Saw this movie when it first came out to the movie theaters and have seen it several times since. Well acted, well written--very realistic of some cops who go rogue. I have worked in prisons and knew ex cops who acted like the Denzel character. This was a script that tested the metal of Washington and Hawke. They both took a chance on this movie--and did well. Denzel never really played the bad guy before this flick. He does sociopath very well. I liked all the acting. Big names in actors (Snoop Dog may not be an actor, but he did a good job, as well as Dr. Dre--Eva Mendez, Tom Berenger, Cliff Curtis, Raymond Cruz, Scott Glen--all were outstanding). I just watched it again after last seeing it 9 years ago. It gets better with each decade. I liked that the people who lived in the 'hood' showed their true colors, too--loyal to themselves and their families, they were, also, loyal to what is right. I am very surprised many people only gave this one star. Maybe they didn't live through times like these. Maybe they didn't believe it could happen. Maybe they don't believe it is still happening. Maybe all the bodies stacking up in Mexico and America aren't real to them. Maybe they think no cop could be this evil. But even if it was just a story to them, I am surprised they did not see it an outstanding movie. Maybe they didn't see it as great acting because they actually see people like this every day. I don't know. But, for me, this was one of the best written and well acted movies to come put of Hollywood in a long time. I will watch it again in 10 years.

This cop thriller spans over not much more than 12 hours of tough, gritty and morally grey work in the ugly parts of LA. Between drug addicts, dealers and gang members the rookie gets his lessons by the leader of the pack. Washington and Hawke are perfect choices for their roles and especially Denzel's performance is magnificent, keeping his character somewhere between insanity and reason, menacing and jovial at the same time, deserving the Oscar he got for it. As an outsider, it is hard to say how realistic the film, as it isn't exactly painting a very flattering picture of the LAPD. But it is the lack of any morally comforting formulas that makes the plot so enthralling. Does the rookie get an important lesson or is he in the car with the devil? This question, carried by the strong performances and a great cinematography make this film work. As things get more and more dire, the audience can't help but get engaged. Excellent.

This movie is an all time favorite of mine. I love how the director presented the contrast between the two ways of viewing society from a cop's point of view. Hoyt's character, is annoying at first because of his naiveté towards the streets of South Central but you have to admire his unbendable moral compass towards duty and the badge. Alonzo is your typical gangbanger with a badge claiming the streets as his own personal army using corruption, fear and violence to control it. His character is so good at manipulating that you actually believe, like Hoyt, that he does what he does for the better good and not his own personal gain. This whole movie is a power struggle; a tug of war. Hoyt is struggling to gain power for a better life for his family but has seen how it corrupts so easily when achieved. As for Alonzo, he is struggling to keep his power and status in the streets, which he is rapidly losing, for having such a violent and short temper.

It's 2014 as this review is being submitted and many Americans' no longer feel a sense of trust and confidence in the men in blue who are supposed to serve and protect. Denzel Washington's portrayal of a brutal rogue cop in Training Day will do little to restore the trust.
Washington's Alonzo Harris is a soul beyond redemption. He is corrupt, brutal and without remorse as a law enforcer who takes a sinister joy in breaking every law he is supposed to uphold.

Enter Jake Hoyt, a blank slate that Alonzo is fully prepared to deface. Ethan Hawke (much under appreciated in his career, IMHO) portrays the conflicted rookie as walking carefully on a tight rope between good and evil. He's enthralled at first by Washington's character and part of the plot device of Training Day is the question of whether the rookie will fall.

Outstanding performances by both Hawke and Washington. Both men were not reluctant to visit the dark side.

Despite his "habits", you just can't help watching Denzel Washington as an LA cop who's thrown out the book and made up his own rules. Here, he's taking the new rookie, played by Ethan Hawke, on a "field trip" to assess whether the young man is ready to join his narcotics unit. Denzel Washington was by far my favorite in this film, though Scott Glen comes in as a solid second...wish I could have seen more of him. As for Ethan Hawke, he was all right. He had a number of good lines and the way he held his own throughout the film's events was certainly interesting, he sometimes reverted to being a goody-goody rookie. There's a difference of how Washington's character and I would view such a stereotype, and my version is worse. But nevertheless, Hawke fit in well with the cast and mostly made up for the parts I didn't like about his portrayal. This is a whole new cop movie and no one should miss it! Enjoy.