Review of The Equalizer (2014) by Victor B — 08 Jun 2018

Solid action move thanks to Denzel's lead performance and Fuqua's stylish direction, but not quite a classic in the genre. Denzel bring's real charisma and believability in the role, especially in the action scenes, along with nice character touches, such as having OCD and reading books in his late wife's honor.

He gets nice support from the rest of the cast, with Chloe Moretz being appealing as a young call girl while Melissa Leo brings needed gravitas as a old friend. The one downside is Marton Csokas as Teddy, the chief villain who doesn't quite add up.

Behind the camera, Fuqua delivers some nice direction, slowly building Robert McCall's world before revealing who he really is (in a stunning action sequence) along with the call 'McCall vision' that shows him assess it's situation.

There are some nice throwbacks to the old TV show as well, as McCall starts helping out more people in need, even when he isn't awakened to his old, violent ways (his relationship with a co-worker trying to become a security guard is a nice touch).

However, the bad guys always seem outclassed by McCall, with Teddy being menacing but two-dimensional. As a result, you never feel he faces a real threat. Overall, a solid action movie but without a real villain, just short of being a great one.