The Equalizer pictures operate under a false moral imperative, using the mission of cleaning up the streets as a cover for the same pat hyper-stylized, near-pornographic brutality. (That Washington is charming enough to disguise McCall’s clear streak of Travis Bickle-level sociopathy ranks as this production’s greatest asset.) In actuality, he’s in pursuit of something far nastier, cheaper and faster – revenge. He claims to pursue justice, and because Washington has had 30-odd years to perfect his onscreen charisma, the audience may very well believe him. We want him on that wall, we need him on that wall, etc.ĭenzel Washington and Melissa Leo in The Equalizer 2. Like the cowboys who took the law into their own hands before him, a tradition evoked by a final shot mimicking John Ford’s indelible end to The Searchers, he acts as a compromised society’s self-appointed moral guardian.
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Washington is now 63 years old, and McCall acts even older – though he never tells anyone to pull their sagging pants up, you can tell he is at all times thinking it – but he has no trouble putting the smackdown on men two or three decades his junior. He’s a naked expression of the middle-aged man’s desire to remain relevant and in command of his immediate surroundings. In either case, the mentality undergirding his actions remains the same. Last time around, he was helping out streetwise teen prostitute Chloë Grace Moretz, and now, he’s unraveling a convoluted, uninteresting conspiracy threatening his pals Dave and Susan (Pedro Pascal and Melissa Leo, respectively). He takes it upon himself to pick up the police’s slack by going vigilante with principle, dropping pseudo-slick one-liners about good manners while he dispatches the no-goodniks who fall through the cracks.
#Denzel washington the equalizer crack#
It starts when some skeevy financial types dump a roughed-up female intern in his car, and McCall goes up to their penthouse to crack some skulls after safely depositing her at the hospital. It's a long shot, especially considering both their characters have the same last name with supposedly no familial relation, but stranger things have happened.But greater evils than the occasional S-word lurk among the high-rises of Boston’s lower-income neighborhoods, and accordingly, McCall must take more extreme measures in his quest to purge the streets of wrongdoers. For all we know, The Equalizer 3 could cross over with the show and have Washington and Latifah's characters team up.
#Denzel washington the equalizer series#
It's possible the studio wouldn't want multiple projects under the same name out there in popular culture at the same time, but then again, the TV series could reinvigorate the franchise and draw in new fans ready to turn up at the theater. It's unclear how the television series could impact development on The Equalizer 3. The show is set to premiere on Februafter the Super Bowl on CBS. The cast is rounded out by Adam Goldberg ( Taken), Lorraine Toussaint ( Orange is the New Black), and Chris Noth ( Sex and the City) This time around, she's a single mother taking care of her teenage daughter, and there's bound to be plenty of conflict as Robyn struggles to balance her vigilante lifestyle with setting a good example for her child. Similar to previous Equalizers, Robyn is an individual with an impressive set of skills, and she uses her dark, seedy past to assist the less fortunate. The show's trailer offers a good glimpse at the kind of gritty, street-level action we can expect out of the reboot.
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Robert may not be a superhero, but the series has a vigilante edge to it that makes it feel right at home in the 21st century alongside the likes of The Punisher and John Wick. In fact, when you look at Washington's nearly 40-year career, the only sequel you'll see him in is 2018's The Equalizer 2.īased on the 1980s-era crime series of the same name starring Edward Woodward, The Equalizer movies utilize the same basic premise to follow Robert McCall (Washington), a man with a dangerous past who uses his skills to protect innocent people from those looking to cause them harm. Even when one of his most popular movies, Inside Man, received a sequel, he didn't appear in the follow-up (nor did anyone else from the original movie). His popularity is all the more impressive considering his tendency to stay away from big franchises. With Academy Award wins for his roles in Glory and Training Day, combined with standout performances in the likes of John Q., Inside Man, Fences, and so many other films, it's easy to see why the actor has remained so respected for decades.
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Denzel Washington is one of the most consistently bankable and popular stars in Hollywood.