THE EQUALIZER: IF YOU NEED HELP

Over the past few years the children of the 70s and 80s have taken to heart the shows that they grew up with and turned them into full length feature films. Some have been good, some bad and many mediocre. In some cases it shows a lack of creativity, a longing by studios looking to make good on their investments rather than come up with something new or inventive. But then on occasion a movie takes its start from the past, puts a new spin on it and makes it something altogether new. Such is the case with THE EQUALIZER.

If you remember the hit series from the past just know you won’t find the exact same thing here. Yes, the hero’s name is Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) and yes he did used to work for some clandestine organization, perhaps the CIA. But rather than retire with plenty of cash on hand, this McCall faked his death and makes a living working at a big box hardware store. There he has plenty of friends, many that he tries to help in any way he can like fellow co-worker Ralphie who is trying to lose weight and get in shape to become a security guard for the store. It’s a simple life where no violence accompanies his day to day life.

But McCall has his problems such as sleeping through the night. To pass the time he visits a nearby diner and reads while there. It is here that he makes the acquaintance of Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz), a young prostitute who works for a Russian bar owner. When she comes in one night beaten and the next ends up hospitalized due to the abuse of her owner, McCall sets about trying to buy her freedom. The mobster laughs in his face, surrounded by his henchmen. As McCall heads for the door they continue laughing. But he’s not leaving.
 Observing the men and the weapons on hand, McCall sets his watch for the amount of time he thinks it will take to change things and begins his attack. Within minutes he is the only one left standing.

You would think this would be the end of it, that he would leave unnoticed and Teri would be free. If that were the case the movie would be much shorter. Instead it turns out that the men McCall killed were members of an east coast Russian mob boss. Rather than find peace McCall is hunted down by the one man who may be his match, the main enforcer of this mobster named Teddy (Martin Csokas). Teddy is every bit as cold hearted as McCall is skilled. Both men know how to inflict damage. As Teddy begins to get closer and closer to McCall, McCall has other things to concern himself.

Other friends like Ralphie need help. It seems his mother is a victim of extortion by two corrupt cops. Without being asked McCall helps. Another co-worker is robbed while working at the store, her mother’s ring stolen as well. It reappears the next day. And through all of this Teddy gets closer and closer to McCall until they eventually meets in a showdown that was inevitable.

The original series had a well-mannered, well dressed Edward Woodward in the role of McCall, his Australian accent and upper class appearance making the jobs he took on out of the goodness of his heart in an attempt to make up for all the bad he did in his life seem a bit unreal. But you always wished that there were someone like him out there. For me I think I’d rather like this McCall to show up. I think I would much rather have the calm, cool, collected McCall seen here that has no problem taking out someone who does wrong. The times have changed since that TV series aired and a much more violent world is out there. This McCall has no problems that the old one would have dealt with when it comes to holding back.

Washington does what he always does, he turns in a performance that is both believable and well done in every way imaginable. With touches of humor, displaying a caring person at his core and a man who has no problem killing when the need arises, Washington has formed a hero that this world calls for. It might seem an easy thing to do but the combination of peaceful and violent personas combined in one person is not as easy a task as it sounds. Csokas is one of those actors that always seems type cast as the bad guy. The thing is when you do it so well it’s hard not to cast you in those kind of roles. Once again he does a magnificent job as the near equal to Washington’s McCall when it comes to skills needed for his job.

The movie delivers on all promises made in the trailer that arrived in theaters months before the film was released. You get a solid update on a well-known show (even if it ran back from 1985-89) that takes the source material and makes it fresh. The action you would expect from this sort of film is on full display. The production values are top of the line. And in the end you stop the disc wishing there were more. Word is a sequel is in the works. Here’s hoping it gets made and soon. This is one worth adding to your collection.

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