Plot: What’s it about?
Training Day was released theatrically on October 5, 2001. There might, at this point, be a generation that possibly won’t realize the significance of that date, but for those that know – it was just under a month since the 9/11 attacks. As a country, we had a need to be entertained and Warner/New Line’s slate of critical and commercial releases saw to that. Training Day was nominated for two Oscars – Denzel Washington would win for his role as Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke would lose the Supporting Actor to Jim Broadbent in Iris. Nevertheless, it’s a testament to the acting talents of these two that made the film so memorable. The next month would see the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, followed with December releases of Ocean’s Eleven and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Suffice it to say that if you were an executive at Warner, it was a good year. Director Antoine Fuqua (Bait, The Replacement Killers) knocked it out of the park with his one day adventure of two L.A. cops.
Idealistic young cop Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) is a newlywed and an expectant father. His goal is to make detective in the LAPD and the fastest way to do this is to join the undercover division. While here, he has to work the streets for a year or so before earning his promotion. Hoyt gets the opportunity to work under Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) where they spend the day getting to know one another and patrol some of L.A.’s toughest neighborhoods. Alonzo has streets smarts and prefers a different kind of law – he lets criminals go after he’s scared them and so forth. As the day progresses, Hoyt witnesses a different kind of policework and it’s not one that he’s too fond of. Is Alonzo the force’s saving grace or just a corrupt cop?
Denzel Washington has consistently turned in one great performance after another and this is no exception. He’s essentially the male version of Meryl Streep. Not to be outdone, Ethan Hawke showed that he could hang with the best. Hawke, despite having an acting career that’s spanned nearly four decades, has mainly stuck to the independent film scene. His collaborations with Richard Linklater (The Before Trilogy and Boyhood) are the most successful of his career and was a wise choice to plan the yin to Washington’s yang. Some films are a flash in the pan and others withstand the test of time. This, in case you haven’t figured out, is the latter.
Video: How does it look?
This film has always had a gritty, textured look to it and it was by design. It’s meant to exemplify the mood of the streets and what our main two characters are going through. This was actually one of the first Blu-ray’s (and HD-DVD’s) put out by Warner back in the mid 2000’s and, finally, we’ve got a 4K offering. At this point in the 4K lifecycle, we’ve seen enough catalog titles that have been “remastered” to know what looks good and what looks jaw-droppingly good. This is the former. Don’t get me wrong, the 2.35:1 HEVC 4K image certainly improves upon the previous Blu-ray release, but there’s just a little lacking. Colors are bold and bright while contrast (thanks to HDR) has been improved, giving more depth and dimension to certain scenes. Detail has been improved as well. The film, on the whole, seems to have a more cinematic look to it. While not perfect, it’s close and the most definitive version we’ve got.
Audio: How does it sound?
Also getting an upgrade is the audio. The DVD had a Dolby Digital 5.1 track while the HD-DVD and Blu-ray took it a step further with a Dolby TrueHD mix and now we’ve got a Dolby Atmos mix. This is a worthy upgrade. Vocals seem to pack a bit more of a punch, but it’s the overall ambiance that really made my head turn. We’ve got gunfire, the obligatory chase scenes and so forth. There’s an aural presence that simply wasn’t here before. It’s truly a fitting mix that viewers can finally apprecaite.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Disc One (4K)
- Audio Commentary – Director Antoine Fuqua. Fuqua seems very proud of his work here, as he should be, and is full of little interesting details about the shoot. Being a solo commentary, though, there are some empty spots that detract from the value of the track. Still, it’s a good track and one I rather enjoyed.
Disc Two (Blu-ray)
- Audio Commentary – Director Antoine Fuqua. Fuqua seems very proud of his work here, as he should be, and is full of little interesting details about the shoot. Being a solo commentary, though, there are some empty spots that detract from the value of the track. Still, it’s a good track and one I rather enjoyed.
- Deleted Scenes – Twelve minutes’ worth are included, but nothing mind-blowing.
- Alternate Ending – The “not really that different alternate ending” serves as more of an extended ending.
- Training Day: Crossing the Line – This is more of the same and, for whatever reason, it’s been renamed from “First Look: The Making of Training Day.” It’s very well-made, but just has interviews with the cast and crew about what the movie is and how much Actor A loved working with Actor B and so on. While it’s nice to see it included, the movie itself will be more worth your time.
- Music Videos
- “#1” by Nelly
- “Got You” by Pharoahe Monch “Got You”
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
Over two decades after its initial release, Training Day still manages to pack a punch. It’s proof (not that we needed it) that Denzel Washington is one of the better actors to grace the screen and, not to be left out, that Ethan Hawke held his own. Warner’s new 4K ups the ante with a new Dolby Atmos mix as well as, of course, a new 4K image.
