The Equalizer 2

Year: 2018
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman, Orson Bean


Plot: Robert McCall steps back into action when his friend Susan is murdered while investigating an agency hit.


Review: The first Equalizer movie was a success, so it's a no-brainer that star Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua team up for a sequel.

This sequel is actually very much like the first movie, as it follows the same familiar beats. Those of you expecting something different might end up being disappointed, but personally I didn't mind it. I wanted to see McCall kick ass and take names, and he does just that.

It's a different city from the last one, and instead of working at the hardware store by day and reading at a 24 hour cafe by night, McCall is now a Grab driver, still doing what he does for people who need help, from rescuing kidnapped children to getting even with rich yuppies gang raping a girl. In the previous movie, McCall helps a young prostitute escape her pimp, but this time he helps a teenage boy who is an aspiring artist, stay away from gangbangers in his neighborhood. However, the chief villains are not the gangs, but the people who killed his friend Susan (the same one who assisted him in the first film) for knowing too much. So this time it's a personal vendetta for our anonymous avenger.

Fuqua's steady direction and Richard Wenk's solid script keeps the sequel interesting despite the familiarity. It also helps that Washington is still the best at what he does, oozing charisma and screen presence as he takes down the bad guys while making it look like it's another day at the office. Fascinatingly enough, it's his attempt to convince Miles, the young teenager to get back on the right path that feels most effective, as compared to his effort to get even with the men who killed Susan.

Pedro Pascal puts in a decent effort as McCall's friend but Ashton Sanders (Moonlight) fares much better as Miles, and plays off Washington quite well. Melissa Leo and Bill Pullman reprise their roles from the previous film, but I do wish Pullman had more to do here.

A couple of things didn't work for me that much, the first being the villains who are no match for McCall. He remains mostly unchallenged here, just like the first time around. The other one is the subplot regarding Samuel, an old Polish man whom McCall helps reunite with a long lost relative. This subplot slowed the film down a bit and could have been edited slightly.

Overall I enjoyed The Equalizer 2, despite it being a been-there-done-that sequel. If they make a third movie, hopefully they give McCall a real challenge. (7.5/10)