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June 04, 2002
Alonzo Harris
L.A.P.D. Detective Sergeant Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) has sunk so deep into the depths of his line of work that he has corrupted himself to the point where his own life has become the target of a foolish debt to be repaid. And on this particular Training Day, Alonzo has just begun to mentor young Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke), a rookie cop who still possesses the ideals of every bright-eyed rookie police officer.
As Alonzo exposes Jake the the harshness of the streets where many a drug deal takes place, he also reveals his own questionable tactics in fighting the criminal element, whether that means intimidating the "animals" at will or misrepresenting themselves with fake search warrants. Alonzo also manipulates his new student, going so far as to hold a gun to his head to get him to smoke drugs, which turns out to be a clever blackmail device later on.
However, as the subsequent events begin to reveal his motivation (a large debt is owed to Russian gangsters by the end of the day), Jake's morals collide with Alonzo's master plan. With the exception of his girlfriend or son, neither friend nor foe will stand in his way, and this constant deception, distrust, and disrespect for others leads Alonzo to his downfall. At the end of the Day, honor indeed prevails and Alonzo gets what he deserves.
INTELLIGENCE - 7: Had the right plan to dig himself out of debt but didn't count on Jake being so damn honorable.
POWER - 6: Can do his share of brawling but loves to hide behind that badge.
VILENESS - 7: Cared very little for his friends and even less for his foes. His son, on the other hand...
SWAY - 8: Used a lethal mix of charm and intimidation to get what he wanted from people, especially Jake.
PURITY - 8: With a heavy debt to pay and his life on the line, he forced himself to do whatever he could to survive.
PHYSICAL - 6: Alonzo feels right at home in standard Mofo gear: black leather.
TOTAL: 42
Posted by Destro at June 4, 2002 10:10 AM