Training Day (HD DVD)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

The movie goes on like this for about an hour without any real main conflict developing, to the point where we begin wondering if the entire film isn't going to be little more than a series of minor incidents establishing character and mood. But then, about halfway through, we learn that Russian mobsters are after Harris and that there's a big operation going down later in the day that Harris is orchestrating. That provides hope, at least, for the possibility of some genuine excitement and suspense, and, in fact, such excitement and suspense does transpire, but not without the movie falling into a series of far-fetched situations to get us there and then taking a reverse turn on an amazing last-minute coincidence.

In the last analysis, the only thing holding this exaggerated enterprise together is Washington's commanding portrayal of the no-good cop, a performance so good that we almost for a minute accept his evil as a commonplace way of life. It's only in retrospect that we wonder how his character has been getting away with the kind of lawbreaking and brutality he has been engaging in for so long. I guess I'm just not so cynical as to believe that everyone in power is on the take in such a big way and that absolutely nobody seems to care. Call me Pollyanna; I found the movie too sincerely somber and unrelentingly downbeat for its own good.

Video:
When I watched Warners' standard-definition transfer of this film, I thought the picture quality was only so-so. But viewed in HD-DVD's full 1080x1920 lines, there is a remarkable improvement in clarity over the SD disc. The widescreen image (measuring a ratio about 2.15:1 across my TV) displays good, natural colors (although the director uses occasional odd hue variations to indicate mood changes), and the overall definition is sharp and well delineated. Moreover, I found the numerous moiré effects--wavering, shimmering lines in things like high-rise windows and auto grilles--that intruded on the SD's sense of realism were almost completely absent from the HD-DVD. Grain, too, is absent, the screen yielding a clean, clear picture, with black levels consistently strong. Indeed, the black levels are so intense sometimes that they don't always reveal as much inner detail as they might; but it is a minor qualm in a picture so good. I'd say the more detail there is in a frame, the better the picture looks.

If I found any problem at all watching this film, it's the kind of problem we should all have. After a few minutes, I became used to the high definition; I began taking it for granted. Then, when I went back to watching standard definition during the disc's extras, I thought there was something wrong with my set. All things are relative, I suppose.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtracks played back through my Toshiba player's 5.1 analogue outputs (the best choice of hookup for the least amount of audio compression, according to Dolby Labs) are nothing short of terrific, with a wide dynamic range, a strong transient impact, and all-encompassing ambiant music and noises approaching from all directions. The audio is as clean and clear as the video, and unlike my experience listening to the SD version's DD 5.1, I was not bothered by the soundtrack's overreliance on gunshots and screeching tires. With its well-detailed midrange and tightly controlled bass, the new audio tracks are a pleasure on the ears.

Extras:
For extras, we get the same items found on WB's SD edition, and again they are in standard-definition, 480i. We get an audio commentary from the director, Mr. Fuqua. Then, there's a fifteen-minute documentary, a long promo really, "HBO First Look: The Making of Training Day." Next, there are about twelve minutes of additional scenes, plus a four-minute alternate ending. After that, there are two music videos, "#1" by Nelly and "Got You" by Pharoahe Monch. Finally, there are twenty-eight scene selections (but no chapter insert), and a theatrical trailer. Warner Bros. provide English, French, and Spanish for spoken languages and subtitles.

Parting Shots:
As I said in the beginning, I regret not liking "Training Day" more than I did, especially in light of Denzel Washington's outstanding portrayal of the corrupt cop. But I found his role, like the film, ultimately one-dimensional, no matter how masterly it was conveyed. And I found the movie unfair in its implacable depiction of iniquity everywhere one looked. Two hours of inexorable grimness, no matter how well paced and with little to learn from it in the end except that good may triumph over evil if one waits long enough, is not entirely my idea of a good time.

On the other hand, with Washington performing so well and the action admittedly moving along at so a healthy a clip, it may just prove rewarding for other viewers. Be advised, though, the film is rated R for violence, sexual situations, brief nudity, and a ton of profanity. And be advised that the high-definition transfer is excellent.

---

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---