I know I'm late as hell and I hate to break the overall 'vibe' about this movie but this movie was great when I saw it in the theater and gets better every time I watch it over again. And this is mainly because of the performances by Denzel and Ethan. I don't know what you guys expected but the movie CLEARLY suggests that Denzel is a crooked, burnt-out, streetwise cop and Ethan is a 'wet-behind-the-ears' clueless rookie. So knowing that, WHAT DID YOU GUYS EXPECT, Malcolm X, Remember The Titans, The Hurricane?? If you were, then maybe you all need to be checked out. The reason why this movie was so great is because it wasn't the typical Denzel 'role model' movie. We KNOW that he can play those roles well so it's a testament to his acting ability that he can portray the other side of the spectrum. And my hat goes off to Ethan because he bounces off Denzel flawlessly.
I hate to break the news to you guys but cops like Alonzo ARE OUT THERE and need to be acknowledged. Acting like the problem doesn't exist does not solve it. You don't have to go that deep to know that Alonzo was once a good cop who just got fed up w/ 'police procedures.' If you acknowledge that Jake's shallow-mindedness at the beginning of the film only allows him to look at the perks of making detective and how the progress of the day transforms him, you can really appreciate Ethan's portrayal of him. Let's face it, a bad day at the office when you're a narcotics detective differs greatly from that of an office executive and the different stresses can warrant different results.
Even the street rhetoric was authentic. Maybe you guys need to get out of the 'burbs more. You guys didn't actually expect eloquent dialogue with little or no profanity, did you? The only part of this movie I struggle with is Dr. Dre's terrible overacting and that isn't nearly enough to take away from the overall result.
Next time you guys bash a movie, make sure to try to be objective and rate what you see and not what you're used to seeing!!
