I’ve being taking a look at several of Denzel Washington’s films of late so you guessed it, here’s another review. This one’s an outstanding crime thriller from 2001 that sees him paired with Ethan Hawke. The events all take place over the course of a day and its one hell of a rollercoaster ride. So get ready as I take a closer look, here’s my Training Day blu-ray review.
- Training Day (2001)
- Genre: Crime, Thriller
- Directed by Antoine Fuqua
- UK Rating 18
- Discs: 1
- Released By Warner Bros
- Blu-ray Released: 20 November 2006
Plot
Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) is starting his new assignment as part of the LAPD narcotics division. He is placed with Detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) who intends to assess whether or not he is suitable to join the unit. However Harris is not your typical by the book sort of cop and Officer Hoyt’s first training day is about to rock him to his core.
Style / Direction
The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua whilst the cinematography is handled by Mauro Fiore. There no doubting the style matches the films story setting exceptionally well. It takes part in the gang controlled areas of LA and the locations seem a perfect fit.
Music / Audio Effects
The music is composed by Mark Mancina and the films features hip hop music which are the perfect choice.
Acting / Characters
Denzel Washington is outstanding as the not so nice guy Detective Alonzo Harris. In fact it’s difficult to know which side of the line he is really on. Ethan Hawke is the rather naive young Officer Jake Hoyt that is somewhat taken aback by Harris’s approach.
The actors really work well together with Hawke’s performance allowing Washington to really shine.
Cast
- Denzel Washington as Detective Alonzo Harris
- Ethan Hawke as Officer Jake Hoyt
- Eva Mendes as Sara
- Scott Glenn as Roger
- Cliff Curtis as Smiley
- Raymond Cruz as Sniper
- Noel Gugliemi as Moreno
- Dr. Dre as Paul
- Peter Greene as Jeff
- Nick Chinlund as Tim
- Jaime P. Gomez as Mark
- Snoop Dogg as Blue
- Macy Gray as Sandman’s Wife
- Charlotte Ayanna as Lisa Hoyt
- Harris Yulin as Detective Doug Rosselli
- Tom Berenger as Stan Gursky
- Raymond J. Barry as Captain Lou Jacobs
- Samantha Esteban as Letty
Conclusion: Training Day (2001) Film Review
Washington is simply outstanding as a LA cop in far too deep and furthermore he’s prepared to drag a rookie played by Ethan Hawke right into the lion’s den. This is without doubt a must see film for lovers of crime thrillers which I count myself. In many ways Training Day has similarities to Keanu Reeves Street Gangs which came out later in 2008.
Recommended viewing!
If you enjoyed my Training Day blu-ray review so far you may want to check out the following films:
Conclusion: Training Day Blu-ray Review
The film looks good and there are no marks to report just a nice clean and sharp image. Looking at the extras reveals a decent selection although the alternate ending is more of an extended version rather than anything majorly different.
There’s a making of documentary and two music videos for those that liked the film’s soundtrack. Personally I didn’t but felt they absolutely fitted the films setting.
Overall it’s a decent set of extras, no real complaints.
Extras
- Director Commentary
- Additional Scenes
- Alternate Ending
- HBO First Look: The Making of Training Day
- 2 Music Videos
- Theatrical Trailer
Popcorn Cinema Rating: Training Day (2001)
MOVIE RATING: MUST SEE
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
EXTRAS: GOOD
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Purchase Training Day (2001) On Blu-ray
Training Day (2001) blu-ray is available now, see the link below.
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Training Day (2001) Trailer
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes my Training Day blu-ray review, if you have any thoughts on this film you can leave them in the comment section below:
Summary: Training Day (2001) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: Training Day (2001)
Duration: 117 mins
Director(s): Antoine Fuqua
Actor(s): Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Eva Mendes, Scott Glenn, Cliff Curtis, Raymond Cruz, Noel Gugliemi
Genre: Crime, Thriller
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
Washington is simply outstanding in this must see crime thriller.
