Coming fresh off his Oscar Award-winning performance for Training Day, there is no better time to pick Denzel Washington’s movie as my DVD pick of the week. While there are some critics who feel the movie wasn’t good, it’s hard to deny that Washington gave a brilliant performance (as usual) as the rogue cop Alonzo Harris.
The Movie
Although Washington gets most of the movie’s attention, the film revolves around Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawk), a rookie cop who is being trained by Washington’s character.
What makes the movie interesting is how the two characters are complete opposites. On one hand, Hoyt follows procedures exactly from the book while Harris is a street tough cop who does things his way. I must say that Training Day is an entertaining movie.
Washington did deserve the Oscar for his performance. Hawk also gives an equally great performance as Harris’ counterpart.
The Video and Audio
The video quality of a movie can make or break a film, and luckily, for us, the film looks great. Although there is not an abundance of color, eye-catching scenery or landscapes, the movie still looks great.
Audio-wise, the movie also shines. The film mostly takes place on the streets of Los Angeles and the sounds are crisp enough to make you feel like you are there.
The Extras
Training Day lags a little in the extras department. Of course, you get the commentary by the film’s director Antoine Fuqua. He holds your attention briefly. It doesn’t take long, however, before it gets boring.
The there is the alternate ending. Sadly, it isn’t too different from the original. If the alternate ending isn’t enough, there are four deleted scenes that run for about 20 minutes. While they are not great, it is definitely something to check out.
To round out the list of extra features, there is promotional video by HBO that lasts for another 20 minutes along with two music videos.
Despite what critics say, I found Training Day to be an enjoyable flick.
