THE EQUALIZER 2: Denzel the Elevator

Starring Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Sakina Jaffrey, Jonathan Scarfe, Orson Bean. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. (2018/121 min).

AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY FROM SONY

Review by Tiger the Terrible😸

I'm trying to recall the last Denzel Washington movie that actually sucked, a film so devoid of any entertainment value that not even his performance could save it*. Hell, he even made The Taking of Pelham 123 at least watchable.

You'd be hard-pressed to name another current actor who almost always makes movies better just because he's in them. Case-in-point, Washington's understated, complex performance as Robert McCall is what elevated 2014's The Equalizer from an action movie to a great action movie (with considerable help from director Antoine Fuqua). He so effectively made the character his own that we tended to forget it was originally played by Edward Woodward.

Considering its TV origins, it's only fitting that The Equalizer is the one film Denzel has chosen to make a sequel to. Though the law of diminishing returns certainly applies here, The Equalizer 2 continues McCall's ongoing mission of righting wrongs with violent retribution. The stakes, however, are more personal this time. One of the few friends who knows he's still alive, former co-DIA operative Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo), is murdered while investigating the alleged murder-suicide by another agent's family. After further investigation - and revealing himself to another ex-colleague, Dave York (Pedro Pascal) - McCall learns everyone on his old team are targets, himself now included.

"This is my gun! Get your own!"

That plotline is actually pretty pedestrian, with an antagonist who isn't nearly as interesting - or malevolent - as Nicolai Itchenko from the first film. Much more engaging are the numerous subplots where McCall - when not side-gigging as a Lyft driver - provides justice for other people he happens to know. In fact, his relationship with wayward teen Miles (Ashton Sanders) becomes the emotional crux of the entire film (not-to-mention a convenient plot device during the final act). I suspect everyone involved with the film knew these vignettes were superior to the main plot because they comprise a significant portion of the running time.

The Equalizer 2 is not as good as the first one, but Denzel Washington's performance manages to yet-again elevate what would have otherwise been a routine action film. Director Antoine Fuqua keeps the action exciting and bloody, while never forgetting who makes these films worth seeing.

*In this writer's humble opinion, that movie would be 1990's Heart Condition.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - "Denzel as McCall: Round Two"; "Seconds 'Till Death: Action Breakdown"; "Through Antoine's Lens: The Cast"

"RETRIBUTION MODE" - Playback option in which various making-of features and interviews with Washington & Fuqua appear while watching the film).

DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES

TRIVIA TRACK - Viewing option in which trivia and info pop-up as on-screen text. I wish more studios did this.

DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...A GOOD SCRATCH FROM DENZEL