A More Deliberate Jason Bourne

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2019)

13 May 2017. Teddy, the cold and sinister character, in The Equalizer played by Marton Csokas had a similar role as a polished and sophisticated professional in The Bourne Supremacy (2004) facing Matt Damon's famous elite and dangerous Bourne character. The Equalizer has similar elements of the Bourne series with its carefully choreographed physical scenes and relational interactions. Yet Denzel Washington is offered secretive role playing an even more common place character who only become even more creative in his use of every day instruments.
The is slow to build and the Denzel's character is allowed time to develop along with the simply, normal everyday series of regular business day job activities and a somewhat obsessive-compulsive night light routine of staying up late and reading books at an all night café. In the Asian movie fashion, Denzel's character is faced with a moral dilemma of becoming who he was and placing himself in danger and watching the innocent be abused and maimed for their desire to be what they want.
By movie's end, there is a surge of violence in intense but singular doses unlike the continuing big explosions and multiple slaughter on screen. Instead there is a deliberate and calculated almost methodical approach to a sort of moral physical justice that offers up one origination story for the original 1985 television series. The focus of this movie is not so much on the spectacular special effects but a more cool sophisticated use of lethal behavior similar to Liam Neeson's earlier Taken (2008).