The Equalizer (2014)

With The Equalizer now out on DVD, I look at Antoine Fuqua’s 2014 thriller that features Denzel Washington and Chloë Grace Moretz in the lead roles.

Action movies can always be fun, even if they have plenty of flaws, and they don’t always have to be good to keep you entertained.  The Equalizer is very much one of those movies, isn’t likely to win any awards nor stand out as a memorable film any time soon, however, what it does have going for it though is some fun, well choreographed and often violent action sequences that should keep you entertained. 

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is a man with a mysterious past who’s a friendly, likable person with an average life. However, when he comes into contact and strikes up an unlikely friendship with Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young teenager who has fallen under the sway of Russian gangsters, and been abused by them, he can’t walk away, and ends up becoming an avenging angel, ready to take out anybody who threatens the helpless. So the plot may not be anything new, but that doesn’t stop it from being watchable and for the most part, entertaining, even if it dragged on a bit too long in places.

The acting is fairly solid, with both Washington and Moretz putting in decent performances as the lead characters, even if they don’t do anything notable. It’s also worth noting Martin Csokas’s performance as the Russian Gangster Teddy, which is pretty good as he serves as a formidable adversary for McCall. If you’re expecting a film with Oscar-worthy acting though, you’re going to be disappointed, with the characters not being really fleshed out well enough to give them some depth. If you’ve seen ‘one man army’ type movies before, then chances are, you’ll have seen The Equalizer. There’s nothing particularly unique that this film brings to the table but despite that, it actually remains surprisingly watchable and will have you engaged. It’s the kind of movie that you’ll watch late night on TV or Netflix if there’s nothing else on that you haven’t already watched, and you might end up finding yourself liking it.

The Equalizer’s action sequences are the best parts of the move, being incredibly violent and incredibly bloody. Denzel Washington’s one man war against the Russian Gangsters unfolds in a spectacularly entertaining way as he takes them out one at a time. Obviously, the threats escalate as the movie increases overtime, culminating in a finale in a warehouse that’s really well done and provides a great way to end the movie, and is certainly worth staying around for.

Offering a decent amount of thrills, The Equalizer may be predictable and stretched out, but it still for the most part remains pretty entertaining. There are far worse films out there to buy than this movie though, so if you enjoy this type of films then you’ll probably get the most out of this.

VERDICT: 7/10