Bullet Points: The Equalizer 2
The 1980’s television series The Equalizer that aired on CBS was popular enough to last four seasons and by all accounts it had a loyal following. But during the show’s run from 1985 to 1989, The Equalizer never cracked Nielsen’s Top 30. The show had a second life when the reruns aired on the USA Network, but after that The Equalizer seemingly disappeared from the airwaves for decades. These facts would explain why in 2014 when a movie based on the series was released, there was hardly any of the usual moaning and groaning that remakes and reboots attract. You know, things like… “If it is not Edward Woodward, it is not The Equalizer!” or “Why can’t Hollywood come up with some original ideas!?!?”
It is probably safe to say that for a vast majority of the movie going public, Denzel Washington was the only equalizing Robert McCall they ever knew and it did not hurt that Denzel knocked it out of the park. By the time the movie came out I was familiar with the show, but I am not going to sit here and tell you that Denzel Washington did not make an awesome Robert McCall… because he did and Denzel took the character to another level, making the role his own.
The response to the film was positive and the box office results were positive, leaving no doubt that a sequel was on the way…
- The Baddest Lyft Driver on the Planet: The movie begins with an icognito Robert McCall on a train headed to Istanbul. Robert is on board to rescue a girl who has been kidnapped by her scum bag father as a means to get back at the girl’s mother, not because he actually wanted to have his daughter in his life. It isn’t long before McCall is kicking ass and our opening credits begin. Back in the States, we find that Robert is now working as a Lyft driver but he is still out there helping those who can’t help themselves. Whether it is reuniting a daughter with her mother, being a positive role model for a young man who lives in his apartment building and saving him from a life of gang banging, getting some revenge for a young lady who was taking advantage of by some coked up rich dudes or being a friend to a lonely old man… Robert McCall was equalizing things left and right.
- This Time It’s Personal: Just to recap some of the events of the original film, to most of the world Robert McCall government agent died in the line of duty. One of the few people in the entire world who know that Robert was alive and well is his old friend Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo). After paying Robert a visit on the birthday of his deceased wife, Susan is off to Belgium where she is going to investigate the grisly murders of an operative the agency had working for them and the operative’s wife. But in the course of her investigation, Susan herself is murdered and when the thugs who were seemingly responsible for her death are blown to bits. Robert starts digging into who was REALLY responsible for Susan’s death and he knows he is getting close, when he himself becomes a target leading to a great scene as Robert realizes he has an unfriendly Lyft customer in his back seat.
- Rock Me Like a Hurricane: When Robert discovers who really killed Susan, you know the shit is about to hit the fan and the tension gets thicker and thicker with each passing moment. Robert lures the four highly trained killers who have declared war on him to the small town by the beach that Robert and his wife Vivian once called home. The threat level for everyone involved in the final showdown is all the greater as the town has been evacuated due to an impending hurricane… this ups the danger and creates a really unique scenario for our hero to overcome the odds.
Maybe my memory is failing me, but The Equalizer 2 felt a lot more gruesome than the first film. The graphic deaths, the gun play, the hand to hand combat and vehicular mayhem check off all the boxes of action movie lover. Combine all that with another home run performance by Denzel Washington and the strong supporting cast that was surrounding Denzel and you have a winning formula and an enjoyable time at the movies!
Please enjoy these Bonus Bullet Points…
- Reunited: Antoine Fuqua was back in the director’s chair for The Equalizer 2. Fuqua has previously worked with Denzel Washington on The Equalizer, Training Day and 2016’s The Magnificent Seven.
- Familiar Faces: Bill Pullman (Independence Day) reprises his role as Brian Plummer, the husband of Susan and an old friend of Robert McCall… Longtime pro wrestling fans should be on the lookout for Ted Arcidi, a former world’s strongest man who appeared in the World Wrestling Federation and World Class Championship Wrestling in the second half of the 1980’s.
- Not So Hidden Message: I felt like Robert McCall’s love of reading was trying to encourage me to read more.
