Training Day

2001

Training Day

Critics Consensus

The ending may be less than satisfying, but Denzel Washington reminds us why he's such a great actor in this taut and brutal police drama.

72%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 158

89%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 300,696
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Training Day Photos

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Movie Info

The Fast and the Furious (2001) screenwriter David Ayer follows up that fast-paced action hit with this gritty cop drama from director Antoine Fuqua. Ethan Hawke stars as Jake Hoyt, a fresh-faced Los Angeles Police Department rookie anxious to join the elite narcotics squad headed up by 13-year veteran Detective Sergeant Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). Harris has agreed to give Hoyt a shot at joining his team with a one-day ride-along during which Hoyt must prove his mettle. As the day wears on, however, it becomes increasingly clear to the greenhorn that his experienced mentor has blurred the line between right and wrong to an alarming degree, enforcing his own morally compromised code of ethics and street justice. As he struggles with his conscience, an increasingly alarmed Hoyt begins to suspect that he's not really being given an audition at all; he's being set up as the fall guy in an elaborate scheme. Training Day co-stars Tom Berenger, Scott Glenn, and recording artists Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Macy Gray. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Cast

Denzel Washington
as Alonzo
Ethan Hawke
as Jake
Scott Glenn
as Roger
Tom Berenger
as Stan
Harris Yulin
as Doug
Raymond J. Barry
as Lou
Cliff Curtis
as Smiley
Dr. Dre
as Paul
Snoop Dogg
as Blue
Charlotte Ayanna
as Lisa
Eva Mendes
as Sara
Nick Chinlund
as Tim
Jaime Gómez
as Mark
Raymond Cruz
as Sniper
Charlotte Aryanna
as Lisa
Noel Gugliemi
as Moreno
Samantha Becker
as Letty
Richard Browner
as Dining Car Waiter
Macy Gray
as Sandman's Wife
Ronald Ellis
as Gangster
William English
as Dice Player 4
Kyjel N. Jolly
as Alonzo's Son
Fran Krantz
as College Driver
Janeen Krikorian
as Diner Waitress
Princera Lee
as Wig Store Owner
Robert Leon
as Veterano
Seidy Lopez
as Dreamer
Kenneth Allen Madden
as Dice Player 1
Sarah Danielle Madison
as Female College Passenger
Chris Patterson
as Dice Player 2
Rudy Perez
as PeeWee
Darrel Sellers
as Dice Player 3
Ben Skorstad
as LAPD Pilot
Cle "Bone" Sloan
as Bone
Brett Sorenson
as Male College Passenger
Abel Soto
as Neto
Will Foster Stewart
as Crackhead 2
Denzel Whitaker
as Dimitri
Garland Whitt
as Crackhead 1
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Critic Reviews for Training Day

All Critics (158) | Top Critics (38)

  • If he makes it through the trial by fire -- and a blandly twisting plot with no meaningful revelations or substantial themes -- Hawke will get a promotion, but there's nothing in it for us.

    Apr 9, 2008 | Full Review…

    Lisa Alspector

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • Director Fuqua keeps it slick and sleazy and stokes up the race some, but this only accelerates the movie's deafening rush toward the top and ever over.

    Feb 9, 2006 | Full Review…
    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • Good to see Denzel Washington get the meaty villainous role he deserves.

    Feb 3, 2002 | Full Review…

    Peter Bradshaw

    Guardian
    Top Critic

  • On a purely visceral level, Training Day is easily the most exciting movie out there right now, but as a morality tale with anything large on its mind, it's a cop-out.

    Jan 22, 2002

    Peter Rainer

    New York Magazine/Vulture
    Top Critic

  • A brutal, fierce, and tense police thriller, Training Day takes a well-worn format and infuses it with freshness and verve.

    Jan 21, 2002 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Nev Pierce

    BBC.com
    Top Critic

  • Training Day isn't just one of the finest cops-and-robbers thrillers of recent years, full of devious twists and gut-grinding tension, but it also steers clear of convenient moral formulas.

    Oct 12, 2001

    Andrew O'Hehir

    Salon.com
    Top Critic
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Audience Reviews for Training Day

  • Aug 30, 2013
    [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img]
    Directors C Super Reviewer
  • Mar 16, 2013
    Training Day is a decent film, but let's not deny the main thing keeping it afloat is Denzel. Ethan Hawke doesn't seem like a cop at all, and the script hardly gets you invested in any of the characters. This is not to say it wasn't entertaining: some of the scenes are really tense, particularly in the first half, but the intelligent script starts to wear off later on. Luckily, it does manage to hold together all of it's great themes until the very end. If you're looking for a good corrupted cop movie, L.A. Confidential is better, but Training Day is still worth checking out for Denzel Washington's strong performance.
    Kevin M Super Reviewer
  • Nov 29, 2012
    It is terribly unbelievable of course but it is so terribly delicious. You can see Denzel Washington just relishing this role and making the most of it. Ethan Hawke can barely stand the pace.
    John B Super Reviewer
  • Feb 06, 2012
    Training Day is a gripping thriller, despite the fact that it trades in rusty corrupt cop and film noir cliches, plus a wack of borrowed scenes from other movies. This is due to the talents of three men who elevate this into something truly special: Denzel Washington, charismatic leading man doing the best work of his career as a bad guy (he should do more bad ass dudes, and won Oscar for this), Ethan Hawke, who takes on the earnest and idealistic rookie role and makes a meal of it, has never been better, and super talented director Antoine Fuqua, who insisted the real locations and extras, creating a versimilitude of inner city of Los Angeles in a way that has never been done better in a mainstream Hollywood potboiler. The naive rookie coupled with the corrupt veteran has been done a million times, but this works because of the superb chemistry of Denzel and Ethan, and a black humour that coexists on the knife edge of menace. On the down side, the last act and its resolution trades in ridiculous unlikely coincidences that make no sense, but we as viewers are already on board for the ride, so the filmmakers get away with it. For example (spoiler alert) Denzel steals money from his best pal and cruelly executes him just so the greek tragedy is set up for the end. Later, the whole hood, to a man, that Denzel controls conveniently turn against him, for no apparent reason, leading to his demise. Then there are echos of other scenes from better movies such as the Godfather, Sonny Corleone's legendarily brutal machine gun execution which is recreated almost verbatim. See if you can spot others. All in all, a good way to spend two hours, provided you don't expect much originality.
    Josh M Super Reviewer
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