Review: The Equalizer 2, This Time It's Personal
- Jul 19, 2018
- 2 min read
Did The Equalizer need a sequel? Does it really matter?
Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) continues to act as a one man A-Team, bringing justice to those who need it most. But when his closest friend Susan (Melissa Leo) is killed while working with the CIA, he finds himself at the centre of an unthinkable truth. There's a storm coming, and its name is McCall.
The first Equalizer was a solid action, an enjoyable piece of work that didn't redefine the genre, didn't really elevate it, but was just all around pretty good. The sequel is very much the same. While it's a more narrative focused film, verging more toward the Bourne side of things, The Equalizer 2 brings some fun action and some great Denzel. Unsurprisingly the leading man is, again, excellent. Washington may be the perfect brooding badass, his stern features channeling more emotion than anyone else in the game.
It doesn't hurt that The Equalizer 2 is a more emotionally focused film either. The original served simply as a vessel to deliver death, this time around the focus is on family, friends, and a touch of dealing with loss. It may seem out of place considering the prior film and at first it certainly feels that way, you'll soon find yourself carried along on quite a different journey.
Now don't get me wrong, The Equalizer 2 isn't a moving drama. It is, after all, an action film and, if nowhere else, it delivers here. While not as imaginative as the first, the fight scenes are equally exciting. McCall punches, stabs and shoots his way through a variety of villains across admittedly too many plot-lines. The finale is one of the more interesting sequences, taking place in a storm ravaged beach town and feeling more like a horror film wherein the unstoppable killer is the hero.
The only real complaint I have with this film is the apparent invulnerability of McCall. The man is untouchable, rendering the outcome of every fight scene inevitable. Aside from that however, The Equalizer 2 is exciting, thrilling and enjoyable. Much like the first, it won't change the game, but it will keep you hooked till the credits roll.
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