performances...Highly recommended!
[Edited last by Aaron Hose on October 06, 2001 at 12:18 AM]

 

[Bill McCamy]

The action was a bit over the top. Guys got up from beatings that would have caused a four week hospital stay.
But the movie drives along at a great pace. The actors are convincing in their roles. Some of the smaller parts are filled by really good actors or real life hoods.
The story covers about twenty hours. Twists and turns come quickly, but believably. The audience is in Hawke's position, just learning as the training day progresses. I'd also say that it was a much better movie than I expected.
[Edited last by Bill McCamy on October 06, 2001 at 02:58 AM]

 

[Patrick Sun]

I agree with the sentiment so far, a very entertaining film, with little dead time, and always pushing the plot so to speak.
Denzel Washington gives yet another fine performance, and the transformation in Ethan Hawke's character over the course of the film also show a good bit of acting.
The story is not the plot, but rather how the characters' character unravel throughout the film. If you enjoyed the trailer, you won't be disappointed by this film, and not much is given away by the trailer.
Was I the only one to think that Ethan Hawke sounded just like Tom Cruise in some of the early scenes (mainly the ones where he's chasing after Snoop Dogg)?
I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

 

[Alex Spindler]

I thought the trailer looked like a powerhouse, and wasn't let down. Neither of the leads dropped a ball on this one, and the story (while relying on a couple of coincidences and contrivances) gave them plenty of moral fodder to throw between the two characters. Patrick's take that the story is not the plot is right on target.
Spoiler:I was a little surprised that it went all the way to door number three for the ending to be reached. I was convinced that the street hoods would have taken the opportunity when it presented itself.
All in all, a solid B, and few mistakes at all.

 

[Henry Carmona]

Gosh! Yeah it was a shootem up movie, but dayum!
Very controversial as far as law enforcement goes, i liked it.
Dam Denzel was good! As mentioned, i kinda forgot it was Denzel. Would recommend.
------------------

"Charlie don't surf."

 

[BrianKM]

I have to agree with most of what has been said here: great performances from Denzel (you really start to hate his character) and Ethan (more depth than your average good guy), good pacing, good jokes - overall, just plain entertaining. Best theater experience I have had in a while - they even used the surrounds to good effect.
On a side note, many cultural critics had announced the demise of irony in pop culture after the WTC tragedy, but people still managed to laugh at Spoiler:Alfonso's crew member almost bleeding to death after one of the bullets got through his vest following the raid on Alfonso's rich friend.

 

[Mark Palermo]

Training Day starts as a gritty drama and then becomes a preposterous action film. It’s a fine achievement in both genres. Denzel Washington plays Alonzo Harris, a Los Angeles undercover narcotics cop who takes rookie Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) under his wing. Over the next 24-hours, Jake receives a rounded education in the LAPD’s corruptive tactics. Alonzo informs Jake that he can’t be a sheep if he hopes to catch wolves. This analogy is no more profound than Training Day’s race-reversal of the standard hardened-veteran/naive-rookie roles, yet it manages to question the nature of heroism with a surprising aptitude. Where does public safety lie, when so many peace officers accepted that title as an excuse to act upon sadistic urges? Though Hawke’s part is thankless, Jake Hoyt is intended mainly to reflect the viewers' unease. Washington, as per usual, carries the film. As the detective who knows the ins-and-outs of the inner-city drug trade, it’s a tour-de-force departure from the intellectuals he usually plays. Applying his restless approach to the first movie of his career that’s worth the energy, director Antoine Fuqua (The Replacement Killers, Bait) ponders the possibility of honest behaviour in a land where, as Fishbone sang, "Everybody’s hoin’ for something."
Rating: B

 

[Steven Simon]

I wasn't sure if this movie was worth the 5.50 Day price, but after reading these positive reviews, I'm there manana!!!

------------------
Thanks,
Steven R. Simon
HTF Administrator
Theater Pics Updated 9-11-2001
Send Email:
[email protected]

 

[Kirk Tsai]

I enjoyed the movie very much. Walking in, I was led to believe that it was closer to social commentary than morality play; it turns out that the latter is closer to the film. Because I thought the film's main point was trying to show the "greyness" of such a job, I had pre-imagined Washington's character only going a certain distance. Boy was I wrong. Don't get me wrong, the whole film is tightly paced, but once the film started to really roll, Washington isn't just a cop who has crossed the line, he's one that has basically erased it. As the films goes on, I got a sense of inevitability, which is why I feel the movie is ultimately a morality play. Except for Malcom X, I cannot think of a better performance from Denzel Washington.

 

[MonicaS]

I really liked this movie. I loved Denzel Washington. He was so believable as a bad guy. The liked that realistic drama of it. Very good all around movie.

 

[JohnS]

I thought I'd add my two cents in now.
I really liked this movie as well.
I thought Denzel Washington had a very strong performance. I think without his performance, the movie would have stunk.
The story moved really well, and kept me involved and thinking where Ethan Hawke's character was going to go.
Highly recommened also!
RATING=B+
------------------