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Training Day (2001)


Training Day (2001)




6/10



Starring
Denzel Washington
Ethan Hawke


Directed by Antoine Fuqua


Training Day is a movie you have to see and add to your list. Denzel Washington’s performance in this film is nothing short of outstanding. He won numerous accolades for his role, and the movie itself is amazing to watch. The only challenge is the ending, which lacks the same intensity and possibilities as the rest of the film. It leaves you with a slightly dissatisfied feeling after what has otherwise been a memorable ride. The script is well-written, but it feels like the writer ran out of steam in the last twenty minutes, which contributed to some lower ratings.

The movie’s plot begins with Jake (Ethan Hawke) being introduced to his supervisor, Detective Alonzo (Denzel Washington). Both are part of the LAPD narcotics division. Alonzo is known among his colleagues and on the streets as a corrupt cop, and he’s in trouble with the Russian Mafia.

Alonzo and Jake bust some kids for cannabis, and Alonzo convinces Jake to smoke some of it. Later, they raid a drug dealer’s house with a fake search warrant so Alonzo can steal from him. At this point, Jake is in way over his head and struggling to figure out how to handle Alonzo’s corruption, which is more than he bargained for.

Soon, they meet other corrupt cops who advise Alonzo to flee because the mafia wants him dead. Alonzo, however, has a plan to maintain control of the streets he operates on and avoid running. He assures the men that he has everything under control. His plan involves stealing more money to pay off the mafia and keep them off his back. This plan is dirty, and Jake is now caught in the middle of it.

If you haven’t seen director Antoine Fuqua’s Training Day, you should. Despite the ending needing more work, the movie is still enjoyable. It shines some light on the scary aspects of being a rookie at a new job. What do you do, when your trainer is crooked? What do you do, when he found a way to clip your wings and hold you to ransom?

It was adapted into a TV series in 2017, but it didn’t make it past a single season before being canceled.

Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this role, and Ethan Hawke received a Best Supporting Actor nomination. A prequel focusing on a young Alonzo is reportedly in development.

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