Let me start by saying I absolutely hated Training Day and wouldn't have watched this had I know it was written by the same guy. This film, much like Training Day, had more plot and continuity holes than most wheels of Swiss cheese. That being said, it's not a bad movie at all, but hardly deserves the multiple star reviews it has received. It manages to entertain despite being painfully and I mean painfully predictable. There is so much good and so much bad, I honestly don't know where to start.
I'll start with the good. The dialogue is crisp and not contrived like Training Day. People actually speak the way the characters speak and it gave it a bit of authenticity. The four main characters are ridiculously likable. The two women, Martinez and Kendrick are stunningly beautiful and ridiculously cute and play off their male counterparts beautifully. The two mains, Gyllenhaal and Pena have incredible chemistry and it's nice to see Pena finally get a major role as he's always been a scene stealer. Another thing I admired, was the incredible soundtrack, which fit perfectly with each scene.
Now for the bad. The whole idea that a police officer would put the lives of his fellow officers at risk to videotape everything is ridiculous. This and all the camera work becomes incredibly distracting. The fact that these cops just happen to bust the same Mexican drug cartel multiple times is ludicrous. The fact the attackers were completely inept at shooting, but geniuses at surrounding them was silly. And finally two things that are completely the directors fault. He seems obsessed with homosexuality. In Training Day it was a near male rape and in this it is multiple lesbian kisses. Enough with the stereotypes. Finally, the "second" ending almost ruined the film for me. On Netflix, I'd keep it at 3, but on a ten point scale, I'd drop it from 6 to 5, just based on the ending. Oh and did I mention it's one of the most predictable movies you'll ever watch?
I'll start with the good. The dialogue is crisp and not contrived like Training Day. People actually speak the way the characters speak and it gave it a bit of authenticity. The four main characters are ridiculously likable. The two women, Martinez and Kendrick are stunningly beautiful and ridiculously cute and play off their male counterparts beautifully. The two mains, Gyllenhaal and Pena have incredible chemistry and it's nice to see Pena finally get a major role as he's always been a scene stealer. Another thing I admired, was the incredible soundtrack, which fit perfectly with each scene.
Now for the bad. The whole idea that a police officer would put the lives of his fellow officers at risk to videotape everything is ridiculous. This and all the camera work becomes incredibly distracting. The fact that these cops just happen to bust the same Mexican drug cartel multiple times is ludicrous. The fact the attackers were completely inept at shooting, but geniuses at surrounding them was silly. And finally two things that are completely the directors fault. He seems obsessed with homosexuality. In Training Day it was a near male rape and in this it is multiple lesbian kisses. Enough with the stereotypes. Finally, the "second" ending almost ruined the film for me. On Netflix, I'd keep it at 3, but on a ten point scale, I'd drop it from 6 to 5, just based on the ending. Oh and did I mention it's one of the most predictable movies you'll ever watch?
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