The Equalizer 2 (2018)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  6 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: Antoine Fuqua's first Equaliser worked because at its core it was a slowly-unravelling, melancholic character-study about an intriguing and mysterious man. Now we know who he is, the intrigue is gone, but you still care about the character because Denzel does such a great job of portraying a quiet, ordinary and respectable vigilante killer, and because the script never has him overtly spell out his motivations or feelings. An interesting sub-plot about a young kid struggling for motivation also adds a bit more humanity, and Fuqua's unsurprisingly assured direction of some rather great action sequences keeps things ticking along nicely.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The problem with this sequel though is the messiness of the plot. Whereas before the concept was fairly simple, now Denzel has to take on a whole team of villains with some contrived and glibly executed link to his past. That can all feel a little tiresome, and the way it's built means it's ultimately hard to invest in particularly beyond some feelings towards Denzel's character.
  
  VERDICT: A passable sequel to a great action thriller, 'Equalizer 2,' carries forward some interesting character beats, but the weak story lets the side down.

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