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Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin ... see more see more... , Raymond J. Barry , Cliff Curtis , Dr. Dre , Snoop Dogg , Macy Gray , Charlotte Ayanna , Nick Chinlund , Jaime Gómez , Raymond Cruz , Noel Guglielmi , Eva Mendes , Sarah Danielle Madison

The Fast and the Furious (2001) screenwriter David Ayer follows up that fast-paced action hit with this gritty cop drama from director Antoine Fuqua. Ethan Hawke stars as Jake Hoyt, a fresh-faced Los ... read more read more...Angeles Police Department rookie anxious to join the elite narcotics squad headed up by 13-year veteran Detective Sergeant Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). Harris has agreed to give Hoyt a shot at joining his team with a one-day ride-along during which Hoyt must prove his mettle. As the day wears on, however, it becomes increasingly clear to the greenhorn that his experienced mentor has blurred the line between right and wrong to an alarming degree, enforcing his own morally compromised code of ethics and street justice. As he struggles with his conscience, an increasingly alarmed Hoyt begins to suspect that he's not really being given an audition at all; he's being set up as the fall guy in an elaborate scheme. Training Day co-stars Tom Berenger, Scott Glenn, and recording artists Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Macy Gray. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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85% liked it

267,222 ratings

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72% liked it

153 critics

R, 2 hr. 2 min.

Directed by: Antoine Fuqua

Release Date: October 5, 2001

Keywords: action, badass, cop

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DVD Release Date: June 1, 2004

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Stats: 14,173 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (14,173)

  • ironclad1609
    May 30, 2012
    ironclad1609
    review coming.
  • garyX
    April 18, 2012
    garyX
    Ethan Hawke plays a rookie cop looking to make detective by becoming part of Denzel Washington's narcotics task force. But is he teaching the rules of survival on the dog eat dog streets, or is he a psychotic and corrupt loose cannon using Hawke's inexperience for his own ends? T... read morehe biggest appeal in this glossy cop thriller is seeing Denzel playing totally against his usual holier than holy type and if he'd taken more of these parts, I'd like him a whole lot more. Unfortunately it's the reliance on surface gloss that is the film's Achilles heel. If you asked a middle class 15 year old white boy what it's like to live in the "hood", this is exactly what he'd describe; basically a living hip-hop video, complete with rappers, lowriders and hot and gratuitously naked Puerto Rican babes. The story and direction is effective but it chugs along with little pause for suspense and it lacks the grittiness and believability of the similar Narc. It is clearly a quality action thriller that's fuelled by Washington's powerhouse performance but the female demographic may be put off by the constant macho posturing that makes it positively reek of testosterone.
  • fb1463751009
    March 9, 2012
    fb1463751009
    Denzel's performance is absolutely riveting. Every scene he's in, he's got the audience captivated. The East-LA, gritty gang setting is revealing and shocking but the movie suffers from poor production value, poor cinematography & camera work, and little substance. This movie is ... read moreextremely forgettable; what isn't forgettable? Denzel Washington's performance. Yup, he's that good. He carries the entire movie.
  • fb1038944442
    February 6, 2012
    fb1038944442
    Training Day is a gripping thriller, despite the fact that it trades in rusty corrupt cop and film noir cliches, plus a wack of borrowed scenes from other movies.

    This is due to the talents of three men who elevate this into something truly special: Denzel Washington, charisma... read moretic leading man doing the best work of his career as a bad guy (he should do more bad ass dudes, and won Oscar for this), Ethan Hawke, who takes on the earnest and idealistic rookie role and makes a meal of it, has never been better, and super talented director Antoine Fuqua, who insisted the real locations and extras, creating a versimilitude of inner city of Los Angeles in a way that has never been done better in a mainstream Hollywood potboiler.

    The naive rookie coupled with the corrupt veteran has been done a million times, but this works because of the superb chemistry of Denzel and Ethan, and a black humour that coexists on the knife edge of menace.

    On the down side, the last act and its resolution trades in ridiculous unlikely coincidences that make no sense, but we as viewers are already on board for the ride, so the filmmakers get away with it. For example (spoiler alert) Denzel steals money from his best pal and cruelly executes him just so the greek tragedy is set up for the end. Later, the whole hood, to a man, that Denzel controls conveniently turn against him, for no apparent reason, leading to his demise.

    Then there are echos of other scenes from better movies such as the Godfather, Sonny Corleone's legendarily brutal machine gun execution which is recreated almost verbatim. See if you can spot others.

    All in all, a good way to spend two hours, provided you don't expect much originality.
  • DreamExtractor
    September 25, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Training Day is one of my favorite films ever made, and is by far the best performance by Denzel Washington. The story is about Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) on his first day of being a cop, and the whole day he is taught by a corrupt and evil cop Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). T... read morehe story sounds so simple, but it was actually so brilliant and genius, because the film takes place on one day and shows the true nature of evil, and how corrupt a person can become. The cast is probably the best part of the film, but when I say that I mostly mean Denzel Washington. Denzel Washington plays one of the greatest and evil roles in film history, I mean at first he seems to be a little shaky but as the film goes on we realize that our protagonist has to work with a complete sociopath. Ethan Hawke is also great ands I had never even heard of him until this film, but now I can honestly say he is a good actor. Training Day has something special about it, that it focuses on one day of
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    August 29, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    A different style of cop film, features Denzel Washington as a veteran narcotics officer and Ethan Hawke as the young rookie. Training Day has a good idea for a story, but it's clear that the film could be so much more. Antoine Fuqua is not very talented as a director, but he man... read moreages to create a film that's pretty decent. Training Day is a perfect film, and it's clear that this film struggles with a semi decent script. Denzel Washington's performance is what saves this picture from a being a total dud. Despite the fact that it's uneven, Training Day manages quite entertaining. I'm not saying that this is a good film, but it does have a few good, action packed moments. The dramatic elements thrown into the story barely work, and feel unnatural in the story's overall progression. I did enjoy the films ending, and Denzel Washington really brought it when this film could have been a total disaster. Training Day is worth watching, but its never excellent, and the rappers here such as Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg should stick to the music (not that its good music to begin with) as these two aren't fit to be actors. Though it lacks anything really thrilling, Training Day manages to be a decent time waster despite the fact that it's barely an average film. Like I said before, Denzel Washington saved this film from being a poor action drama, and it's because of his performance alone that this is a film that's watchable.
  • cosmo313
    August 28, 2011
    cosmo313
    This film takes a nice formula (24 trip following a rookie cop learning the ropes from a wise, yet ruthless and powerful veteran), and gives it a big shot of style and energy, making it a terrfic and engrossing film filled with excellent performances, a tight story, and tons of t... read moreension.

    This film marked a real change of pace for Denzel Washington, as this film shows him finally taking on the role of a bad guy, and the results do not disappoint in the slightest. The nominating was odd though sicne Ethan Hawke was nominated for an Oscar in the supporting category despite being in every scene. Denzel should have been in the supporting category, but both should have won regardless. Too bad only Denzel won.

    This isn't one of those times where they only gave a performer an award because they went against type. Denzel really does do an excellent job at playing menacing, yet very cool and charismatic. He's one guy you really don't wanna mess with, and I love the way that the machinations and schemes of his characters are constructed and executed. I'm also happy this film features characters that are complex, well rounded and not just typical caricatures.

    Denzel's Alonzo Harris may be corrupt, but he is an effective cop, and his reasons aren't pointless. Hawke's Jake Hoyt may seem like a typcial idealistic rookie, but he's got a dark side to him as well, and one scene that always sticks in my mind comes near the end when he leaves the ghetto. I'm not getting into details, but let's just say that what he goes through as he walks through the crowd (all done without dialogue) really says a lot about his character. It's an uncomfortable moment of pain and dehumanization that really rings true.

    Enough about all that though, This is just a great looking grityy drama that is really compelling and entertaining and you really get hooked into the world the characters inhabit. Had this film not been so strong and well made, it would have been just another run of the mill crime drama set in the hood. Thanks to the great direction and excellent performances though, this becomes art.
  • fb729949618
    August 1, 2011
    fb729949618
    "King Kong ain't got shit on me!" Definition of badass movie.
  • FrizzDrop
    May 16, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    Most of this film was hinged on Denzel Washington, the wolf in sheepskin. At first I believed the portrayal of the so-called "streets" was a cliche on the edge of racial insensitivity, but as the movie progresses, you realize its simply a backdrop. Washington is at first a carica... read moreture of a true human being, but as his brash and criminal element branches out, his cold heart becomes apparent, much like the fake persona serial killers use. Instead of just being a hate mongering cop on the backslide, he also manipulates a fellow officer (Hawke) into his ring of criminal activity. Hawke is clean in everything he does, from turning down drugs and money to saving a girl from being raped. He's a cowboy dressed all in white, no flaws about him, actually boring next to Washinton's daring role. Weaving throughout are gang relations, police brutality, drugs, armed robbery, and a reality that all the people that Washington's character, Alonzo, believes are under his thumb, actually hate the patronizing attitude he shows towards them. Between all the political incorrectness and unsubtle nuances, there is a message of honesty triumphing over all.
  • Deano78
    December 3, 2010
    Deano78
    A great action/crime thriller as a rookie cop joins the LA narcotics unit and has a memorable day in many ways. It's a very good film with some great actors and a decent story. It is quite violent at times, quite weird in places but has a tense great ending I really enjoyed. The ... read moresame director recently done Brooklyn's Finest also worth checking out!

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Critic Reviews

Lisa Alspector
April 9, 2008
Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader

If he makes it through the trial by fire -- and a blandly twisting plot with no meaningful revelations or substantial themes -- Hawke will get a promotion, but there's nothing in it for us. Full Review

Peter Rainer
January 22, 2002
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

On a purely visceral level, Training Day is easily the most exciting movie out there right now, but as a morality tale with anything large on its mind, it's a cop-out. Full Review

Andrew O'Hehir
October 12, 2001
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

Training Day isn't just one of the finest cops-and-robbers thrillers of recent years, full of devious twists and gut-grinding tension, but it also steers clear of convenient moral formulas. Full Review

Rex Reed
October 11, 2001
Rex Reed, New York Observer

Training Day is a tense, polished, well-made action thriller that suffers from bad timing. Full Review

(CNN.com) Paul Clinton
October 8, 2001
(CNN.com) Paul Clinton, CNN.com

As usual Washington is astounding. He grabs the screen like a vise and never lets go. Full Review

Megan Rosenfeld
October 5, 2001
Megan Rosenfeld, Washington Post

A taut, high-velocity film.

Michael O'Sullivan
October 5, 2001
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

In the end is less than fully satisfying.

Geoff Pevere
October 5, 2001
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

As impersonated by the evangelically thunderous Washington -- who no longer acts with other performers, he acts at them -- Alonzo feels about as 'street' as a Beverly Hills ghetto. Full Review

David Edelstein
October 5, 2001
David Edelstein, Slate

Giving Alonso a melodramatic secret -- a reason for this particular behavior on this particular day -- trivializes the whole exercise. Full Review

Glenn Lovell
October 5, 2001
Glenn Lovell, San Jose Mercury News

This movie is so racist that it's almost possible to overlook the wholesale misogyny. Full Review

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    • Alonzo Harris: This is a newspaper right? Its 90% bullshit, but it's entertaining. That's why I read it because it entertains me. YOU won't let me read it, so you entertain me with your bullshit. Tell me a story right now, go...
    • Alonzo Harris: Hey, hey, hey. You wanna go to jail or you wanna go home?
    • Alonzo Harris: You know where you gonna end up? In the gas chambers. You know what the gas chambers smell like? Pine oil. That's where you headed, pine oil heaven.
    • Alonzo Harris: You'll never see the light of... who the fuck do you think you're fucking with? I'm the police, I run shit around here. You just live here.
    • Alonzo Harris: King Kong ain't got shit on me.
    • Alonzo Harris: You made the decision. Live with your decision. Ain't like I put a gun to your head.
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Training Day Trivia

  • Denzel Washington played the role of Alonzo Harris in which movie?  Answer »
  • Which actor played in these films? John Q, Antoine Fisher, Courage Under Fire, and Training Day?  Answer »
  • In what movie did DEnzel Washington say the famous quote, "King Kong ain't got nothin on me!"?  Answer »
  • Which actor starred in the following movies; Remember the Titans, The Bone Collector, Training Day, Deja Vu, The Hurricane  Answer »
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