No equal like Denzel

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2015)

At first in the early part, I was a little worried as I know how these revenge pics go, where the surrounding atmosphere of story isn't new. A good hearted guy, Robert Mccall, ex CIA, (Washington) avenges a brutal attack on a teen prostitute (a sexy Chloe Moretz, not the first time in a role like this) who's caught up with the Russian mafia. We know all too well, after films like Eastern Promises, what these scum are like. The movie had me thinking in it's earlier stage, "It wsn't cutting it for me". As the movie progresses, luckily it avoids not falling into that "trite, seen it before scenario", where it uses smarts in it's plotting, where we see more bad guys getting away with stuff, one incident unrelated, involving a robbery, with Denzel returning a hammer to his place of business and robbery scene, implying, a bit of face reconstruction to that poor robber. Denzel's character, McCall, is such a smart cookie, we don't know what his next trick is, which make it's fun it's waiting and suspense. Prior, Denzel had taken out like eight bad Russian dudes, in a swift slick method of kill, which has you thinking back to The Boondock Saints, what he's done has opened up a can of worms. The movie cranks it up after it's first thirty five minutes, One bad Russian dude, like a mafia Godfather, also no dummy, has arrived in town, setting the story further in motion, where he's intent to get the truth, despite his unwelcome presence from some associates and bad eggs, un Russian, where to him he's just a visitor. Quickly, they learn he's sorely mistaken. Always with Denzel, we have to watch him act, as if visual proof, to realize, what he can bring to each character. He doesn't really have to try to act. He just be's that character, where in no way has his acting ever slacked. An older Bull Pullman and Melissa Leo, also CIA, once, though Leo's character works for the secretary department there now, though small in roles, must be acknowledged for their strong performances, particularly Leo. The Equalizer is a smart slick thriller, a new refreshing vigilante film, where the time has been right for a new one, sort of Death Wish, 2014 style. The action climax is protracted though, yet explosive in it's resolution of it's final chief baddie, in a cool slo mo, atmospheric shot of Denzel where overhead sprinklers, send many streaks of rain, catching his face, as is on the movie poster, which reminds you of the Sin City one. And Denzel goes after everyone, and I mean everyone, in an after ending, just recently like the one in Sabotage. Also speaking of Sabotage, a warehouse of moolah our agents stumble upon here, gegives new meaning to the term, surplus. The final reuniting scene of Moretz and Washington, was so predictable though, but necessary.