What up Dawg?!? (Training Day (DVD))

Member Name: andydan

Product:	Training Day (DVD)
Date:	05/02/02 (41 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing Acting, Breaths some originality into a tired genre

Disadvantages: Poor moralistic ending, Slightly overlong

Hands up who's seen the film about the hardened cop who takes on an inexperienced rookie for a partner. Everyone? Just as I though. Training Day could be very easily passed off as yet another example of an original idea that's been flogged to death. However, what sets Training Day apart from the rest of the rabble is that it actually attempts to inject a little originality into the genre.

One such trace of originality is in the quality of the acting. For a change, the acting is rather good. Denzil Washington makes one of the best performances of his careers as Alonzo Harris, the cool, streetwise, somewhat off-the-rails leader of the LAPD Narcotics unit. Similarly, Ethan Hawke does a great job portraying the character of Jake Hoyt, the idealistic rookie, eager to please his new boss. Various rappers also make excellent performances. Watch out for Snoop Dogg as the drug dealer in the wheelchair, Dr Dre playing one of the crooked cops in the narcotics unit, and an almost totally unrecognizable Macy Grey, the 'renowned' R'n'B singer. Such well-acted performances are few and far between in this genre.

Of course, no decent film is complete without a storyline. Here, Training Day doesn?t exactly break the mould. Although there are a few nice touches, such as the entire film occurring in a single day and the slight twist halfway through, there is very little here that has not been seen before. Indeed, the only truly original part of the story is Washington's wanton cruelty and total disregard for law and order. He lets criminals go free, beats up disabled people and threatens to 'castrate' a would-be rapist. This lends a disturbing aspect to the film, reflected in Hawke's growing unease as Washington's similarity to the crooks he claims to be against.

Another point to mention is the fact that this is not an action film. Although it has an 18 certificate slapped onto it, it is not overly v
iolent. It does, however, contain a lot of crude language and adult themes, such as drug abuse and rape. In one beautifully crafted scene, we see Hawke being forced to smoke a 'substance' by his boss. The resulting trippy camera effects are both amusing and also slightly disturbing, as it reveals how such drugs can affect a person's mind. True action scenes are few and far between, but those that are in place are violent and noisy to say the least.

The soundtrack for Training Day is heavily rap-influenced. This is understandable (barely, I HATE rap) as the film stars a number of rap and R'n'B stars, and it is the traditional music of 'homies'. Indeed, the words 'homies', 'nigga' and 'dawg' spring up with alarming regularity. It is almost as though the director is attempting to rub the black culture in the faces of the audience.

Training Day also gives an interesting insight into the gang culture that has grown up in American cities. Although other films, such as Boyz in the Hood, have already dealt with this theme quite thoroughly, it is still interesting to watch, and the sight of armed groups of youths shooting at police is as unsettling as ever.

With a run time of 122 minutes, Training Day feels a bit over-long. However, the quality of the acting will keep audiences enthralled, even though the moralistic ending seems a little forced. Nevertheless, I would advise anyone to go and see Training Day, even if it is only to savour the perfect casting of Washington in a rare 'baddie' role.

As they say in the hood, 'Catch ya later, homie' (or some equally nonsensical gibberish)

-andydan

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