know it’s going to work out.” It’s an important day for Los Angeles Police Department rookie Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke). He’s tasked with an assignment from leader Sergeant Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington), which will determine whether or not he becomes a member of the narcotics division. Sure enough, within the first few moments of meeting at a cafe, Alonzo doesn’t hesitate at all to bust the greenhorn’s chops; there’s simply no telling if the battle-hardened training officer is serious, joking, or about to start shooting up the joint. “I don’t know what to think.”

The streets are tough and unforgiving, and Alonzo is intent on instilling a sense of fear – but also respect – for the constant potential dangers. And this single day is all Jake has to prove himself worthy. Nerve-wrackingly, however, the various tests he’ll be put through aren’t exactly by the books. “A good narcotics agent should have narcotics in his blood.”

Washington is instantly, absolutely superb. Without ever missing a beat, he’s unpredictable, reckless, macho, funny, and frightening; he’s exceptionally convincing, eating up the role with a distinct relish, unafraid to play it over-the-top and then subdued at erratic intervals. He’s the personification of scary, particularly when he uses his badge and gun in ever more questionable, corrupt ways, routinely hiding behind the claim that he must do whatever it takes to catch the big fish. What a sensational character for Washington to embody – one that vastly overshadows the rest of the picture. “What’s wrong with street justice?”

Although Washington remains utterly absorbing in every frame, it must be mentioned that Hawke does a fine job as well, exhibiting the opposite end of the spectrum – the wide-eyed, idealistic, uninitiated, naive cop, hoping that he can actually make a difference and right the wrongs in society through diligence and morality and honesty. Fascinatingly, as confident and potent as Alonzo appears in front of his subordinate, the power dynamic changes markedly when he’s seated amongst his own superiors: older white men in sharp suits with their own secrets and entanglements. The film may boast action, violence, and suspense in its investigation of the ugly underbelly of police tactics and politics (“the real world,” as Alonzo insists), but it’s also a staggering exploration of principled sacrifices, harrowing scenarios of mistrust and betrayal, and highly cinematic coincidences – fueled by larger-than-life personalities. Many of the most shocking revelations – as well as the significantly overdramatic, overwrought finale, missing bits of very pertinent information about the aftermath – might just be the stuff of the movies, but “Training Day” is nevertheless extraordinarily entertaining. “Believe it or not, I do try to do some good in the community.”

– Mike Massie