So simple yet so exciting. Its a classic action revenge story but one that embraces the cliches but doesnt come off as cheesy or done to death. Its amazingly paced to keep interest throughout and has some great understated action that doesnt get into stupid territory.

🐐zel 🐐ington

Denzel rocking the black New Balances is a nice touch from Fuqua. The baseball play-by-play going in the background of an ass whoopin is so intense. An OCD hitman comes out of retirement as a fairy godmother of sorts, granting wishes to those being pushed around by the Russian mob and crooked cops. Some homages to Tony Scott and closing with an Eminem track that feels dated for 2014, This equalized my need for a breath for fresh air and mindless action and violence. Bob could have easily been Neeson, Willis, or Wahlberg, but Fuqua and Denzel elevate this to a better level including the cliches and tropes we all love setup perfectly. 10th Denzel for 2024 48/500 movies & tv for 2024

Let's be honest here: the plotting in The Equalizer is nothing particularly new or fresh because we’ve seen it all many, many times before! But it’s the execution where this film excels though. However it isn’t an action packed film, but when the action hits, it's hard and heavy, not shying away from crowd-pleasing violence meted out to the villains! This is a steady, gradual build that culminates in a tense, damn near dialogue free third act where the film feels like the time for words has come and gone and now is the time to get down to the serious business of fucking some shit up! The extended set-piece ending could be best described as “Die Hard in B&Q” and it may be a bit too much for some filmgoers, but I absolutely loved it! Who knew DIY shops were so dangerous? The climax is tense and inventive, apparently there is no home improvement device that cannot be turned into a weapon of mass destruction! The reason this film is so much better than it has any right to be is because of Denzel Washington… Denzel does what he does best, and that is, he is Denzel Washington! There’s no frame he appears in where he doesn’t own it. Denzel is one of those actors where he can star in a film and play a character with a severe bowel problem and he will still give an awesome performance! Another standout is the villain played by Marton Csokas who chews the scenery like Pac-Man! While the story arc of The Equalizer delivers its requisite hard R-rated violence, the film is equally (You see what I did there?) effective at not showing all of it’s cards! The subtle shades and suggestions are handsomely successful at preserving the lead character's mystique and the film's higher plane of purpose. Those are the qualities that set The Equalizer above the semi-annual and repetitive offerings from many recent action thrillers that feel like the same film every time! The film is worth seeing to watch Denzel deliver his trademark slow burn gaze as he delivers lines such as, “What do you see when you look at me?” I don’t know about you but I see a man I wish had been doing action like this a while ago, so I could get at least three or four more sequels out of him!