ChristianLeFeuvre Review of The Equalizer 2

The Equalizer 2 (2018)

Not a 'bad' movie but not a memorable one either

[6/10 · 27 April 2019]

Denzel Washington is back in the role of 'Robert McCall', and this time it's personal as he learns that his close friend and former colleague 'Susan Plummer', played again by Melissa Leo, has been attacked and murdered whilst investigating a supposed suicide-murder in Brussels. When those responsible finds out 'McCall' is on their trail he becomes a target. Although this is the main plot and storyline of the movie there are sub-plots along the way as 'McCall', who works as a 'Lyft' driver (similar to Uber) sometimes hears things from his passengers he doesn't like, and he sets out to help them get the results they should. Antoine Fuqua who directed the first 'Equalizer' movie is once again in the director's chair and does a good job here too. I thought the first 'Equalizer' film was not bad, watchable, and had some pretty good action scenes and is good for a one-time watch, and Denzel is easily the best thing about both films. 'The Equalizer 2' is pretty much on the same level I thought, it was alright, I enjoyed it, it was a fun film and had some good moments. There are again some good action scenes and a couple of scenes which are actually really great. One scene in particular between 'McCall' and a young guy called 'Miles', played by Aston Sanders, is terrific. It's just after a confrontation in an apartment and 'McCall' has sort of become a father-figure to 'Miles' who is an aspiring artist but is being dragged into the gang lifestyle and 'McCall' is determined to help him get out of this. I thought this scene was so powerful and undoubtedly the best moment in the movie. As mentioned, there are some good action and fight scenes which are exciting and extremely brutal and bloody. I just wished the plotting and pace of the film had been as strong as the action. I found it quite disjointed, and it takes so long for the events that happen in Brussels to become the main focus because it's constantly interjected by these other scenes of 'McCall' up against bad guys and there's a fight scene, which is, of course, thrilling and entertaining to watch, and it just seems to drag on before the film focuses on this main event. There is a touching sub-plot with an old concentration camp survivor who was separated from his sister at the camp and his only memory is in a painting of her he is trying to recover, but even this seemed so detached that the pay-off of this was unsurprising and weak. The final confrontation battle was quite impressive but it was predictable and too obvious. All in all, I'd say this movie is as about as enjoyable as the first. One thing that is definitely stronger in this film though is the relationship between 'McCall' and the younger person he's trying to help. In the first movie, it was a character named 'Teri', played by Chloe Grace Moretz, and in this film, it's 'Miles' by Aston Sanders, and the storyline and relationship in this film is so much stronger and actually much more believable in this one, There are some great acting, some brilliant dialogue and some thrilling action sequences but for me, it's the pace and the plotting that is the problem with this sequel, it takes a long time for the film to feel like it's going anywhere. That being said, with the terrific acting, the brutal action and fight scenes and the gritty direction by Fuqua, there's a lot to like but it's not particularly a memorable, edge-of-your-seat action movie.