The Equalizer 2 (2018)

User Review

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  TheMovieDiorama

  6 / 10

  The Equalizer 2 packs twice as much humanity but loses double the amount of memorable action. Its predecessor was a pleasant surprise, with both Fuqua and Washington crafting another solid film together. The dream team return for the sequel and, whilst it remains consistently gritty with captivating dialogue, unfortunately falls short with an unfocused narrative. McCall, now running a driving service to which he seeks out justice for the oppressed, is tested as to how far he will go to save the individuals he cares for. This series would not be anywhere near as successful as it is without the ever dependable Washington and talented Fuqua. An actor who transfixes all who watch his performances, and a director who allows his stars to be at the forefront whilst still retaining control of the film. This is no different, in fact Washington owned the screen with his commanding yet cool demeanour. What sets this apart from the previous film is the abundance of humanity that is injected into the plot. McCall is portrayed to be a guardian angel for the innocent civilians who do not deserve to be exploited, with several touching moments that reveal him to be a protective figure. This is particularly apparent when he is attempting to steer a troubled teenager towards a better lifestyle, as if the boy is a reflection of McCall's past mistakes. This is where the film excels, but at the unfortunate consequence of substantially losing the stylised action sequences that made the original so compelling. An imbalanced screenplay from Wenk that, in turn, prevented Fuqua from creating a focused film. The combination of a dramatic crime plot with random combat encounters acting as sub-plots just did not work. It felt unnecessarily overlong, taking a conservative forty minutes for the primary plot to commence. Fortunately the final stormy confrontation was filmed to precision, as if we ourselves were taking cover from the sniper overlooking the drenched town. Alas, an excellent lead performance and humane character development couldn't make up for the minimal amount of gripping content that was presented.

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