End of Watch [DVD]

'End of Watch', is the only cop film ever to capture the spirit of interaction between 2 ghetto cops and the sort of comments they make to each other while patrolling. In my case, being a minority (3rd Generation Japanese-American), similar to Mike Pena's Hispanic character in this film, paired with a testosterone-fueled white male partner, who was quick with the ethnic slurs, reminded me of working with Bruce Kameg at the 1st Precinct in the late 1970s. I read many of the reviews of the film here, on Amazon.com and it's interesting that people either loved and endorsed the film or HATED it, with little reaction in-between those 2 extremes. There are many cop-haters in the world and some who saw this film said they much preferred 'Training Day'. The reason is obvious to me-the horribly 'bad' cop portrayed by Denzel Washington enabled those cop haters to reinforce their already negative opinions of how corrupt and rotten cops are. Other negative reviews came from law enforcement types who are desk jockeys, paper shufflers or have worked only in suburban areas, where the big call of the night is "a drunk at the 7-Eleven'. They are in no position to judge the authenticity of this film, because their experiences are so different, they might as well have taken place on another planet. Ghetto policing is a whole different experience and it's a young man's game, often performed by coppers with a high school education, at best. Some critics didn't like the "immaturity" of the characters. Like it or not, that depiction is real, not about ALL ghetto cops, but many. A flippant attitude can be essential for mental survival in an insane environment. Some said the camera was too jerky and watching the action made them sick. Welcome to the real world of ghetto cops-in particular the fight near the beginning and the jolting car crash, which began the final action scene. The jerky camera action really 'put you there', making me feel like I was back on the street. It might not be 'pleasant' to experience, but it is realistic. On my first night on patrol, (I was still in the academy) I was sent to the Vernor Pct for 'In Service training'. I rode in the back of a patrol car, with an experienced 2 man crew. After sliding back and forth on the back seat, racing from one priority call to another, and drawing my gun 7 or 8 times in a single night, I felt like I'd been on a roller coaster for 8 hours. I said to myself " I don't think I can do this s*** for 25 years." But some of us did adapt to that crazy world and I remained on uniformed street patrol for 25 years, on Detroit PD. Other negative reviewers (and there were MANY with this objection), stated they couldn't stand the obscene language that was so pervasive in 'End of Watch'. Go back and watch the film again. Although the cops are prone to swearing (which is accurate), 90% of the F-bombs in the film are spoken by ghetto gang members-welcome to reality. Again, this was totally realistic and the 'emotional violence' which Joseph Wambaugh recognized as a major component of the police experience is captured perfectly by the black actor who fights the Hispanic cop at the beginning of the film. I read that he is in fact a real gang member and street guy and the torrent of obscenity and disrespect that flowed from his mouth in that scene was 100% similar to the verbal abuse I listened to, for 25 years. This also transported me back in time, to hear that obscene dialogue.Most of the severe critics of this film are basing their opinions on what? Their years of working at Dunkin Donuts or perhaps the many police movies they've watched? The director of this film wanted to get it right and the 2 main actors spent months riding along with LAPD and LA Sherriff's crews, to get a feel for what they actually say and do, while working. Learning of their preparation for these roles was what nudged me to go see the film. It is very accurate on many levels-I know, because I've lived much of that experience. The only thing that was way over the top, was the amount of shooting at the end. Even in ghetto policing, that is not nearly as prevalent as shown in this movie and when it does happen, it's usually over a lot quicker than the prolonged gun battle at the end of this movie. But that is typically Hollywood and is inserted to add box office appeal. The basic premise of the film required one or both of the officers to die at the end, but this could have been accomplished in a much briefer space of time. I believe one reason response time was prolonged in the film, is that cops who call for assistance always 'perceive' that it takes forever for help to arrive, even if it is a matter of seconds or a few minutes.Other aspects of the film which have been panned: By my calculations, I made over 15,000 traffic stops in my career and I never had the occupants of a stopped car come-out shooting, as was shown in the opening scene of this film. However, this DOES occasionally happen and footage captured recently on real life police dashboard cams, shows that the scenario looks VERY similar to what was depicted in 'End of Watch'. In another traffic stop scene in the film, a citizen's gun arm is grabbed by a cop, just as he tries to shoot the cop. MANY ghetto cops have grabbed a firearm out of the hands of a hostile citizen. I once grabbed the barrel of a .12 gauge shotgun and deflected it away from me, after walking-up behind a armed citizen who had just shot at his neighbor (it later turned-out this citizen had two prior murder convictions on his rap sheet).As to the scene where Pena takes off his gun to fight an abusive citizen, that also DOES happen occasionally. I know of a FEMALE Detroit cop, who did that and whipped a strapping 22 year old young man, with a big mouth. They teach in the academy never to do this, but Pena's character was a ring boxer, which was revealed in one of the unfortunately deleted scenes. So he was capable of doing things the average cop would not attempt to do.Other negative reviewers of the film resented the fact that cops were portrayed as occasional heroes in the film. I never crawled along the floor of a building engulfed in a raging fire, to save occupants of an apartment building before the Fire Department arrived, but this happened to my partners one night, when I was off. Going-in to a situation like that, with no adequate fire retardant clothing or breathing apparatus is nothing short of heroic and would be like expecting a fireman without a gun to take-on an armed felon. Yes, my partners did that, in a Cass Corridor apartment building and they saved some lives. One of them (Michael T. Walsh), happens to be the son of a Detroit fireman.In short, many of the experts who have condemned this film don't have any idea what they're talking about.My final comment on this, is to all the cop haters and also the chairborne desk jockey types, who never get out on the street and care only about getting promoted. Your reasons for hating this film are obvious. As to the bluenoses who can't stand hearing dirty words in a film, their objections should in no way reflect on whether this film is an accurate depiction of reality, in big city policing. On the contrary, the horrible language is just one more realistic aspect of this film. Patrolling the Cass Corridor of Detroit, in the 70s-80s was very similar. 'End of Watch' has nailed the ghetto policing experience more accurately than any Hollywood film, to date.

WOW! I have never seen a Police Action Film soooo real to life. Taking place in an area I know all too well. This film should have swept awards but I seriously doubt that it even got mentioned. Seriously man . . . If you have never seen this film then #1 - Find a partner you can trust #2 - Make certain that you wear a vest & #3 - Watch the movie with your eyes closed (you can peek occasionally between your fingers) Good Luck!

𝑰 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒅, 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌, 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒔, 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏, 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒅End of Watch is a 2012 American action thriller film written and directed by David Ayer. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña as Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, two Los Angeles Police Department officers who work in South Los Angeles. The film focuses on their day-to-day police work, their dealings with a certain group of gang members, their friendship with each other, and their personal relationships.To call the streets of South Central Los Angeles familiar turf for David Ayer would be an understatement; he grew up there, and has spent the last two decades specializing in telling gritty cop tales. His previous works as both a director and screenwriter - like 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑫𝒂𝒚 and 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒔𝒕 & 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 to name a few - notably portray morally ambivalent officers who specialize in breaking the law and justifying their actions. Ayers describes 𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 as a sort-of antithesis to what is the typical (and, really his typical) presentation of those in law enforcement, which is sure to be a pleasant surprise for audience members Inundated with films focusing on their capacity for corruption as opposed to honest intentions. Perhaps not surprisingly, former LAPD officer Jaime Fitzsimons would serve as the film's primary technical advisor, and his previous experience with partnering officer Darryn Dupree would Inspire several key plot points within the script. Without this information it is very easy to assume that the way many elements and events are intertwined within one another is unreasonable or illogical, and I wouldn't blame any viewer for desiring a little more exposition or background information during specific scenes..Intended as an immersive glimpse into the lives of two cops, 𝑹𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑰𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 is credited with making the documentary-esque style of 𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 achievable. They most notably designed and utilized cameras that were small enough to be worn by lead actors Peña and Gyllenhaal - with Gyllenhaal having a larger portion of control over his specific camera(s) then usual - and dashboard cameras that are capable of capturing action in a realistic and organic way. As if anticipating questions audience members may have about logistical related information, opportunities for the fourth wall to be broken are essentially written into the script; consequently, the tone remains casually instructive - although not as technical as it could be - without bottoming out as a tedious or stuffy experience.Shooting happened over the course of 22 days, but preparation began long before the cameras started rolling. For 5 months Gyllenhaal and Peña participated in an intensive training program overseen by Fitzsimons with a curriculum that included police tactics, hand-to-hand combat, weaponry, and 12 hour ride-alongs ( which, not so #funfact, Gyllenhaal witnessed a murder occur during the first one he participated in). With a newfound appreciation for their positions and commitment to one another the chemistry between Ayers primary characters is as tangible as it is prevailing. The discourse and interactions linking the mundane to situations that are a matter of life-or-death remains seamless throughout and speaks truth to the level of camaraderie Brian and Mike feel amongst themselves and on a communal level the allegiance they have to other individuals that have an occupation also related to law enforcement.There is no denying that 𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 is made with a bias inclined towards flattery; the benefit of the doubt given the larger context may not be so easily offered by specific viewers, but what Ayers has created manages to be both eye-opening and heart-wrenching. Arresting and unobtrusive, what could be exceedingly pretentious is relatively down-to-earth, and given the level of sacrifice alluded to and represented, the preoccupation with blurring some lines and sharpening our vision are all I guess we can ask for.

The movie was excellent and I really enjoyed it. However, the seller and the picture and price indicate there is a digital copy included if you choose that option. Beware! The digital code was expired and was not accepted at any digital site. So I consider that to be false advertising. Therefore I only received a bluray which is $4 cheaper than the Blu-ray and digital. Amazon and/or the seller would not provide me a credit for the $4. So I paid for a digital copy and received none.

Enjoyed this movie a lot with my partner, full of emotions.

Just a great movie, have watched it maybe 25 times.

I would give this movie 10 stars if I could! It’s the absolute best police movie ever! Top 5 favorite movies!

Awesome 🎥🎥 would definitely recommend !!

I'm a great fan of Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena so thought I would give these two a screening, having watched Fury which is directed by David Ayer. I assumed End of watch would be okay in fact it was a great watch and very different from what you would normally watch, I was curious to how these two actors seemed to fit in the role of two L.A PD officers because the acting was perfect and after doing a bit of research I found out that Pena & Gyllanhaal spent 6 months working alongside real L.A PD officers witnessing drug deals and murders so this film hasn't been made in a whim.I actually came across this film because I watched Fury with Brad Pitt which was directed by the same director.Profanity is very strong with 325 F-words and 100 S-words also no sex scenes or nakedness.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays L.A. Cop Brian Taylor, who describes himself as `I am fate with a badge and a gun' at the beginning of the film. He is teamed with Mexican Michael Pena (`The Lincoln Lawyer') playing cop, Mike Zavala. They are the sort of cops that are all guns out but not so gung ho as to be corrupt and through their joint effervescence for the job, they get lucky. That is they manage to hit upon a couple of busts for both narcotics and human trafficking. Whilst this brings them to the attention of the powers that be, it also gets them the unwanted attention of the Cartel, crime lords - who respond reasonably enough, by ordering their death.Brian has met Janet (Anna Kendrick - `50/50') and Mike is married to Gabby (Natalie Martinez `Broken City' just out) and she is pregnant and he can't wait to be a Daddy. Meanwhile dark forces gather on the L.A. streets where every other word has to involve `fornication with your Mum' type talk or the person talking will not be taken seriously. The gangs are either Black or Hispanic and a turf war is being waged almost non stop.This quite a good film, and it should be it comes from writer and director David Ayer who grew up on these streets and is responsible for `Training Day', `Harsh Times' and `Street Kings' so he knows his trade. The language is gritty, the violence believable and the plot convincing up until it falls into a cliché of sorts near the end, but it is just forgivable, to say what it is would be a plot spoiler. The sound track is quite good too; I spotted Mazzy Star, Black Rebble Motor Cycle Club and Public Enemy in there along with a load more.So a well made and acted and actually quite engaging film and I was presently surprised by how good it actually was, a plot twist too much could have ruined it, but in the end it all worked rather well - recommended.

I was very favourably surprised and even more, IMPRESSED, by this 2012 thriller drama. It is definitely one of the best crime films I saw in those last years. Below, more of my impressions, with some limited SPOILERS.The film tells the story of two veteran LAPD officers, Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Miguel Zavala (Michael Pena). They are simple uniformed street patrol officers, albeit Taylor, a former Marine, wants to make detective and studies in the evenings. As part of his studies he records a lot of what happens on their patrols. This film is composed integrally with recordings, mostly those made by Taylor, but also a couple of news reportings, some official ceremonial recordings and also some footage of conversations of street gangsters, mostly made with their cell phones.I will not say much about the story because it contains twists, surprises and developments which should be discovered integrally by the viewers. I would really advise AGAINST researching this film on internet before viewing, because here any kind of spoilers damage the viewing experience quite seriously. Suffice it to say that Taylor and Zavala are tough (and extremely potty mouthed) but honest and quite likeable police officers, who patrol a particularly rotten, dangerous part of Los Angeles.Well known by local street gangs for being courageous, tough (and dangeorus if needs be) but fair and honest, they are treated with a (very) reluctant respect by some of gangbangers - but also supremely hated by many others. Amongst the latter the most prominent is Big Evil (Maurice Compte), a (not very sane) leader of a paricularly vicious Latino outfit, the Curbside Gang.With time we also come to know Miguel's wife Gabby (Natalie Martinez) and Taylor's most recent girlfriend (Anna Kendrick), as well as some other police officers and brass both men are working with.Before "End of watch" David Ayers made two other "cops+gangsters in LA" films, "Harsh Times" in 2006 with Christian Bale and "Street Kings" in 2008 with Keeanu Reeves. The first one was bad and the second one hardly better - in fact I forgot what they were about almost immediately after watching them. But this film, well, this is a whole different enchilada!"End of watch" is a very good film, both in its technical visual aspect and in its scenario, which is an exceptionally solid thing. Most of this film is dialogs and they are actually very good - even if the amount of OBSCENITIES is such that some DVD players will probably not resist it...))) We are frequently surprised and shocked, but those surprises and shocks actually make sense and the whole story flows very logically and harmoniously until the end. It is a thing rare enough in recent films to deserve particular praise.The treasures in this film are many and you deserve to discover them by yourself, but I simply must state here, that whoever invented the character of La La (Yakira Flakiss Garcia) should get an Oscar. The very idea of naming the very lesbian and absolutely TERRIFYING top killer of Curbside Gang after one of Teletubbies, well, I bow very low to whomever thought about it...)))As written in the title of this review, for my personal taste, if "The Shield" was a movie instead of TV show and about good cops, instead of rotten evil ones, well, it would be this film... And for me it is the SUPREME praise, as I simply ADORED "The Shield".I was very impressed by this film and I will keep the DVD for another viewing in the future. A film to see absolutely! ENJOY!

This is David Ayer's best film... His other films are OK, althoughI didn't like Fury, but this movie works on many levels, and it isn'toften that everything falls into place. Good acting, good direction,editing etc etc...The direction style is all Ayer's, as well as the writing. Here wehave two well drawn real characters as they police the streets ofSouth Central LA. You really get to like these two people, as theygo from one situation to another. The plot is similar to Ayer's otherfilm Harsh Times, in-so-much, it is about the relationship betweentwo friends, however, here these two are police officers.I liked this film a lot, and if you like realistic crime drama, you won'tbe disappointed.

Extreme violence mixed with a bromance as the boys in the patrol car voyage around South Central engaging in heroism, joshing, discussing their women and other policey stuff only to run into the Cartels. I was never quite sure of the film's genre but apart from a fast forward through the home life bits it moved effectively to its denouement (in fact the documentry with a film motif was very appropriate). It certainly has plenty of old fashioned police film clichés but it avoids the sort of overacting nonsense we saw in RAMPART. Some very amusing and well observed dialogue for so grim an ending.