There's a point in "The Equalizer" where everything just clicks. It's "Home Alone" on steroids and it strikes a primordial nerve where all the silliness is thrown out the door and you find yourself enjoying this lone vigilante flick. Part action, part drama, the latter and the bloated running time is totally unnecessary but the amazing cinematography and vision by Antoine Fuqua is as unique as it is mesmerizing.
McCall is a man who believes he has put his past behind him to lead a quiet life in peace. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn to, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
"The Equalizer" is fun when it decides to feature its gruesome do-it-yourself action sequences. Denzel Washington as some omnipotent killing machine works. It may make you laugh with its silliness or it may make you squirm with its authentic and gritty kills - "The Equalizer" will find a way to make it more enjoyable than it should be. And why do we say that? Because at its core, the film is flawed with a tone that is completely off with its content. The film wants to be serious, deep in a philosophical level even, but it cannot deny that its plot plows through like a mindless action film. In fact, the first half hour or so was slow (with conversations taking over most of it) before the action ramps up and considering the seemingly long running time, they could have definitely trimmed that portion down. Overall though, "The Equalizer" is worth a look. It definitely has its own style, may it be its beautiful cinematography or its main character's efficiency as a killer, that some may find better than usual.
Rating: 3 reels
Why you should watch it:
- great cinematography on action sequences
- Denzel Washington as an omnipotent killer is just awesome
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the film wants to be deep and philosophical which isn't inline with its content
- lots of plotholes
There's a point in "The Equalizer" where everything just clicks. It's "Home Alone" on steroids and it strikes a primordial nerve where all the silliness is thrown out the door and you find yourself enjoying this lone vigilante flick. Part action, part drama, the latter and the bloated running time is totally unnecessary but the amazing cinematography and vision by Antoine Fuqua is as unique as it is mesmerizing.
McCall is a man who believes he has put his past behind him to lead a quiet life in peace. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn to, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
"The Equalizer" is fun when it decides to feature its gruesome do-it-yourself action sequences. Denzel Washington as some omnipotent killing machine works. It may make you laugh with its silliness or it may make you squirm with its authentic and gritty kills - "The Equalizer" will find a way to make it more enjoyable than it should be. And why do we say that? Because at its core, the film is flawed with a tone that is completely off with its content. The film wants to be serious, deep in a philosophical level even, but it cannot deny that its plot plows through like a mindless action film. In fact, the first half hour or so was slow (with conversations taking over most of it) before the action ramps up and considering the seemingly long running time, they could have definitely trimmed that portion down. Overall though, "The Equalizer" is worth a look. It definitely has its own style, may it be its beautiful cinematography or its main character's efficiency as a killer, that some may find better than usual.
Rating: 3 reels
Why you should watch it:
- great cinematography on action sequences
- Denzel Washington as an omnipotent killer is just awesome
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the film wants to be deep and philosophical which isn't inline with its content
- lots of plotholes
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