"TRAINING DAY" (2001) (Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Heavy Extreme Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Minor Extreme Heavy Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Moderate None Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Drama/Thriller: Hoping to be added to a veteran narcotics detective's team, a green rookie rides with him for a day and learns that things aren't as ideal as he'd imagined. PLOT: Jake Hoyt (ETHAN HAWKE) is a young cop who wants to join the L.A.P.D.'s narcotics team. To do so, he's assigned to a training day where he's to ride with veteran detective Alonzo Harris (DENZEL WASHINGTON) who will see if the rookie has what it takes for the job. Informing Harris that he'll do whatever he asks of him, Jake expects a routine day of instruction and limited action, and he initially gets just that as they make a drug bust. When Harris makes Jake smoke some of their confiscated evidence, however, he quickly realizes this won't be any regular training. As the day wears on, Jake meets many of Harris' varied associates, such as old friend, Roger (SCOTT GLENN); disabled drug dealer, Sammy (SNOOP DOGG); and menacing thug Smiley (CLIFF CURTIS). Seeing the veteran interacting with them and living and acting by his own set of rules, the rookie cop must decide if his new partner for the day is just testing him or truly is a renegade detective with his own agenda and plan for dealing out justice. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of anyone in the cast, or gritty cop drama/thrillers, they just might, but this one seems most attractive to older teens. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For strong brutal violence, pervasive language, drug content and brief nudity. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ETHAN HAWKE plays a rookie cop who wants to join Harris' narcotics squad but has reservations once he witnesses the veteran's tactics (that include forcing him to take drugs at gunpoint). He also uses strong profanity and violence in reaction to what he sees and encounters. DENZEL WASHINGTON plays a veteran narcotics detective who lives and acts by his own set of rules. He breaks the law as much as he enforces it, and uses lethal violence and strong profanity, while also smoking and drinking and driving. SCOTT GLENN plays a longtime associate of Harris' who's known him since he was a rookie. He also uses strong profanity, drinks and reportedly sold dope to kids (not seen). CLIFF CURTIS plays a local thug who acts menacingly toward Jake and uses strong profanity. SNOOP DOGG plays a disabled drug dealer who also uses strong profanity. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this R-rated drama/thriller. Profanity is listed as extreme due to the use of at least 121 "f" words (with some of them occurring in songs on the soundtrack). Many other expletives are also used, as are numerous colorful phrases. Some explicit, sexually related dialogue is present, while female full frontal nudity is briefly seen and some sexual activity is implied. Violence is listed as extreme due to several murders by gunfire and other brutal but non-lethal fighting, gunfire, threatening with guns and an attempted rape. Some of these scenes have bloody results and may be unsettling or suspenseful - like other scenes during the film - to some viewers. The perpetrators of such violence and other criminals have extreme cases of bad attitudes. Various characters smoke and drink (with one driving while doing the latter) and a veteran narcotics detective makes his rookie partner smoke some drugs at gunpoint (with the latter subsequently being stoned). Beyond that, some other imitative behavior is also present. If you're concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, we suggest that you more closely examine our detailed content listings for more specific information about what's present. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE A comment is made about finding some "meth" in a car. Harris and Jake spot some drug dealers doing their thing and then pull them over, with Harris spotting a pipe on the floor of the car. Harris tells Jake that a good narcotics agent must know and love narcotics, and have narcotics in his blood. He then wants Jake to smoke some of the drugs they've just confiscated. Jake is initially reluctant, but gives in to Harris' insistence and then is doped up from doing so (we see his drug-induced point of view). Harris later asks Jake when the last time he smoked weed was, and Jake replies twelfth grade. Roger has a drink and hands one to Harris. Harris drinks while driving and tells Jake to have one, stating it will make him feel better (from being stoned above). Harris states that he's thirsty and wants a beer and asks "How about you?" to another man. Jake drinks a beer, while Harris also has one while driving. Sammy is a drug dealer and Harris mentions something about crack (cocaine). Some people have wine. Harris pours himself some liquor. Various people drink at a party. BLOOD/GORE Jake has a bit of blood under his nose after fighting some thugs, as does one of those thugs. A man tells a story about a suspect who puts peanut butter down into his "crack," then puts his hand down there and licks off his fingers to "prove" that he's crazy. Harris shoots a man with a shotgun, leaving bloody holes in the victim's shirt. There's some blood on a man's hand after he's been shot. We see blood on Jake's head and shirt after some men have beaten him. Two men are rather bloody after fighting. A man is very bloody after being shot by machine guns. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Harris is a corrupt, renegade cop who plays by his own rules. He takes the law into his own hands, bribes officials, pockets others' belongings (during a search of a woman's house with a fake warrant), kills someone and puts his rookie partner in harm's way. Harris tells a suspect that he'll let some homeboys "run a train" on his girlfriend (let them gang rape her). Harris asks Jake if he's a Mormon or "Jesus Freak" for not following his order to smoke some drugs they just confiscated. Harris then holds his handgun to Jake's head to convince him to do so. Two men try to rape a woman. Harris bribes some officials to help him. Harris and others steal money from another man who we later learn sold dope to kids (not seen). Harris leaves Jake at the mercy of some thugs who inform him that Harris killed a man and owes others a lot of money not to be killed. Those men then act menacingly toward Jake. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be tense or unsettling to some viewers. Trying to convince Jake that he must smoke some drugs they just confiscated, Harris holds his handgun to Jake's head and verbally threatens to kill him. Jake comes across two men trying to rape a woman, with Harris finally intervening and threatening to kill one of the men. Harris makes his way through a house with his gun drawn, looking for a suspect. After robbing a man, Harris and others want Jake to shoot and kill him. When he won't, Harris shoots the man and then fabricates a different sort of crime scene. When Jake won't go along with this, Harris aims his gun at Jake, causing Jake to grab Harris and threaten to shoot him, with Harris' other men then holding their guns on Jake. Jake ends up in an increasingly precarious situation with some thugs that end up with them threatening to kill him (a several minute scene). Jake slowly makes his way through an apartment with his gun drawn, looking for another man, and this eventually turns into a gun battle between them, with a child briefly put in danger during it. Some cat and mouse moments also occur during this, with more walking around, looking for the other, and additional confrontational moments. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Assault rifles/Machine guns/Switchblade/Shotguns: Carried and/or used to threaten, shoot at and/or kill others. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You f*cked that up," "What the f*ck," "Get the f*ck out of my car," "What the f*ck /is wrong with you/are you talking about/are you doing?" "Shut the f*ck up," "What the f*ck's your problem?" "Who the f*ck /are you/is this/do you think you're f*cking with?" "I'm gonna f*ck you too," "They're gonna f*ck you up," "Stand the f*ck up," "F*ck 'em," "F*ck this," "F*ck you," "F*ck that," "Go f*ck yourself," "Why the f*ck is he on this?" "Stay the f*ck out of my way," "Drop the f*cking gun," "You're f*cking dead," "I don't give a f*ck," "You guys are f*cking insane," "You're f*cking stupid," "F*cked (him) up," "Bullsh*t," "Oh, sh*t," "No sh*t," "Learn that sh*t," "I like that sh*t," "Finish that sh*t," "Get your sh*t together," "Piece of sh*t," "I'm s*ck of this sh*t," "You're just talking sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "Crazy sh*t," "Taking a sh*t," "Don't bullsh*t me," "King Kong ain't got sh*t on me," "Suck my d*ck, bitch" (said from a man to another man in anger), "P*ssy ass bitch," "D*ck this up," "Don't screw this up," "Jeez," "(Oh) hell no," "Shut up," "Dyke" (lesbian), "Bitch" (for women and men), "My nigger" (what Harris calls Jake), "Damn right," "The hell if I am," "Virgin lungs" (what Harris says Jake has after smoking some drugs they just confiscated), "Piss," "Get your ass up," "Sucker," "Dawg" (man), "Hell, yeah," "Punk ass," "Bitch ass," "Crooked ass," "What the hell /were you doing back there/are we doing now?" "Nuts" and "Balls" (testicles), "Ride my ass," "Screw up," and "What am I supposed to do with this, wipe my ass?" Roger has a tattoo, while we also see others with them as well. Harris drinks while driving. Harris sticks a pen in Sammy's mouth to make him vomit. A man tells a story about a suspect who puts peanut butter down into his "crack," then puts his hand down there and licks off his fingers to "prove" that he's crazy. A person gives "the finger" to someone else. JUMP SCENES A person suddenly lands on the hood of a car. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays during the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A few songs include several uses of the "f" word, along with the term "nigger" in them (along with other words that couldn't be understood). PROFANITY At least 121 "f" words (32 used with mother, 1 used sexually as is the term "tapped that ass"), 95 "s" words, 14 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck," "c*cks*cker" and "pr*ck"), 2 slang terms using female genitals ("p*ssy"), 31 asses (2 used with "hole"), 9 damns, 7 hells, 1 S.O.B., 4 uses of "G-damn," 2 each of "Jesus" and "Swear to God" and 1 use of "Jesus Christ" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY We see part of Jake's wife's breast as she breastfeeds. Harris mentions something about a "liquor license," really meaning a "lick her license" when referring to Jake's female training officer. He then asks, "You tapped that ass, didn't you?" and mentions something about the back seat. When Jake says that he has a wife, Harris replies, "You've got a d*ck." Harris tells Jake, "I bet you f*ck her face to face" (referring to his wife). Harris tells a suspect that he'll let some homeboys "run a train" on his girlfriend (let them gang rape her). We see part of a young woman's bra as her shirt is open (after some men attempt to rape her). A thug angrily tells Harris to "suck my d*ck" (but it's in a disrespectful rather than sexual fashion). Moments later, Harris repeats that line several times. Harris mentions something about a woman's "loving touch," and moments later he makes out with this woman (one of the mothers of his children) who shows some cleavage. It's implied that the two of them have sex or fool around in the bedroom. A woman shows some cleavage. We see part of a woman's bare butt while she's with Harris (but we don't see anything sexual happening). We then see part of her bare breasts with a pillow in front of her, and moments later briefly see her full frontal nudity. SMOKING Harris smokes around 5 times, while various other characters also smoke in a number of scenes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES None. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Harris' mentality about how to take care of crime on the streets and whether he's a criminal himself. The fine line of enforcing and breaking the law as a cop. Whether police, even narcotics detectives, would see as much action in one day as occurs in this film. VIOLENCE Harris and Jake hold their guns on some suspects after stopping their car. Harris then grabs one of them by the ear. Trying to convince Jake that he must smoke some drugs they just confiscated, Harris holds his handgun to Jake's head and verbally threatens to kill him. Jake comes across two men trying to rape a woman, with one of them then grabbing him from behind. He then knocks one of them aside and drives the other back into a fence, flipping him over. One of the men then kicks Jake several times, until the cop grabs the man's leg, knocks him down and then repeatedly punches him in the face. Harris finally intervenes and holds a switchblade to one of the men's heads. Harris then hits this man in the throat, pulls two guns on him and then holds one on his crotch, threatening to shoot him there. He eventually hits that man in the crotch. Some locals come up and open fire on Harris and Jake, with Harris returning fire. More gunfire is exchanged, with Harris's car being hit several times. Harris shoots a man with a shotgun, leaving bloody holes in the victim's shirt. He then shoots one of his own men in the chest, wounding him, to fabricate a crime scene. When Jake won't go along with this, Harris aims his gun at Jake, causing Jake to grab Harris and threaten to shoot him, with Harris' other men then holding their guns on Jake. Jake punches another man. Jake fights with some men who are preparing to do him some harm, with one hitting him over the head with a bottle and another holding a shotgun on him. One then kicks Jake on the floor and one then repeatedly hits him on the head. They then prepare to execute him (with a shotgun to his head), but don't. A man throws a cigarette into another man's face and the two then get into a gun battle inside an apartment. The two then fight, with punches and kicks thrown as both deliver blows to the other. One smashes the other through a window and then throws him over some furniture. More hitting and kicking follows. A person smashes into other cars, trying to knock a person off his hood, and then shoots at him. That person then repeatedly punches the driver. A person shoots another person in the butt. Men open fire with machine guns on another man in a car, riddling both with bullets. After a momentary pause, they continue shooting, killing the man. Reviewed September 13, 2001 / Posted October 5, 2001

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

All Rights Reserved,
©1996-2012 Screen It, Inc.