So much this.
Well I finally watched this. I didn’t really hate it, but didn’t really dig it either. It’s just meh. And definitely didn’t need to be called The Equalizer (kind of like how the new Total Recall didn’t really need to be called that either). Also noted that Denzel basically didn’t use a gun in the entire movie–or at least you didn’t see him use a gun (and the one time he kinda did, it was in someone else’s hand).
— Alan
I started watching this last night. But it starts off really slow. The opening shot shows a nice fly-over of a city (Boston?) and then we’re inside an apartment. And the slow pan from room to room leads slowly to… a man shaving his head. The first 15-20 minutes have been this slow in every scene so far. I look forward to the atrocities and the revenge that’s coming, but my god, it’s strange that they first want to put us to sleep if that’s where this is all going.
This was me as well. The first few episodes of the Equalizer were simple enough that even I, as a kid, could follow along. But things started getting pretty complicated with lots of names being thrown around. It was a cerebral show for adults. I still loved the intro, so I watched it, but I would love to actually see it as an adult and follow along some of those story lines.
Huh, this reminds me I still need to see the first one.
A sequel? I guess now they’re forcing my hand. I’ll have to try to power my way through the original. I got stuck on the part where he’s getting to know the down on her luck hooker at the diner. That part was so boring, I keep falling asleep when I get to it.
Get on it! The first movie was pretty good.
For whatever it’s worth, she has a rather small amount of screen time despite the story arc
I was a fan of the original Equalizer series and in my opinion the first movie was total crap if you wanted a flick about Robert McCall. The only thing remotely tying it to the series was the title. It was a decent rip off of a Liam Neeson movie but thats about it. Fortunately, I do like Denzel so I will give the sequel a shot in hopes that it actually goes back to the series for inspiration but I expect it wont.
What’s more interesting is the Alibaba CEO Jack Ma movie trailer at the end of that E2 trailer.
As David Spade might have put it: a movie about a black hero that doesn’t like guns and beats up bad guys in a warehouse? I think I liked it better the first time when it was called Batman Begins.
Looks like they’re going to fridge a woman in the second one for character motivation.
I did think for the first movie that it was incredibly weird for Denzel not to use any guns at all. Oh gets his hands on some but never winds up using them, though I guess it’s implied at the end that perhaps he did use one it’s never shown. The closest he gets is the nail gun. Reminded me a lot of Patriot Games.
It looks like this is completely not the case for Equalizer 2.
— Alan
I watched Equalizer 2 this week. So now I can watch this trailer.
Interesting, that trailer not only shows key scenes from throughout the movie, it even shows some scenes that were cut from the movie.
Overall I really enjoyed it. I could watch Denzel helping random people as a Lyft driver all day long. If this was a revived TV show, I would watch every week without fail.
They really need to find a way of getting the original Equalizer TV series on some streaming services somehow damn it. It’s not Denzel, but I’ll take Edward Woodward helping random people.
Ok, so it turns out that NBC has got me covered. You can go to NBC’s website, or use NBC’s app on the Xbox (and other platforms, I assume) and watch every episode of the Equalizer. It’s a pretty decent print of the show too.
So far:
S1E1 - “The Equalizer” - McCall wants to spend more time with his son and quit the agency. Of particular note: his son is played by the actor who is the Cobra Kai bad guy in the Karate Kid. He puts an ad in the newspaper. The pilot is kind of weak, but it gets the point across. He is helping the downtrodden. I particularly loved the woman seeking help with the stalker. It was the B-story but it was much more interesting than the A story. Even though I watched it yesterday, I’ve already forgotten what the A-story even was.
S1E2 - “China Rain” - Awww yeah, here’s where it gets good. A child gets kidnapped through a case of mistaken identity. His mother has no money, she turns to McCall for help. Edward Woodward gets the help of a young man still in the Agency, and the two of them prepare and descend on the kidnappers. One thing that makes Edward Woodward’s character different from Denzel Washington’s McCall is that unlike Denzel, this McCall is not sure if he can get the child out alive. I can just imagine this scene if Denzel had gone in. He would have walked in and disarmed the kidnappers with his charming smile, and then started his stopwatch.
I used to have the entire series on a hard drive but decided to just get rid of it after a long while. Still miss the show, it kinda went downwards after the heart attack. And the CIA friends did much of the action-y bits (especially Mickey).
— Alan
I’ve still been making my way through the series. What’s the opposite of binge-watching? I guess I’m leasure-watching the series. Anyway, I got to an interesting episode today, S1E10, Bump and Run. I’m glad I’m making my way through this slowly because this episode is a refutation of Charles Bronson’s Death Wish. There’s a vigilante out there who is killing punks in McCall’s name instead of working with the Police like McCall does, and he is really surprised when McCall turns him in. The episode also features a female student who has to be protected. He sends his friend to do the protection, who ends up sleeping with her. McCall is also very angry about that, telling him it’s inappropriate. That it’s about timing, and that he’s supposed to be on the job. So two positives for The Equalizer from 1985 looking back from 2020, a no on inappropriate work relationships and a no on vigilante justice.
But inappropriate work relationships and vigilante justice are the best parts of being a hero!!
Meh.
I enjoyed the first 2 movies.