The Equalizer 2

If there's anyone in Hollywood that I would believe is actually a real life bada**, it's probably Denzel Washington. The first Equalizer was a surprisingly brutal and visceral action film that gave Liam Neeson movies a run for its money. While the sequel is full of just as many, if not more, incredible kill sequences by Denzel's character, I think there's a lack of connection I felt this time around. I wasn't nearly as connected to the story, and perhaps that's because the revenge didn't feel as sweet this time around. The ending of the film is a great sequence on its own and there are certain scenes I will certainly revisit, but I'm not sure the film as a whole works quite as well.

6.6/10

I was well entertained on Sunday when I watched the film. Denzel Washington is a favorite actor of mine. I have seen such good films of his in the past: Philadelphia(1993), The Pelican Bried(1993), Crimson Tide(1995), Virtuosity(1995), Fallen(1998), The Bone Collector(1999), The Hurricane(1999),Training Day(2001), John Q(2002) and many more...

I am also a great fan of director Antoine Fuqua and I love his style of direction. The movie continues from the previous one, Robert McCall(Washington) now lives in a diverse apartment complex in urban Massachusetts. He is working as a Lyft driver and assists the less fortunate with the help of his friend, Susan Plummer. One day, Susan and DIA operative Dave York, McCall's former teammate, are called to investigate an apparent murder-suicide of an agent and his wife in Brussels. When the two separate after reaching their hotel, Susan is murdered in an apparent robbery. When he receives the news, McCall begins to investigate both her death and the case she was investigating.

The action sequences in the film, background sound-effects and cinematography are extremely well executed. Antoine is a director with great vision and you can see that in all his movies. Denzel gives another excellent performance and his acting is very convincing. I give the film a rating of 8/10 because the film is a solid entertainer and held my attention the whole time.

One good actor can not produce a movie, when nothing else is there to add. Small talks may not always contribute to the atmosphere, expressly when randomly thrown into the soup. And a crude story remains just a sketch, whatever you try to do with it. And this is the case with this movie. A huge potential wasted in a mediocre script, with barely convincing characters and a totally flat course. No music, nor the hurricane, could add to the lack of vibration in this scenario. This is a "Gran Torino" with a silly fake action movie beside. Denzel, who is a great actor and is playing excellent here too, becomes almost ridiculous trying to give some substance to nothing. Total disappointment, and an unreal over-rating...

The Equalizer 2 had less action and less fighting than the first but it was no less good. It had a more serious and somber tone and it was definitely more cerebral. Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) was on the trail of those responsible for his friend's death. He had to use some shrewd investigative skills to discover whether or not her death was intentional and who the killers were. But, while Robert was dealing with that he still had time to do some clean up in his hometown of Boston--and I mean clean up in every sense of the words.

I liked the different characters in this movie and I particularly liked Robert's interaction with Miles (Ashton Sanders), the young African American male headed down the wrong path. The high-energy, pulse-racing fights weren't aplenty like the first installment but in their place was a little more substance. It was a fine trade off.

I'm a fan of Denzel Washington and enjoyed the first "Equalizer" movie. That said, "The Equalizer" was not a film I was necessarily clamoring for a sequel to--although I still was looking forward to it since Denzel Washington and the action scenes in the trailer would be worthwhile. After seeing "The Equalizer 2" at an advance screening, I can say that while the film is not perfect, it's an entertaining ride for adult action junkies that is on par with the first movie in terms of quality.

Denzel returns as Robert McCall, a vigilante-type figure and former special forces operative who begins the movie on a mission in Turkey. After such prologue, the film centers in on its primary narrative thread: a woman who he worked with on multiple missions has been killed by thugs in Brussels. The rest of the film primarily concerns McCall's attempt to bring the perpetrators of such heinous crime to justice, although the film also contains multiple sub-plots--including a new, older adolescent-age character who could theoretically become somewhat of a protégé to McCall in a possible third movie in the franchise.

The action scenes in "The Equalizer 2" are thrilling and intense. Sometimes the intersection of Fuqua's cinematography choices and sound edits can feel and appear a bit choppy at times, but the film certainly brings the white-knuckle goods. The film's action-packed finale scene, a climatic showdown in the midst of an incredibly rough hurricane, is thoroughly effective and satisfying. Just like the first movie, the violence in "The Equalizer 2" certainly earns its R rating. Denzel Washington is great as McCall, blending a unique mix of charisma and ferocity. Just like in the first movie, he is able to carry the film on all of its levels from beginning to end. That said, the film does have one large flaw--that of which the story is highly predictable. If you've seen any other "vigilante"-style action movie before, you'll be able to guess the key plot elements well before they unfold, and the film's sole attempt at a plot twist can be guessed within the first 20 minutes of the movie.

Fans of the first movie and Denzel Washington should be able to look past such banality and enjoy the action-packed ride, and I do recommend the film to them. 7/10