McCall...NOT McClane!! Dark, edgy violence, as well as fantastic performances separate this action movie from the pack!!

Rating: 10/10 (17 September 2014)

Some reviews have characterized this movie as your typical, run-of-the-mill, action movie, nothing you haven't seen before....nothing could be farther from the truth!!
This movie is based off the television series called "The Equalizer". It is about an ex-CIA operative who uses his special skills to help ordinary people who have no other recourse. This movie version of The Equalizer is more reminiscent of Matt Damon's Jason Bourne, and it is this that sets this movie above your typical action flick. In fact, in Mr. Damon's own words, The Equalizer "...reminded me of the Bourne Identity, in that both are sophisticated adult, thriller franchises where the protagonists are capable of high-action exploits, but aren't running around in spandex." Directed by the great Antoine Fuqua, the man who brought us Training Day, The Equalizer is a gritty and violent, suspenseful and superb action film. This movie is very character-driven, and Denzel Washington, who plays protagonist Robert McCall, gives another stellar performance. His character lives alone, keeps to himself, and seems to suffer from some form of OCD. Most importantly, McCall is not McClane! He is not a wise-cracking cop in the wrong place at the wrong time, but rather a quiet and complex character, whose sense of justice is awakened when a young girl is brutally beaten.
This movie gives you everything you would want from an action film: guns, explosions and great effects. However, the violence and bloodshed in this movie are deserving of it's R- rating, and create this film's authentic feel. The excellent performances by the cast are also what raise this movie well above your ordinary action movie. Team Washington/Fuqua gives us a darker hero for darker times, and one you will cheer on every step of the way!!!