The Equalizer 2 (2018)

The Equalizer 2 (2018)

6/10

Starring

Denzel Washington

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

After the awesome viewing of The Equalizer (2014) (based on the TV series of the same name by CBS in 1985), I knew a sequel was eminent. Hey, studios like to make movies people love and especially were a success in the box office.

Therefore, the moment the date for The Equalizer 2 was set, I got it down as a must watch. There is something about Denzel’s style of bad ass former operative now vigilante kicking ass that was just cool.

The first movie had a focus; Robert McCall (Denzel) met a lady he wanted to inspire to be a better person. After developing a guardian like father figure relationship with her, one dude decides that he has other plans. The other plans include sex trafficking. He was forced to step up and take down the man and his team of villains. The fun is not the tale, but the action sequences that followed.

The movie’s main plot here has McCall working as a Lyft driver who helps others with the aid of his friend, Susan. One day, while Susan was investigating a supposed murder-suicide with McCall's former partner, she was murdered, in a suspected robbery.

Now McCall is on the case, to capture the people behind the death of his friend. He discovers that it was not a robbery, but a murder. McCall also discovers that the case Susan was working on was actually a murder and not a murder-suicide. After submitting his findings, he too was attacked in an attempted murder, but the assailant failed.

Now, McCall has to put two and two together and figure out why Susan has been killed and why his life is now in danger.

The first movie had other random acts of kindness here and there, but this new Equalizer has numerous acts of kindness that are not needed. I prefer the first movie’s style of presenting our hero, focused on one tale, but other things were happening on the side requiring his expertise. Here it was like a never ending doing good, you will first be wondering which the main plot will be. This made the movie’s pacing not so good, even though the acting and performance of Denzel was still top notch and the action sequence very cool.

This is the fourth collaboration between Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua. They worked together in the Academy Award winning Training Day (2001), The Equalizer (2014) and The Magnificent Seven (2016).

I enjoyed this movie very much, even though there were many distractions from the main tale.

I hope the movie makes enough from the box office to give us a third movie, which will be as focused as the first. If you like the first The Equalizer (2014) you will like this one.