Denzel Washington doesn’t do sequels. Until now. Actually, that is rare, these days, in an actor of his stature, and quite admirable. I’m sure he took the role of Robert McCall again because this story delves into McCall’s past, helping to reveal much about the mystery that surrounds this very violent good Samaritan. I think it is worth remembering that both of these Equalizer movies are based on the TV series of the 1980s — and yet they are striving to make serious statements about living life with integrity and honor.
Antoine Fuqua’s film is very serious; it’s almost ponderous in its deliberateness, which is utilized to convey character and make the hard-hitting action scenes that much more jarring and impactful. Like good mysteries, it presents seemingly random events and eventually reveals the threat that ties them together. In this case, it involves people in McCall’s past, people who believe him to be dead, and yet his sudden reappearance isn’t as surprising to them as it ought to be. But the thing that bothers me the most is that the reason for the death that sets McCall into vengeful motion is seemingly unimportant, except to the murderer; it is never truly explained why someone close to McCall is killed, which makes the mystery unsatisfying, at least to me.
On the plus side, Washington is superbly focused and watchful as McCall. The former Marine lets people to their things, at least until they come close to betraying who they could be or ought to be. Then he steps in to offer forceful advice and indicates that the next choice made could be a determining one for their futures. He’s like the embodiment of conscience, yet still mindful of free will. This makes a fascinating character, a rare person whose moral compass is tightly pointed in one direction.
The film itself, however, is slow enough to bother some viewers, and it ends very melodramatically in an evacuated beach-side town during the onslaught of a hurricane! It is during this extended finale that my patience eventually ran thin, what with all the hunting and skulking about and wind and rain. The film certainly tries hard to get to its predictable ending with suspense and flair, but I felt it that the hurricane was really pushing the dramatic parameters (although the story indicates the storm is coming all along, and thematically it makes obvious sense). Ultimately I enjoyed the effort, but would have preferred a less involved climax. ☆ ☆ 1/2. 4 September 2018.