| | | "The Only Thing More Dangerous Than the Line Being Crossed, is the Cop Who Will Cross it."
Features: HD DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), English, French, Spanish Subtitled
In a powerful departure from his frequent good-guy roles, Denzel Washington plays Harris, the twisted but charismatic detective who both attracts and repels as he becomes the kind of thug he's supposed to collar. Ethan Hawke plays unseasoned recruit Hoyt. And Antoine Fuqua (The Replacement Killers, Bait) directs, guiding a cast that includes music stars Dr. Dre, Macy Gray and Snoop Dogg. Training Day. It's a day of reckoning.
"...one of the finest cops-and-robbers thrillers of recent years, full of devious twists and gun-grinding tension..." Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
"...Washington delivers the performance of his career." Lou Lumenick, New York Post
"...Washington exudes the charm of a psychopath. He bristles, taunts, bellows and cajoles to get what he wants..." Michael O'Sullivan, Chicago Sun-Times
"Knockout action entertainment." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"...Washington gives a hot-wired performance. The movie is first rate." Richard Schickel, Time
Editor's Note
Antoine Fuqua (THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS, BAIT) turns up the intensity level with TRAINING DAY, a charged drama about police corruption in downtown Los Angeles. Ethan Hawke stars as Jake Hoyt, a well-intentioned young officer who thinks he's found his ticket to becoming a detective in the form of undercover officer Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). Harris is a notorious figure in the streets and in the office. He also has the authority to make Jake's professional wishes come true, provided Jake is able to prove his worth on Alonzo's team. At first, Alonzo's blunt, carefree demeanor provides a shock to Jake's optimistic system, but as it becomes clear that Alonzo is dangerously out of control, Jake must decide whether or not to risk his future in the name of the law.Washington's performance as the evil, pragmatic detective is a sight to behold. He delivers his lines with a devilish ferocity that keeps the film bubbling throughout. Hawke slips into the role of the rookie everyman with ease, providing a good contrast to Washington's fiery presence. Former video director Fuqua completes the picture by casting musicians Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Macy Gray in supporting roles.
| Features | 2 Music Videos: Nelly's #1 & Pharoahe Monch's Got You | | Additional Scenes | | Alternate Ending | | Audio Commentary By Director Antoine Fuqua | | Audio: English, French Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround Sound | | Dubbed: French | | Featurette: HBO First Look - The Making Of Training Day | | Interactive Menus | | Original Theatrical Trailer | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | This Is An HD-DVD Made For HD-DVD Format Players Which Produce Higher Quality Picture & Sound |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Warner |
| Release Date: 5/9/2006 |
| Running Time: 122 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2001 | | Catalog ID: 80945 | | UPC: 00012569809451 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 2.40:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Winner (2002) | | | Image Award, Denzel Washington, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | |
Nominee (2002) | | | Image Award, Training Day, Outstanding Motion Picture | |
Winner (2002) | | | MTV Award, Snoop Dogg, Best Cameo | | | MTV Award, Denzel Washington, Best Villain | |
Nominee (2002) | | | MTV Award, Denzel Washington, Best Line | |
Winner (2002) | | | Oscar, Denzel Washington, Best Actor in a Leading Role | |
Nominee (2002) | | | Oscar, Ethan Hawke, Best Actor in a Supporting Role | | | Oscar, Denzel Washington, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama | | | Screen Actors Guild, Denzel Washington, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | | | Screen Actors Guild, Ethan Hawke, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role |
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| | Professional Reviews | Variety
"...A flashy, cool and supremely charismatic performance by Denzel Washington serves as a flashpoint for TRAINING DAY..." 09/03/2001 p.38-47New York Times
"...In TRAINING DAY, Mr. Washington's dry-ice grandeur -- the predator's reflexes contrasting with a pensive mouth -- deserves regard, and his powerhouse virtuosity will almost guarantee him an Oscar nomination..." 10/05/2001 p.E14 USA Today
"...Washington is alternately menacing and charismatic -- one of the best performances in his career....Just as remarkable is the taut directing style of Antoine Fuqua and the gritty dialogue of screenwriter David Ayer..." 10/05/2001 p.5E Rolling Stone
"...Denzel Washington, who just keeps getting better is a sparking, snapping live wire....His smiling seductive monster is a thrilling creation that gives TRAINING DAY all the bite it needs..." 10/11/2001 p.98 Sight and Sound
"...[Washington] is never less than a spellbinding villain..." 02/01/2002 p.62-3 Total Film
"...A hellish life-in-a day cop flick, TRAINING DAY's a simple, brutal pleasure..." 03/01/2002 p.98 Chicago Sun-Times
"...Washington's performance gleefully goes over the top..." 03/22/2002 p.31 Widescreen Review
"[T]he entire presentation is very natural and realistic." 07/01/2006 p.67 ReelViews 8 of 10
[Training Day]'s riveting and intense, with just enough action to satisfy those who enjoy that genre and enough substance to satiate viewers who are tired of the long litany of dumb motion pictures marching through multiplexes. Unfortunately, Training Day doesn't deliver the complete package. The last 15 minutes are full of cliches, contrivances, and smart characters acting dumb - all in the name of providing a "pat" conclusion. The disappointing climax is not enough to take Training Day off the recommendation list - the rest of the film is too strong - but it diminishes its impact...It's rare these days that a movie being touted as a "contemporary action thriller" (Warner Brothers' words, not mine) can stand tall as a piece of social commentary. There's an almost Shakespearean quality about the construction of the narrative (at least until the final fifteen minutes), and Alonzo is the kind of charismatic, flawed individual that the Bard would have enjoyed penning a tale about...Training Day represents a mainstream motion picture that can be seen and appreciated as more than "mindless entertainment". - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
"Training Day" is an equal-opportunity police brutality picture, depicting a modern Los Angeles in which the black cop is slimier and more corrupt than anybody ever thought the white cops were. Alonzo Harris, played by Denzel Washington, makes Popeye Doyle look like Officer Friendly. So extreme is his mad dog behavior, indeed, that it shades over into humor: Washington seems to enjoy a performance that's over the top and down the other side...For Denzel Washington, "Training Day" is a rare villainous role; he doesn't look, sound or move like his usual likable characters, and certainly there's no trace of the football coach from "Remember the Titans." The movie...keeps pushing him, and by the end, it has pushed him right into pure fantasy. Antoine in the earlier scenes seems extreme but perhaps believable; by the end, he's like a monster from a horror film, unkillable and implacable...For its kinetic energy and acting zeal, I enjoyed the movie. I like it when actors go for broke. Ethan Hawke is well cast as the cop who believes "we serve and protect" but has trouble accepting the logic of Alonzo's style of serving and protection. - Roger Ebert
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