The Equalizer 2 (2018)

Waste of time

A Masterpiece!

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday MorningAfter the events of the last film, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is living a quiet existence as a taxi driver, whilst still putting his lethal skills to use as a defender of the weak and powerless. Meanwhile, a home invasion, resulting in the deaths of a couple in Brussels sets in motion a chain of events that plunges McCall into a deadly battle for survival, reuniting him with his old comrade York (Pedro Pascal), who may hold more of a key to things than it seems.2014's filmic revamping of the hit TV show from the 1960's/80's?!? (I honestly don't know!!!) The Equalizer was a highly worthwhile venture, definitely the best action film I've seen in a hell of a long time, an opinion that seems to have been generally shared by everyone. It was one of those films that was just crying out for a sequel, even though it was almost guaranteed to be nowhere near as good, even with the original director, Antoine Fuqua, returning to the chair. Somehow, it's lead star Washington who seems to have cheapened himself the most by tacking on to this vulgar exercise.The action remains as brutal and unflinching as the first instalment, and Washington successfully replays the methodical, precise, soft spoken hardman. There's also a well staged finale set during a hurricane. Unfortunately, the clear cut, straightforward story that made the original so wonderful, has been replaced here by a vague, ambiguous tale, that you will struggle to call a plot. Fuqua seems to forget he's making an action movie, and instead tries to zoom in on some misplaced human drama, with McCall trying to help old Jewish guy Sam (Orson Bean) and misguided street kid Miles (Ashton Sanders.) This might not have been so distracting if it had been a little more condensed, and not seemingly the main focus of the film. Inevitable seems to sum this one up. It's inevitable it was made, it's inevitably nowhere near as good as the first film and it's inevitable I went to see it anyway, when I could have just stayed at home and watched the original again. **

I loved the first Equaliser film and was really looking forward to this one. It turned out to be really slow paced with only a snippet of action the first film had. I didn't really follow the point of the baddies and was not really bothered by the outcome. In my opinionthis was a film that really did not need to be made.

Enjoyable enough, the acting is all top notch and the action that you get is what you expect and the cinematography especially in the hurricane part is beautiful, but a few things meant I really didn't enjoy it as much has the first one.The pacing is terrible, it feels so slow, there is literally no explanation for why the guy and his wife are murdered in Belgium, it's just a random vehicle to get the whole revenge plot line started, also they could have lost the whole Jewish dude part of the story and the film would not have suffered for it, The twist with his ex poor in comparison to the Russian dude in the first movie. Also is Susan's husband still sitting in that Motel? How did the bleeding stop completely from a gun shot wound after 15 seconds? When did he have time to stick pictures of Susan all over the town?6.5 out of 10. Could have been so much better. Denzel carried it on his shoulders.

Thrilling, emotional and exhilarating. Equalizer keeps you on the edge of your seat. Spectacular action scenery and acting that cannot be beat. This is a must see. Denzel continues to command the screen.