The Equalizer 2
Denzel Washington rejoins director Antoine Fuqua for the sequel to 2014's neo-noir action thriller, based on the '80s TV series of the same name.
Retired CIA black ops operative Robert McCall (Washington) - a man who serves an unflinching form of justice - returns to his old ways after discovering the murder of a friend. McCall sets out to find and punish the perpetrators.
- Director:
- Antoine Fuqua ('Training Day', 'Olympus Has Fallen', 'Southpaw')
- Writer:
- Richard Wenk
- Cast:
- Denzel WashingtonPedro PascalAshton SandersBill PullmanMelissa LeoJonathan ScarfeOrson BeanSakina Jaffrey
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Luke Buckmaster
flicksBlue collar heroes who administer vigilante justice tend to be ideologically interesting characters, squashed by the same system they see themselves as morally above. The protagonist of The Equalizer films, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), espouses a conservative ethos, believing bureaucratised institutions have reduced the capacity for basic fairness. Like virtually any character, in life as in film, he regards himself as the hero of his narrative.
Flicks, Tony Stamp
flicksThe Equalizer 2
YAWN! Another week, another mediocre action sequel. Paint by numbers storyline, boring protagonist. Why so serious Denzel? That's the problem with these Equalizer movies: they take themselves too seriously. The recent Dwayne Johnson Die Hard rip-off was generic as f**k too, but at least it was entertaining and moved reasonably quick. Would recommend...
Variety
pressJudging by the ponderous tone and pace, Fuqua thinks he's making high art (likely aspiring to something existential like Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le Samouraï"), but this is a grisly exploitation movie at best.
The New York Times
pressLike all great actors, Mr. Washington commits to the performance, but every so often he also breathes fire, imbuing a scene with such shocking ferocity and bone-deep moral certitude that everything else falls blissfully away.
The Guardian
pressThat Washington is charming enough to disguise McCall's clear streak of Travis Bickle-level sociopathy ranks as this production's greatest asset.
Stuff
pressThis solid, but unspectacular sequel (Washington's first in a more than 50-film career) is a movie that plays by a "very particular set" of rules.
Hollywood Reporter
pressThis distinctive character is gradually subsumed by familiar genre imperatives that eventually make McCall seem less special and singular than he did on first exposure in 2014.
Herald Sun
pressThe climactic dispensation of rough justice... is almost worth the price of admission. However, the grind of the getting-there could have you requesting a discount.
FilmInk
pressBuilds on the low-flash action chops of the original to bring us more of the good stuff.
Flicks, Luke Buckmaster
flicksBlue collar heroes who administer vigilante justice tend to be ideologically interesting characters, squashed by the same system they see themselves as morally above. The protagonist of The Equalizer films, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), espouses a conservative ethos, believing bureaucratised institutions have reduced the capacity for basic fairness. Like virtually any character, in life as in film, he regards himself as the hero of his narrative.
Flicks, Tony Stamp
flicksVariety
pressJudging by the ponderous tone and pace, Fuqua thinks he's making high art (likely aspiring to something existential like Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le Samouraï"), but this is a grisly exploitation movie at best.
The New York Times
pressLike all great actors, Mr. Washington commits to the performance, but every so often he also breathes fire, imbuing a scene with such shocking ferocity and bone-deep moral certitude that everything else falls blissfully away.
The Guardian
pressThat Washington is charming enough to disguise McCall's clear streak of Travis Bickle-level sociopathy ranks as this production's greatest asset.
Stuff
pressThis solid, but unspectacular sequel (Washington's first in a more than 50-film career) is a movie that plays by a "very particular set" of rules.
Hollywood Reporter
pressThis distinctive character is gradually subsumed by familiar genre imperatives that eventually make McCall seem less special and singular than he did on first exposure in 2014.
Herald Sun
pressThe climactic dispensation of rough justice... is almost worth the price of admission. However, the grind of the getting-there could have you requesting a discount.
FilmInk
pressBuilds on the low-flash action chops of the original to bring us more of the good stuff.
The Equalizer 2
YAWN! Another week, another mediocre action sequel. Paint by numbers storyline, boring protagonist. Why so serious Denzel? That's the problem with these Equalizer movies: they take themselves too seriously. The recent Dwayne Johnson Die Hard rip-off was generic as f**k too, but at least it was entertaining and moved reasonably quick. Would recommend...
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