Semi-stylish, weak script, good acting.

Rating: 5/10 (15 December 2014)

The biggest issue with "The Equalizer" has to be that it is an adaptation of an old TV show, the script is full of the basic cliché which have been seen in numerous action films, from the protagonist showing a character a picture and the facial expression gives it away that they know the character (in a bad way of course) or the "let me tell you a story" where the protagonist sits the antagonist down to tell him about someone, the protagonist getting beaten down struggling in the final fight against the big henchman, the reason why this film isn't ruined completely is the very well done performances by Denzel Washington and Marton Csokas. Antoine Fuqua is a very poor mans David Fincher, at least in terms of this film, this is one of his best film since Training Day but it is nothing special especially during a year like this which is filled with great films and performances. It's certainly tolerable as an action film, with this film a lack of humour didn't hurt it too much whereas I found Olympus Has Fallen suffered tremendously from it's lack of humour. I also find Mr. Fuqua's use of CGI a bit alarming in regards to how it looks, I've noticed this in a few of his films where the CGI just looks bad and really sticks out. The ending is immensely weak, and although Chloe Grace Moretz does a good job with what little she's given, it really feels cheap the way they bring her in right at the end after being absent for so long, showing Denzel emailing her would have made more sense and wouldn't have looked as forced.
This shouldn't be a spoiler but if it is, you'll probably love this movie, The finale occurs in the Home Hardware place where Denzel's character works. Now I didn't like the department store fight of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, this one is a little bit better but not much. I personally found it underwhelming as the first trailer I saw I figured, you know what would be convenient for the screenwriters, if they end up having a big shootout in the end inside that store. These screenwriters obviously work in conveniences, and Fuqua would have a decent style, if David Fincher didn't exist (I'd say this film is almost like Fuqua mimicking Fincher, however all of David Fincher's films are comparatively better, outside of Alien 3).