How I came across this movie, I can't really tell. I probably found it on a friend's device and decided to give it a watch, without watching the trailer or reading anything about it. Sometimes, the best movie experience comes from knowing nothing about the movie. I didn't just watch it, but also went on to watch the second and third films in the trilogy and franchise. Funny enough, I just found out that there's possibly a fourth and fifth film coming.
The action/thriller film, The Equalizer was released in 2014. It features one of the best actors, Denzel Washington who played Robert McCall. The cast includes Chloë Grace Moretz as Teri, Marton Csokas as Teddy, David Harbour as Masters, Bill Pullman as Brian Plummer, and Melissa Leo as Susan Plummer. The film was directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk. It was based on the 1980s TV series of the same title.
The film follows Robert McCall, a retired Marine and former DIA officer who now works at a storehouse and far away from anything like the work he used to do. But an incident returns him to action. Having issues with sleeping at night, he usually spends late nights at a diner reading. That was where he came across Teri, a teenager who had been trafficked by the Russian mafia. He became friends with her, and a particular harm done to her brought about ‘The Equalizer.’
McCall became a vigilante, hunting down the perpetrators of the act to bring justice. Being a retired Marine and former DIA officer, his experience and exposure paid off. To many, he was just a local and simple man, working in a store. But not to the ones who had a hand in what happened to Teri. Subtly and discreetly, fearlessly and courageously, he continued to go after what turned out to be a syndicate led by Vladimir Pushkin. Finding out that a man out there was after them, they tried to find and put him down, as expected.
Teddy, the enforcer of the syndicate leader was sent to investigate and fix things up. McCall continued in his bid to bring justice and that brought him face to face with Teddy who tried to intimidate him. McCall was hell-bent on what he'd embarked upon, nothing was stopping him. His wits, combat skills and resourcefulness were important tools that helped him in the mission. Take one out and he would have suffered seriously.
The plot seems like a familiar one, nonetheless interesting in how it was delivered in this movie. McCall wasn't a young man, but a middle-aged man who expectedly, would be limited in what he could do. And that's true. What the movie presented was a man who was after bringing justice but also being discreet and wise, not relying on brute force or so. The action was good. For a fan of action movies, it's an interesting one as the plot unfolds and the action sets in.
On the acting, Denzel Washington was exceptional in this role. Seeing him featured was a promising ride. He didn't fail to deliver here. The careful calculations, discreet display and wit in such a mission as a middle-aged man without the strength or need to be brutal were on point, through McCall’s unorthodox vigilante display. He made all that believable. Marton Csokas, playing a villain role brought a good performance. Chloë Grace Moretz delivered well too in her role.
The movie is an interesting one, and fans of action movies should find it enjoyable. The action didn't take unnecessary time to build up. Not only that, the action wasn't just abrupt. The build-up to various important scenes within the plot was well put and executed, leaving not many questions like; why McCall was here, what led to this, why this is happening, and all that. It had a good flow. The Equalizer is certainly a good watch.
Thank you for reading!
Rating: 80/100
