REEL CRITICS

Learning the ropes on the streets of L.A.

If you’re looking for a break from the glossy fluff movies that

Hollywood has been churning out for the last few months, then rush down

to the local cinema and put your money on “Training Day.”

“Training Day” is a film about a young police officer, played by Ethan

Hawke, on his first day with an undercover narcotics unit of the Los

Angeles Police Department. Hawke’s character, Jake Hoyt, spends his

training day with veteran cop Alonzo Harris, portrayed by Denzel

Washington, and is quickly submersed in a world where it is impossible to

distinguish the good guys from the bad guys.

As the day proceeds, the stakes become higher and higher as Hoyt

struggles to prove that he is willing to do whatever Harris asks so that

he may be a part of the unit. But as Harris’ demands escalate, Hoyt

questions his own principles and is forced to decide whether the end

justifies the means in the battle to fight crime.

As always, Washington delivers an amazing performance. But in this

film, he clearly shows that he is a versatile actor and not merely the

perennial hero. Washington’s big grin, which in other movies is

endearing, seems like the smirk of the Devil in “Training Day,” as he

tempts his young protege to abandon his principles and walk on the dark

side.

Hawke also delivers a wonderful performance in this film. I could feel

his anguish as he struggled with the situations that his increasingly

perilous day forced upon him. It is also a credit to his acting skills

that he is not completely overshadowed by Washington’s larger-than-life

character but rather stands as an equal.

Unlike the mindless fare that Hollywood has subjected us to lately,

“Training Day” is driven by character development and a compelling plot.

It was a treat to watch a film that is not painfully predictable and

cliched. In fact, I was gripping the armrests of my seat for most of the

film because the tension never lets up until the credits roll.

Unfortunately, all of the plot twists and complex schemes that make

this film so compelling also cause the story to be a little less than

realistic. But this fault is easily overlooked because it is the first

mainstream movie to come along in quite a while that stimulates the

audience with more than just special effects and merchandising.

“Training Day” is rated R for brutal violence, language, drug content

and brief nudity.

* RYAN GILMORE, 27, is a Costa Mesa resident.

Don’t hate this guy because he’s beautiful

“It’s hard to be professionally good looking,” laments Derek Zoolander

when he’s interviewed for his video introduction at the VH1 Fashion

Awards.

But it isn’t hard for us regular folks to laugh at this hyper-pouting

dummy.

Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is best known for three devastating

“looks” he calls “Blue Steel,” “Le Tigre” and “Ferrari” -- the joke is

that they’re all pretty much the same. Then the unthinkable happens:

Derek loses the title of male model of the year to Hansel (Owen Wilson),

a California Zen cowboy who is quickly taking the male modeling industry

by storm.

Our poor hero is further sullied by a slanderous cover story by a Time

reporter named Matilda (Christine Taylor). After he loses his three

male-model roommates in a tragically comedic accident, Zoolander returns

to his coal-mining family, determined to prove that there’s more to life

than modeling.

But they too turn him away, disgraced by his namby-pamby antics in the

mine and his career choice -- I almost sprayed popcorn into someone’s

hair when Zoolander, costumed as a merman, hawks designer cologne.

Back in Manhattan, the only person who will touch Zoolander is the

poodle-permed designer Mugatu (a scene-stealing Will Farrell). He wants

him for his new urban line called “Derelicte” and to brainwash our

gullible guy into becoming an assassin. The target: the newly elected

prime minister of Malaysia and esteemed guest of the Derelicte runway

show who has promised to banish child labor -- a serious threat to the

entire fashion industry.

Zoolander, with the help of Matilda and Hansel, attempts to thwart

Mugatu’s plan and realize his true dream.

Based on a skit Ben Stiller created for the 1996 VH1/Vogue Fashion

Awards, Zoolander follows in the tradition of absurd comedy. It isn’t a

nonstop laugh fest like “There’s Something About Mary,” but you’ll gasp

with laughter during the runoff scene between Hansel and Zoolander.

The bottom line is if you hate absurd humor, pass on this one. But if

you’re like me and can take a good potty joke for what it’s worth, then

this is a movie you’ll want to consider if you need a little absurdity in

your life.

“Zoolander” is rated PG-13 on appeal for sexual content and drug

references.

* MARY A. CASTILLO, 27, is a Costa Mesa resident.