The Equalizer 3

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)

Roberto McCall and his Sicilian mishaps with cups of tea and filleting Camorra. When he sizes up his targets, whose eyes will soon cloud over and gills lose their pinkness, he fully embodies the nobility of his character. He only gets out of breath when climbing the stairs to the church! Man on Fire 4 is driven primarily by him, even as he navigates obstacles such as a clumsy script, directorial mannerisms (the scene in the square with the crowd in resistance, reminiscent of Training Day, was somewhat painful), and the Dakota Fanning casting error. I consider the frequent use of darkness and cutting to conceal the action a positive for the aging Denzel. At least this way, he maintains the aura of a killer who can time the demise of his enemies with precision. (11/15/2023)

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)

A former hitman is enjoying his retirement in Sicily, but his idyll is shattered by a gang of mobsters who are taking money from the locals, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. I'd love so badly to enthusiastically say that it's been a brutal carnage and an action-packed ride ever since, but sadly it's not, and hence my relatively painful disappointment. The opening is perfect, the Sicilian setting is familiar and the locations are knockout, Antoine Fuqua already has something of a handle on the craft and Denzel Washington needs no mention. The guy was probably born to play this role, his acting chops and charisma make his character one of the most memorable movie assassins ever and when it comes down to it, there's a hell of a lot of fear and respect that can't be said for many of today's characters. So what's the problem? Well, the fact that the killing and stabbing are awesome, but unfortunately it only happens twice in the entire film. Once in the town, where I was soaked wet with joy, fear and suspense, and then in the finale, which doesn't compare to the warehouse or the town from previous installments and is a very weak concoction by comparison. In short, it's as if they were banking more on the location and Denzel's toothpaste commercial smile than the hard, bloody action we all went to see the film for. As it is, it's unfortunately very disappointing and summing up five minutes of action with a lackluster conclusion just isn't enough for me. If they had tightened up, I wouldn't be afraid to give it a full five stars, as technically the film is on a very high level indeed. A painful shame... (08/30/2023)

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)