Denzel is back in his first sequel ever with The Equalizer 2, providing more action and more intensity than the first!
“Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career. Robert McCall serves unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed – but how far will he go when it is someone he loves?”
The Equalizer 2 opens where the last one left off, with McCall (Denzel Washington) going to great lengths to help the downtrodden people he sees around him, even so far as to travel outside of the country with a little help from his friend Susan (Melissa Leo) who still works for the CIA. McCall returns to the states after rescuing a little girl who was kidnapped by her estranged father and dives back into his quiet life of Lyft driving. He’s able to see the best and worst of people as he picks them up, listens and watches, a perfect opportunity to dispense his own brand of justice when the need arises, and it does. McCall also takes on another pet project, trying to set a local neighborhood kid Miles (Ashton Sanders) on the right path to avoid becoming involved in a gang and stay in school. Meanwhile, a high ranking official and his wife are killed in Belgium and made to look like a murder/suicide, and Susan is called in to investigate, as this official worked for the Agency. This investigation leads to tragedy, as the same people involved prevent the investigation from going any further, intent on tying up loose ends. This leads McCall to reveal himself to his old partner, Dave (Pedro Pascal), who believed McCall was dead. Working together to figure out who’s involved in a possible conspiracy at the highest levels, McCall has to reevaluate who he can trust as he gets pulled back into the world of espionage.
First of all, it’s mind boggling to think that this is both Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington’s first sequel in their careers. Denzel has done so many amazing things over the course of his life, it’s hard to believe it’s taken him this long to revisit a character for a second time. Robert McCall is a good choice, however, as his character can really be timeless, as there will always be oppression of people who are in desperate need of help. Although McCall is very much like some of his other characters he’s done in the past: methodical, intense, a force to be reckoned with, The Equalizer takes it further, almost making him a super hero who can’t be hurt, who is one step ahead of everyone at all times. This could be a bit boring in a character sense, but given the tragedy he’s faced with the loss of his wife and how he closes himself off from the world until he’s needed, this sense the audience gets of wanting him to right the wrongs of the world is so strong; it’s very inspirational.
The Equalizer 2 sets itself apart from the first in a lot of ways. Sure, McCall is still helping everyone he can, but it’s taken even further and dives into McCall’s past with the CIA, turning into an espionage thriller that’s just as exciting as the other stuff. Instead of dealing with a bunch of Russian gangsters, stakes are raised as he now faces people who are just as trained as he is. The third act and final showdown is one of the most unique and exciting sequences I’ve ever seen, with the location playing a major factor in that excitement, something I guarantee you haven’t seen before. The first film had a very memorable third act as well, taking place in the fictional Home Depot store with all kinds of great hardware and tool related takedowns, but the sequel somehow tops that and for me put it over the top, this film being better than the first.
Cast and crew were all excellent. Fuqua directs Denzel for a fourth time in their careers here, and this long-term collaboration really shows, as each one of them brings their best to the job. Ashton Sanders held his own in his scenes with Denzel, and proves to be a good addition to the cast. Melissa Leo and Bill Pullman have very few scenes in the film but leave a lasting impression as well. Pedro Pascal is also very impressive in his sequences with Denzel and his steadfast determination to get his job done.
Only one portion of the film I didn’t care for was one of the smaller story lines involving the old man whom McCall drives around regularly. McCall helps a lot of people, and that’s great to see, but there was already a long-term story of him helping Miles change. This story with the old man trying to find someone seemed to be tacked on at the end, which I bet most of the audience totally forgot about or who he was even trying to find until that moment. The antagonists of the film also weren’t all that fleshed out as they could be. There were several sequences where they killed people, but no explanation was really given except for money. First a government official, then a couple of drug addicts. It’s likely these people were the patsies for earlier in the film but it still seemed a bit confusing.
The Equalizer 2 succeeds in surpassing the first film and taking McCall on a journey even more incredible. This is a role perfect for Denzel, and hopefully we can see more collaborations between him and Fuqua on a third installment.
Video
The Equalizer 2 is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.40:1 with HDR. Color balance here is incredible, with the HDR showing off the brilliant brights and deep darks that take place throughout the film. Tonally, the film only gets darker as the story progresses, and that is very evident in the cinematography and lighting. These play perfectly to the story, and the HDR gives the film the tools to play to that. It’s a beautiful looking film all the way through, with no defects or issues of note.
Audio
The audio is presented Dolby Atmos, with the track sounding incredible. There are many action sequences that take full advantage of this mix, especially the third act with the atmospheric speakers really getting a workout. The levels all sound great, with the surrounds never overpowering the dialogue of the center channel.
Special Features
There are some great extras on this disc, including a Retribution Mode you can watch the film in, which is about 19 minutes added on to the film length where you can see behind the scenes footage mixed into the film. I don’t typically like these, as I’d rather them be separate to watch, but it’s still entertaining hearing all the work that went into a particular scene.
- Retribution Mode with Denzel Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua – Watch The Equalizer 2 with Denzel & Antoine as they take you through their favorite adrenaline-filled action scenes in their very first sequel together with exclusive commentary and conversation.
- 11 Deleted & Extended Scenes
- Denzel as McCall: Round Two
- Trivia Track: Pop-up trivia guaranteed to surprise even the biggest fans of The Equalizer
- Seconds Till Death: Action Breakdown
- Through Antoine’s Lens: The Cast
Another great collaboration between Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua which surpasses the original film in every way. Fans of the first film that didn’t get a chance to catch this in theatres will have no regrets picking this up and adding it to their collection.
