The Equalizer 3

It’s a shame that The Equalizer 3 has less action and, in particular, a formalistically sloppy settling of accounts with the main bad guy. Denzel Washington’s charisma and the excellent stylisation of his character as the alpha purveyor of justice from the conflict with the Italian Camorra offered a bigger and longer slaughter with a higher body count. We have been spoiled by John Wick... That said, The Equalizer 3 is still entertaining even in the quiet passages with its fine characters, Italian atmosphere and, mainly, escalating tension leading up to the clash between the brutal local underworld and the ultimate American hero. The epilogue is needlessly theatrical (Italy) and naïve (San Francisco). (09/06/2023)

Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington, and a great conclusion to a successful trilogy. The third part is not better than the first, but it surpasses the sequel and for me it is another great job on my favorite theme. Fuqua is right at home in this revenge mode, and while it's not a frantic action ride in the vein of John Wick and Extraction, it doesn't matter as The Equalizer benefits from a great main character, an attractive setting and compelling dialogue, making the film stand out above other revenge action genre flicks. Washington has charisma to spare, and the way he can play a likeable guy one moment and a cold and uncompromising assassin with a stare that gives you chills the next is amazing. This time we look at a quaint Italian town where Denzel is injured and getting used to the quiet idyllic life of the friendly locals, but the town is terrorized by the local Mafia and Denzel will have to take the law into his own hands. The film keeps a leisurely pace, but thanks to a great setting, likeable characters and engaging dialogue, it never gets boring and when it comes to the action, it's pleasantly brutal with effective kills. The best part is quite possibly the opening itself, which is very nicely brutal. I also enjoyed the two Italian brothers-villains, who got what they deserved. However, I was a bit disappointed with the finale itself, which felt rather rushed and the showdown with the bad guy wasn't as satisfying as the finale from the first film, but I can get over that. It's still quality entertainment that I enjoyed for 2 hours. PS: that jump-scare in the explosion with the cars was lethal! (09/11/2023)

It doesn't beat the originality and the villain of the first one, but it does beat the sterile and uninspired second one. The Equalizer thankfully didn't end up like, say, Taken, and with the third film, the duo Washington-Fuqua made a worthy finale, or let McCall age with honor and in the beautiful Amalfi setting. Last Chapter is surprisingly less action-packed than the previous installments and shapes the mix of the fragile family atmosphere of a small town that has its own specific spiritual charge vs. extreme violence and gore quite adequately, something Fuqua is unafraid of and knows how to handle pretty well. Nothing beats the opening scene, and no other passage even comes close, but as a whole the third Equalizer is watchable. Denzel is no longer an invincible killer, but a vulnerable older man, plagued by the demons of his past, and every now and then he kicks someone's ass and does what's right along the way through life. Exactly between 3-4. (10/09/2023)

The closing chapter of Robert McCall’s journey was a triumph! I was a bit worried before the screening that the film might fall into the trap of genre clichés, something the second film slightly suffered from, but Antoine Fuqua came up with a smart solution. Setting the epilogue of the saga in the picturesque town of Altamonte on beautiful Sicily was a masterstroke. I thoroughly enjoyed the camera shots sweeping over these landscapes (quite a change from the overused America, right?). Adding to that a well-developed story for the genre, I really don’t know what I could fault the film for. The Italian mafia’s fearlessness in brutality genuinely surprised me; I didn’t expect Fuqua to deliver such a naturalistic portrayal. Although there are relatively few action sequences, their impact is all the more effective (again accompanied by a great soundtrack). The opening scene in the vineyard (which is also shot absolutely brilliantly) sets the uncompromising tone for the film. Besides Denzel Washington, who once again fully embraces the role of the stoic retired CIA agent, I was pleased to see Dakota Fanning (it’s been a long 19 years since Man on Fire). Yeah, this was really well done. For me, it’s a strong 8/10. P.S. The first film remains unmatched due to the villain. Csokas is truly one of a kind :) (09/01/2023)