“Training Day” is a non-stop action flick about the lives of two cops, one who is a good guy and his partner, a corrupt, bad guy. Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) is the “fresh-faced daisy” rookie who only became a police officer to “take the bad guys off the street, and bring justice to all.”
His bad-ass partner, Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington), is the bad cop, who is just like the criminals on the street.
Jake is pulled into Alonzo’s world of logic that breaking the law is the only way to beat the streets.
Washington gives a superb performance as a cocky, corrupt cop. He is a smiling, irresistible bad cop, which is what makes him so seductive. This movie is all about Washington.
“King Kong ain’t got shit on me,” Alonzo tells his partner.
Hawke holds his own against Washington. He has matured in his acting roles, coming a long way since his first stint in “Dead Poets Society.”
The film opens with Alonzo and Jake pulling over three people in a Volkswagen and asking them for their pot.
After taking the confiscated pot laced with PCP, Alonzo wants Jake to smoke it. Jake refuses and Alonzo teases and torments poor Jake by putting a gun to his head.
So Jake, being the good, nice guy, smokes the pot. It is clear that Washington calls all the shots, only the viewer and Hawke don’t realize it yet.
Then in the next scene, Jake sees two men raping a young girl. They pull over and Jake fights with the two men while his partner stands there smoking a cigarette. Alonzo comes over and hits one of the men in the groin, then says he wants a beer.
“Street justice,” is how Alonzo refers to the situation.
At one point in the movie, Alonzo makes one drug dealer vomit up three rocks he has hiding.
In almost all scenes, Washington takes control over the situation and uses his street knowledge to conquer Hawke and all the bad guys, although he is one bad guy himself.
Overall, the movie was a good flick, a bit over the top but still enjoyable.
Along with Washington’s electrifying performance, a lot of action, gunfire and drama were what made “Training Day” a good movie with a message.