MOVIE REVIEW – Former assassin Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) retreats to Italy, hoping to escape his past and start over. But when local mobsters target his friends, McCall cannot stand by. He decides to step in and prove that retirement hasn’t dulled his skills. The film simultaneously reflects on McCall’s complicated past and his complex moral code, adding new layers to the already established character.

There’s something comfortably authentic about Denzel Washington as the righteous avenger. He’s refined this archetype throughout his career, making flawed heroes complex in action films like Man on Fire, The Magnificent Seven, and the first two installments of The Equalizer franchise. Reuniting with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, Washington further explores the depths of Robert McCall in this sequel, even if the movie sometimes struggles to be as compelling as its protagonist.

Based on a TV series…

The Equalizer franchise, a modern adaptation of the popular 1980s TV series, unearthed deeper layers of the classic action hero archetype in its first two installments. Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua showed that revenge and justice aren’t always black and white issues, and that a complex hero can be more than just a gun pointed at a target. The first film introduced us to a former black ops expert who embarks on a mission to save a girl, inadvertently exposing an entire Russian mafia network in the process.

In the sequel, Washington’s character, Robert McCall, works as a Lyft driver. But when an old friend, Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo), is brutally murdered, he returns to the path of vengeance and justice. The moral dilemmas and character depths hinted at in the previous films are expanded upon in this third installment, handled with the excellence we’ve come to expect from Washington throughout his long career.

Can redemption and peace be achieved?

Fuqua wastes no time in setting up the third installment. The movie opens with a bloody sequence in which McCall neutralizes several opponents, followed by an unforeseen event that even he didn’t see coming. For the first time, we see astonishment and concern overshadowing McCall’s always composed face. Washington brilliantly conveys these emotions without uttering a word, adding to the impact of the scene. From this point on, the narrative takes a new turn: while the first two films focused on McCall’s search for meaning for himself and others, this one ponders whether redemption and peace are still within reach.

For a while, it seems so. Fuqua and cinematographer Robert Richardson immerse themselves in the picturesque vistas of the Italian town where McCall seeks refuge. Our hero begins to embrace the new culture, warmly embracing the local community. But the dangerous side of his life never gets too far away: Emma Collins, a CIA agent (played by Dakota Fanning, who previously worked with Washington in Man on Fire), begins to investigate him, unsure whether McCall is friend or foe. The effortless chemistry between Washington and Fanning that was on display in Man on Fire continues, making it exciting to watch their relationship develop and mutual trust form.

Unimaginative and boring enemies

Opponents appear as the story progresses, but these characters are not as interesting or complex as McCall or other main characters. Their personalities are shallow, lacking any intellectual excitement, and they function as the generic villains we’ve seen all too often in this genre. More importantly, despite their evilness, they never seem to pose a serious challenge to McCall. This part of the movie doesn’t reach the exhilarating hardware store showdown of the first Equalizer, and the final big confrontation also feels somewhat lackluster.

Despite the film’s shortcomings, Washington remains an impressively efficient action hero. When the time comes to confront an opponent, he’s quick, precise, and ruthless in his usual fashion. If this is the last time we see McCall clutching his iconic stopwatch, it’s a fitting send-off for the character. Hopefully, more challenges and vengeful encounters await him in the future.

Although the movie is a solid but not outstanding conclusion to this action trilogy, it remains a worthy end to the Robert McCall story. Washington continues to captivate as the savvy, stylish, intelligent, yet brutal dispenser of justice. We hope to see him play similar roles in other franchises and films.

-BadSector-