A hardware store employee who’s background remains a mystery, Robert McCall (played by Denzel Washington) lives alone and is a man of routine. During his late night visits to a local 24 hour diner, he consistently runs into another regular customer, a prostitute named Alina (Chloe Grace Moretz). Mr. McCall uses his brief opportunities to encourage her to give up the street life in favor of her real dream, becoming a singer. When Alina goes missing after turning up with a black eye and trying to stick up for herself, Mr. McCall turns over every stone to find out what happened to her. In his quest, he manages to upset a Russian organized crime faction and this sends him on a dangerous path that he’s strangely suited for. His past becomes more and more apparent as he hunts down clues before we finally see the life he’s been trying to leave behind.
It’s no surprise that Washington is excellent but he’s so good that I can’t imagine anybody else playing the role. Director Antoine Fuqua takes what really should be a pretty standard action movie and makes it one of the best of the decade with his creative, artistic and brilliant delivery.
Not to be outdone, screenwriter Richard Wenk keeps the audience in suspense throughout the film. Not just on how the plot unfolds and resolves but on the characters. What happened to Alina? Will she live or die? What did Mr. McCall do for a living prior to us seeing him on-screen? Why did his wife leave him? What is he trying to atone for? Is his friend Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) really a friend?
The first installment of The Equalizer is an underrated classic. Fuqua is best known for Training Day, Olympus Has Fallen and Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” music video from the Dangerous Minds soundtrack but The Equalizer deserves to be on his own personal Mt. Rushmore. If you’re a fan of the action genre but slept on The Equalizer, rectify that situation as soon as you can so you can enjoy the third installment hitting theaters this week.
JKG SCORE: 8.5
***
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