When you Pray For Rain, you Have to Deal with the Mud too

Rating: 8/10 (28 September 2014)

The Equalizer starring Denzel Washington is a nicely written story, that is based on the hit 1980s television show of the same name starring Edward Woodward, which ran for four seasons. While I never had the chance to watch the television series before the film, I truly believe this hardcore action film did it justice. If you want a hard R action film with over the top violence and fantastic acting, this is the film for you. The following is my review of The Equalizer.
The film was written by Richard Wenk who recently wrote such films as The Expendables 2 and The Mechanic. So his experience is basically in minimal story action films. Frankly though, in this film, that doesn't show at all. The characters are written greatly for the most part, and the depth of the characters carries the film. The story follows Robert McCall(Denzel Washington as he is a man with a mysterious past and we learn a little about that past as the story follows along. McCall has been laying low and working at a home improvement store. As bad events break out around him, his past experience finally get it's calling once more. McCall delivers so much mayhem in this film, and without spoiling the movie, I cannot correctly described the mayhem McCall brings to the bad guys in this film, though I will not be delivering those spoilers. The film has many slow parts to it. If you walk into the movie expecting action non stop throughout the majority of the film, you will leave disappointed. However, if you can hold judgement until the film is completely over, you will find a fantastic action film. In the slower moving scenes of the film, the acting really pays off. So, overall Wenk delivers a solid story will an amazing pay off for us true action fans.
The film was directed by Antoine Fuqua who is well known for such films as Training Day, Shooter, and the big hit of 2013 Olympus Has Fallen. While this film doesn't have the pacing of Olympus Has Fallen, the action, when it does pop up, is fierce and close to stomach turning. There are a good bit of nicely innovative death scenes to leave you wanting more as you leave the theater. With only a few major action scenes, Fuqua brings some nice camera work in the close combat fighting scenes. While I cannot say the effort is perfect, if you go to the theater expecting a fun action film with tons of violence, then you will greatly enjoy your time during this film. As I mentioned above the film does slow down as the story builds up. With great acting from Denzel Washington, Chloë Grace Moretz, Marton Csokas, and David Harbour, the slower story building scenes are well worth watching if you enjoy some character driven elements. Denzel always dominates the roles he is in, and while he goes a step up in this film, I really felt Marton Csokas(Teddy) plays a fantastic bad guy, even if he is written somewhat inept at times. Overall, Fuqua delivers some amazing fun with The Equalizer, and fans of fun action and great acting will really enjoy his efforts.
The film was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams who has recently scored such films as Total Recall(2012) and Cowboys & Aliens. I really enjoy a score that adds amazing depth, and the score from Harry Gregson-Williams is fantastic. When the action picks up towards the end of the film, there is a wonderful piece that played, and it honestly got me at the edge of my seat during the nail biting scene. If you really enjoy a nice score with your film, the effort Harry Gregson-Williams delivers is top notch in this film.
Overall, if you enjoy some action fun, this is clearly the film for you. The film has its faults, and could be considered boring at times as the film has a good bit of character driven dialogue. Some may consider that a minus but, with such an amazing cast of actors, you barely even notice that. The film features a lot of over the top action scenes via hand to hand combat and some interesting death scenes which should get even the most picky fans out to the theater. Frankly, if you are reading this review, I highly recommend this film to everyone. There is no reason to miss this film. It was that amazing and enjoyable.
I also want to touch on the IMAX version of the film, as this is the version I watched. For a ticket price of fifteen dollars(in my area, could be higher or lower in your area), the extra money is not really worth it unless your theater's other screens are sub-par. This IMAX version, as usual, adds amazing depth with the sound. However, since the film was not actually shot using IMAX cameras, the image doesn't live up to IMAX films that were actually shot with IMAX cameras. I would say it is personal preference but, with tickets in IMAX costing so much, you might want to save the extra five dollars or so, unless you can get a discount showing.
8/10