Training Day Movie Review

Training Day (2001) Movie Review

After 100th year celebrations in 2023, Roadshow and Warner Bros are continuing to deliver with another slate of 4K Ultra HD remasters arriving in March and April 2024. We’ve already seen classics such as: The Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, Casablanca, Rebel Without a Cause, Cool-hand Luke, Unforgiven, Rio Bravo, V For Vendetta, Beetlejuice, and many, many more hit shelves over the past 2 years. Now we can look forward to another slate of releases, starting with ‘Training Day’.  

When it comes to cop thrillers, there are few that rival director Antoine Fuqua and writer David Ayer’s 2001 film ‘Training Day’. The film lives in infamy, often regarded as the best film that takes place over one day. Winner of the best actor Academy Award for this film, Denzel Washington stars as a rogue detective Alonzo, as he is teamed up with Jake (played by Ethan Hawk who was also nominated for best supporting actor at the 2002 Oscars) a rookie cop, over the course of a day or as Alonso calls it, Jake’s training Day’. As you may expect, things don’t go to plan and through a series of escalating events, Jake finds himself caught between the right and wrong side of the law. As mentioned, this film was not only a critical darling, with an impressive 74% critical rating, it also grossed just shy of $105 million at the box office and in 2001 money, that’s a lot of coin! As a massive fan of Training Day, I was absolutely stoked when the 4K Ultra HD remaster was announced and boy oh boy, does it not disappoint!

The film has a lot going for it, but its heart and soul really do rely on its two amazing lead performances. Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke are electric in the film, sharing amazing chemistry with one another when they need to, but also go after each other when the story requires as well. They are constantly trying to one-up each other in the film, which is to the benefit of the audience who get to watch these two acting legends go up against each other. As the plot progresses, the performances become more intense and the escalation of events, really allow both Hawk and Washington to showcase their range. Denzel always remains calm, right up until the film’s final moments, but his unhinged nature really does add to his eventual downfall. Hawk really sells his lack of experience, showing he is in fact green around the gills and this world is completely new to him. His evolution over the course of the day is incredibly well-written by David Ayer, as the audience can really sympathise with the position he is put in and the manipulation happening by his superior. This all culminates in a riveting and incredibly satisfying final act.

The film has a relentless pace about it, which if you’re familiar with writer David Ayer (End of Watch, Sabotage, The Beekeeper, Fury) and director Antoine Fuqua’s (Equalizer trilogy, The Magnificent Seven, The Guilty, Olympus Has Fallen) other films, you’ll know this is a staple of their filmography, playing into their gritty and realistic style when it comes to creating tension and delivering action. From the dialogue to the frantic nature of the story, the film is able to put you, the audience, in the middle of the action, and feel the dramatic weight of every story beat. It's truly a masterfully made film by two people in tune with their craft.

‘Training Day’ is an incredible cop drama from the early 2000s. It is elevated by its incredible script and character writing and the amazing direction from Fuqua. There is a reason these two are among the most sort after talents behind the camera, and training Day is a great example of what they’re capable of. However, what really sells this film for me are the two incredible leads. Without Washington and Hawke, the film would not be as memorable as what it is with the two of them in front of the lens. They remain one of, if not the, most memorable cop pairing of the 2000s. This film will make a perfect addition to your 4K UHD collection, so  be sure to secure your copy as well and pre-order on Sanity’s website here – https://www.sanity.com.au/products/2984667/Goonies--Blu-ray--UHD-The

2024 promises to be stacked full of great releases, so make sure you sign up to Sanity’s newsletter, so you don’t miss another major release and for all things movies, music, merchandise, shop Sanity!

Long live physical media!

---

Buy Training Day on 4K UHD here

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here