Righteous Vengeance!

Rating: 8/10 (1 October 2014)

The Equalizer is a loose remake of a TV show from the 1980's that starred the late Edward Woodward. It ran for 88 episodes and the lead played Robert McCall, an ex-special forces agent, turned private detective who assisted those in peril. Following the success of films such as Taken, The Expendables amongst others, Hollywood has discovered a market for the ageing action hero and therefore it was only a matter of time before a big screen adaption of The Equalizer was greenlit. The result is a satisfying and often brutal revenge action thriller.
Denzel Washington likewise plays kind hearted widower Robert McCall, known as either Bob or Mr McCall to his colleagues who, by day works in a Home Depot type outlet and by night lives a quiet life reading books whilst sipping tea at a local diner into the early hours of the morning. He befriends a young prostitute Teri (Chloe Grace-Moretz), who also regularly frequents the diner, and witnesses her Russian pimp strike her after she arrives late to a client. Soon after she is hospitalised and McCall's conscience tells him that he must take the matter into his own hands. After swiftly taking out the pimp and his four colleagues in 28 brutal but gloriously choreographed seconds, McCall is advised that he has taken down the east hub of the Russian Mafia.
When word reaches Mob boss Pushkin of McCall's vigilantism, he sends highly trained 'Teddy' (played excellently by Kiwi actor Marton Csokas) to find and kill McCall and with half of the Boston police department on the payroll, it's just a matter of time before McCall is found. But, of course, McCall possesses a particular set of skills and the past that he has tried so hard to leave behind has trained him for such an occasion.
Although the plot is nothing new, the tension builds well and the action is handled superbly by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Olympus Has Fallen). There is a number of loud and full on action set pieces but also several quieter scenes which are as equally as gripping. Denzel Washington is as cool as ice and as good as ever and is easily one of the most consistent and reliable actors working in Hollywood – can you believe he is almost 60? Age is definitely not a barrier here.
The Equalizer is one of more surprising films of 2014. The gritty tone and occasional splattering of blood set this apart from most of the "toned down" action films from the last few years. Whilst it's not perfect, it has everything a modern action film fan could ask for and if you like your movies with a bit of righteous vengeance then look no further.