If The Equalizer 3 is indeed the final chapter in this big-screen series, director Antoine Fuqua and star Denzel Washington have made it a solid one. The franchise is still working the formula of snazzy Peckinpah-style pulp with devilish grins and clear-cut morality.
This time Robert McCall (Washington) has moved into a sleepy Sicilian village to try and retire, but is interrupted when he discovers his new neighbors are under threat from the Silician mafia.
Denzel Washington’s Performance
A masterful actor, Washington brings a quiet kind of gravitas to the character of Robert McCall in The Equalizer 3. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) opens with a long tracking shot through an open window into McCall’s orderly and near-empty apartment. For the first twenty minutes, McCall barely says a word as he goes about his daily routine at his local diner and places teabags into his mug at home.
When he does speak, it is with an almost-sardonic dryness. He seems like a man who does not suffer fools gladly, and it is clear that he has a firm grip on reality, even as he indulges in ruthless acts of vigilantism. When he pulls out a nail gun and unleashes that megawatt movie star smile, it is with a purpose. He knows exactly what he is doing, and there is no suspense in the knowledge that he will prevail over his enemies. He can slip into rooms that people should not be able to enter, and he has cell phone numbers that one would think only the Mafia had access to.
Director Antoine Fuqua’s Style
Director Antoine Fuqua brings his trademark style to The Equalizer 3, a gritty and satisfying entry in the series that’s the best of the bunch. While the solarmovie film occasionally bogs down in overly familiar action tropes and unnecessary subplots, Washington’s powerhouse performance and a series of stunningly shot scenes keep this one from falling flat.
Like its predecessors, The Equalizer 3 isn’t for the faint of heart. Its brutal violence includes loud bullets, maiming and the occasional decapitation. But the film envelops its bloody killing with a sense of good intentions that makes it easy to accept, even applaud, its depictions of tortured criminals and vengeful heroes.
The Thrills
The Equalizer franchise is built around a slick, straightforward concept. A grizzled, retired intelligence agent with a wicked set of skills sees regular people get taken advantage of and steps in to balance the scales. This time around, the action has moved from Boston to Italy, where McCall finds peace and purpose in a small coastal town called Altomonte. He helps locals, even tips off CIA agent Susan Collins (Dakota Fanning) to the Sicilian Mafia that has been terrorizing small business owners and homeowners.
There’s little suspense, but there are plenty of bone-crushing beatdowns and McCall’s methodical approach to vengeance isn’t lost in translation. And although the violence isn’t as stylized and artful as John Wick 4, it still packs a punch when needed. And the movie is never bogged down with uninteresting side stories. Antoine Fuqua orchestrates a symphony of masterful violence in the summer’s best action film. A must-see for fans of the genre.
The Finale
Despite the weariness of a franchise that’s now 123movies films deep, The Equalizer 3 is an efficient thriller. It won’t win the series new fans, but it should please longtime followers.
After the events of the second film, McCall finds peace in a picturesque part of Italy and takes up the fight for its citizens against a Sicilian mafia ring. Director Antoine Fuqua and Washington are well-matched here, and the movie works best when it concentrates on their characters.
The Equalizer 3 is a thrilling action movie that benefits from Denzel Washington’s star power and Antoine Fuqua’s zest for graphic violence. Its one flaw is a lack of intrigue about the plot and a storyline that could have been cut without affecting the film. Dakota Fanning’s first on-screen appearance since 2004’s Man on Fire feels like a wasted opportunity, and her exposition is a major bore. Nonetheless, the film’s thrilling visuals and deft pacing will keep viewers invested.