Denzel Is Back!

Rating: 7/10 (28 February 2017)

Over the past couple of years, Denzel Washington went from Hollywood A-lister to serious disappointment. "Safe House" was a disaster, "Flight" was okay at best, and movies like "Pelham 123", "Unstoppable" and "2 Guns" are a dime a dozen. Where was the Denzel from the mid- 2000s, where films like "Deja Vu" and "Man on Fire" showcased him at his best? I almost didn't even go see "The Equalizer" because I was so afraid of another disappointment. Luckily, while not perfect by any means, this film shows that Denzel does still have greatness in him.
For a basic plot summary, "The Equalizer" tells the story of Robert McCall (Washington), a genial man who works at a home repair retail store. While warm, genial, and helpful at work, Robert's home life paints a different picture. He lives alone, a slave to routine and very little joy, and frequents a late-night dinner due to insomnia. At that diner, Robert strikes up some casual conversations with Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz), a young prostitute, and gets to know her on a more personal level. One night, Teri shows up with bruises covering her face. The next night, she doesn't show up at all. This leads Robert (who obviously has a very violent past) to do what needs to be down to find her abusers.
"The Equalizer" could almost be a sequel to "Man on Fire" in terms of acting and intensity. Denzel plays a very similar role (very much based on vengeance) and shows with ease that he can still be "the tough guy" when needed. What truly makes the movie great, though, is that director Antoine Fuqua (who also directed Denzel's breakout hit "Training Day") knows how to utilize the great actor to his furthest potential. The first half of the film is set up so well that even a paint-by-numbers second half is forgivable because viewers are already snagged hook, line, and sinker.
That being said, this isn't a five-star, all-time effort for a couple of different reasons. It becomes a bit predictable and over-the-top in the second half. Whereas "Man on Fire" was able to sustain both the intensity and emotional energy for the entire runtime, this film drops the emotional stuff in favor of sheer brutality at times. Remember those scenes from "First Blood", where Sly Stallone's John Rambo sets forest traps for the police officers hunting him? Well, a similar scenario plays out in this one...only involving home-improvement equipment in a retail store! I would have preferred a bit more emotion and character development (specifically more about McCall himself) in the movie's second act, but it doesn't fall completely flat because the "bad guys" are such scum-bags that you don't mind the gruesome violence.
Thus, despite its obvious flaws, "The Equalizer" is more than good enough to vault Denzel back into the spotlight that an A-list career like his deserves. A quote from the film has McCall telling another character "you got to be who you are in this world...no matter what". After a number of misfires, Denzel gets back to "who he is" with this exciting, bombastic film. Not his best, but puts him on the right track again.