Review of The Equalizer 2 (2018) by Davrosdaleks1 — 19 Jul 2018

Personally, I enjoyed this sequel as much as the first one, but I can see how this movie might not work for everyone.

Surprisingly, the movie bucks the sequel trend by actually having less fight scenes than the original. Yet, it strangely works. The movie doesn't forget the purpose of The Equalizer: focusing on the little guy. A good portion of the film is just Denzel hanging out with people. Although this is an action film, it is also a journey through humanity, both the good and the bad. It doesn't hurt that Denzel as usual gives an excellent performance. He plays a man both charming and intimidating. A man who strives for the light even if he realizes the world may be ultimately grey.

The action scenes that do happen do not disappoint. One reason it makes sense there aren't as many fights is that Denzel's opponents in this film in contrast to the Russian mobsters from the last film have a lot more training and are more on the main character's level and aren't just cannon fodder. The final fight at the end really makes up in my opinion. I think it even rivals the fight at the end of Skyfall.

Also, the very empathetic should be forwarned: the murders of civilians get really violent and protracted, more-so-than-usual.