The Equalizer

A hardcore Robin Hood for the 21st century, who manages to use his deep knowledge of the hobby market to the hilt in his battle with the biggest scumbag. It's not that The Equalizer isn't entertaining or bloody enough, it's more that at times it oozes with overblown and primitively cheesy action "for effect". The level of emotional heroism here is really over the top, and much more than an action thriller it feels at times like a slightly failed comic book adaptation. A weaker 3 stars. (11/14/2019)

After six long years and a second viewing, I have to raise my rating because this film starring Denzel Washington deserves every bit of praise it can get. Antoine Fuqua knew exactly why he cast this legendary actor in the lead role; Denzel delivers perhaps the best performance of his career, following Man on Fire and Training Day. His seemingly unassuming portrayal of an older, innocent-looking guy working at the warehouse completely dissolves when the film unleashes its first action scene, revealing what a top-notch professional Robert McCall truly is. The dialogues are among the sharpest in the genre recently, and you really savor the exchanges (especially between Denzel and Csokas). Martin Csokas stands out as one of the most terrifying villains of late; his expressions truly send chills down your spine at every turn. The action is impactful, unexpected, brutal, and above all, inventive (the finale at the warehouse with the fire sprinklers is one of the most effective scenes in recent years). Sure, it’s exaggerated, but the execution is so precise and perfect at its core that giving it less than five stars would be a grave injustice. For me, it’s a 9/10. P.S. One of the best soundtracks for action films; Harry Gregson-Williams has outdone himself again. (01/11/2021)

Slower but all the more focused, subtly escalating and with a perfect performance by the main villain. Washington is approaching the position of an A-list Seagal and soon we’ll see a halo lighting up over his head. I was delighted with the character balance between him and Csokas, the dialogue, Bill Pullman’s small role, more blood than we are used to in Washington movies, and the closing music by Moby. Fuqua is back! (10/14/2014)

A superbly executed action film where Fuqua's ability to direct great scenes and Denzel's ability to carry the entire film shine through excellently. He's exactly the kind of hero you want to root for. What really bothered me was Chloe Grace Moretz's disappearance from the scene for over an hour. And it's not just because I really like that girl; it also harmed the story. (12/15/2014)

The Equalizer with Denzel Washington could be pretty much compared to Shooter with Mark Wahlberg, which was also shot by Fuqua, years ago. As far as the action goes, the scenes are very well-done, but the movie has a couple of mediocre, uninteresting and useless moments; it could’ve been 30 minutes shorter and I wouldn’t mind at all. (06/15/2015)