It Could Have Been Better, But It Could Have Been Worse

Rating: 7/10 (12 May 2015)

The Equalizer is more of a slow burn than John Wick, and obviously not written with the same intent to have fun with the genre and make something a little bit new in the process, but it is certainly almost as good of a movie. My only issue with The Equalizer comes from the fact that Denzel Washington's character is fundamentally indistinguishable from his role in Man On Fire, essentially the same background can be extrapolated from both characters. This could easily be thought of as having been an alternate reality lived out by the same person in both movies. Having enjoyed Man On Fire a great deal, it is a bit disappointing to see what amounts to little more than a retread with different antagonists. Sure, the motivations that set events in motion are different, but that is really about the only other change. Still an enjoyable and satisfyingly violent movie, but it loses points for a blatant lack of originality in having Washington cast in what amounts to the same role he was already successful with in a better movie. Also, there was really no need for this particular movie to be more than two hours long. Also, it lost a step or two from the original television series. Worth seeing, but it has been done before and better.