In a notable departure from playing all those virtuous types, Denzel Washington ventures into the dark side as a seriously corrupt narcotics cop in "Training Day," and the results are electrifying. [...] is the picture, thanks to taut, sinewy direction by Antoine Fuqua and a compelling script by David Ayer ("The Fast and the Furious"). A sterling example of how to cover familiar territory -- the old pairing of the cop-on-the-take with the by-the-book rookie (effectively played by Ethan Hawke) -- and make it crackle with vitality, the gritty drama should make Warner Bros.' day.

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