Review of The Equalizer 2 (2018) by Ghs S — 23 Jul 2018

This film is incredible!!! I went to see The Equalizer 2 over the weekend with my family, and we all loved it! While we were all fans of the original, this sequel improves upon its predecessor in every conceivable way.

The film picks up where the first one left off, with Robert McCall, played by Denzel Washington, having found his calling, and has now actively helping people in need. In an ingenuous twist by writer Richard Wenk, McCall now operates as a Lyft driver; it's the perfect cover, as it allows him to meet new people every day, learn about their problems, and help whenever he can.

Denzel Washington is stunning as Robert McCall. His reactions to the various people he drives in his cab are just incredible; whether it's a chatty old man, a soldier about to be deployed to Iraq, or a young woman who just got into her dream college. That is one of the things that makes this film special, and elevates it far beyond the typical action flick. In truth, it's not an action film at all: it's a drama. Does it contain jaw-dropping, violent action sequences? Absolutely. The opening on the train in Turkey is a stunner, as is a knife fight in a moving car, not to mention the epic finale in the middle of a hurricane. But this film doesn't need to rely on its action sequences. It takes the time to establish the characters, their backgrounds, their motivations, and to make us care about what happens to them. That's why Denzel Washington chose The Equalizer as the first sequel of his long career.

The relationships are the key to the success of this film. McCall and Susan (played by the excellent Melissa Leo) share a heartwarming friendship, but the standout is the one between McCall and Miles, played by Ashton Sanders of Moonlight, in an Oscar-worthy performance. Miles is a kid, an aspiring artist who lives in McCall's building, but is starting to fall in with the wrong crowd. Watching the rapport between the two is simply magical, and culminates in one of the most heartfelt, passionate, frightening and inspiring scenes I have seen in years. The audience was engaged throughout the entire movie; laughing and cheering and applauding, but that scene in particular left many, including myself, in tears. When the scene ended the entire audience applauded.

This is a true, dramatic film, and one that is filled with passionate performances, from Denzel Washington and Ashton Sanders, to Pedro Pascal, Melissa Leo and Bill Pullman. Richard Wenk deserves a special shoutout for his terrific script, as does Antoine Fuqua for his pitch-perfect direction. Please treat yourselves and go see this movie. If you like action, and want to see Denzel take care of some bad guys, this is the movie for you. If you want excellent writing, and solid character development, this is the movie for you. And if you want superb performances by terrific actors, this is most definitely the movie for you.