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- Cert:
- Running time: 120 minutes
- Year: 2001
- Released: 1st February 2002
- Widescreen Ratio: 2.35:1
- Rating: 6/10
Director:
- Antoine Fuqua
(Bait, The Replacement Killers, Training Day)
Producers:
- Robert F. Newmyer and Jeffrey Silver
Screenplay:
- David Ayer
Original Score :
- Mark Mancina
Cast :
- Alonzo: Denzel Washington
Jake: Ethan Hawke
Roger: Scott Glenn
Stan Gursky: Tom Berenger
Doug Rosselli: Harris Yulin
Lou Jacobs: Raymond J. Barry
Smiley: Cliff Curtis
Paul: Dr Dre
Blue: Snoop Doggy Dogg
Sandman’s Wife: Macy Gray
Training Daydefines the 24 hours lying ahead for rookie narcotics cop Jake (Ethan Hawke)who meets up with self-assured Alonzo (Denzel Washington), who boastsof an excellent record of convictions and cases pending conviction, such asthe 15,000 man years of prison terms dealt out due to his investigations.He’s a big cheese in a big city, or so he thinks, because there’s only so manytimes you can piss people off before the repercussions kick in.
During the day, while on the trail of the elusive Sandman – and without wantingto give too much away – Jake helps to stop an attempted rape, Alonzo tricksJake into trying some narcotics for himself, they pay a visit to burned-outdrug dealer Roger (Scott Glenn) which is where Jake starts to find outhow crooked his new potential supervisor can be, they go round the house ofthe Sandman’s wife (played by terrible “singer” Macy Gray, who warblesjust as much as she does in real life) and drop in on wheelchair-bound dealerBlue (Snoop Doggy Dogg). Add to this an appearance by Dr Dreand that’s three rap/R’n’B stars who think they can act.
Out in the big city.
What starts off promisingly does take a turn for the worse, to a degree, asevents proceed. Maybe it’s because I was tired, but a talkie scene whereAlonzo goes to see Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin and Raymond J. Barrywent right over my head because it went on far too long and couldn’ve beentrimmed considerably. Considering how predictable other parts of the filmwere, it didn’t take a genius to work out that these three weren’t exactlyon the level.
Predictability follows a few times more such as, after we’ve been introduceda few times to Alonzo’s catchphrase to the criminals, “Do you wanna go tojail, or do you wanna go home?”, thus Jake will turn it back on Alonzotowards the end of the film as the two fail to get on.
Earlier on, after a murder that was far from on the level, this results in atypical pointless stand-off where Alonzo pisses Jake off to the point wherehe aims a gun back at him and continues to ignore the threatsof being taken down by the big man’s colleagues who are surrounding him.
In addition to this there are many other contrived circumstances that wouldspoil the plot if I were to mention them, which was a shame as I figured wewere due for some more originality from this release.
There’s only one way to do things – his way.
Director Antoine Fuqua‘s first major Hollywood film was the actionrompThe Replacement Killers,starring Mira Sorvino and Chow Yun Fat and here there is a well-used elementof quick cuts and interesting camerawork but that comes in the first 40 minutesof the film, after which things lose their way to the eventual – and predictable -conclusion.
Don’t make Training Day your first choice for a night out but it isworth a look even if you see it at home, but if you do do the latter thenmake sure you see it in the original widescreen ratio as the screen iswell-filled.
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2002.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.