MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Action Thriller/Stars: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Eugenio Mastrandrea, David Denman, Sonia Ben Ammar, Remo Girone, Gaia Scodellaro, Andrea Scarduzio, Andrea Dodero, Salvatore Ruocco, Alessandro Pess/Runtime: 109 minutes
I think it is a fairly safe statement to make that at this point movie goers should very much be aware with what exactly you are going to witness should you choose to sit down and watch an entry in the now 3 movie strong Equalizer franchise. By that I mean that you should know that you are going to follow a guy named Robert McCall who is a good man and who appreciates good people, but who also has more than a few qualms when people treat others badly. A frame of mind that, when ignited, soon sees our hero dish out some pretty visceral violence in a way to even, or day I say equalize, things out in favor of the good people in this world. Suffice it to say that it’s a formula that has managed to strike a chord with more than a handful of audience members out there as both of the first 2 installments from 2014 and 2018 respectively managed to be quite successful from a financial point of view even if the critical reaction was positive to mixed at best. Of course, if you are someone who enjoyed the first two then I think it’s safe to say that you will find a fair bit to enjoy with the newest entry, and slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today, The Equalizer 3. Indeed it is by no means a spoiler to tell you that this movie is not one that is saddled with the desire to be Oscar worthy. Nor for that matter is it really designed to operate on its predecessors or take the main character in a vastly different direction. Instead, this film is one that, in a lot of ways, feels more like an episode of a show in that all it really does is transport our hero to a new locale, give him some new allies, bring in some new bad guys to dispatch, and then permit him to do what he does best when pushed too far. As such, this slice of cinema is one that is good without going any further than that. To be sure, this slice of cinema is one that is very much uneven at times to say nothing of being simplistic more often than it should, but with the aid of good work on both sides of the camera there is no denying that this film does serve, without going into spoilers, as a proper conclusion to its hero’s butt kicking adventures…..
The plot is as follows: Moving the action from the suburbs of Boston all the way to the Italian countryside, The Equalizer 3 gets its riveting narrative underway by showcasing for us as a man by the name of Lorenzo Vitalie makes his way with his kid to an isolated winery in Sicily only, upon arrival, to discover that the men he had working there have all been, in some way or another, viscerally butchered. Upon further investigation however, we soon learn alongside him that the culprit behind this bloodbath is none other than our intrepid hero Robert McCall who is also being held at gunpoint by the only 2 men of Vitalie’s who are, inexplicably still alive. Yet although we see that our hero is successful in wiping the floor with these guys, it isn’t long before he is unexpectedly blindsided and, as a result, winds up with a near-critical bullet wound in his back. Fortunately for McCall, we see that shortly after passing out in his car due to his injury that he is found by a local member of the Italian police, or carabinieri for short, and taken to a picturesque coast side town known as Altamonte where he soon begins a slow yet steady path to recovery under the watchful eye of the town doctor Remo Girone. It also doesn’t hurt that, as time goes by, we also see our hero actually manage to not only become accepted by the townsfolk, but also find himself actually acquiring a degree of peace that he has not known in years. Now normally you might think that this would be the end of the story, but in this case it’s merely the beginning. I say that because for all the positives that this community has to offer, it also possesses a negative that might be a bit too much for some people who might think of settling down there. That negative being that this community is one that for some time has found itself the recipient of extremely unwelcome visits from people who are part of the Italian Mafia, or Camorra, who spend their time utilizing any methods necessary to get the people to leave so the Mafia can take over and commercialize the area for their, and their pocket books’, benefit. Yet although our intrepid hero, as he does so well, desperately tries to stay out of the line of fire for these men, it isn’t long before a chain of events occurs which, in addition to seeing a CIA agent named Emma Collins being brought into the fray, causes our hero to have to use his skill set one more time. Thus, despite his injury, can our hero do what he does best one more time or is it about time that the karmic ledger be equalized and not in a way that benefits McCall? That I will leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader….
Now right off, it is worth pointing out that the work done behind the camera on this cinematic outing is very much in synch with what has come before in the first two installments. This starts with the film’s script, penned once again by Richard Wenk, which, much in the same vein as the first two, gives audiences a fairly swift first act that helps to set the stage…..only to then give us a midsection that acts like an extended intermission. Now in the other two this might not have been so bad, but here it does prove to be a bit on the straining side as the movie goer is stuck watching as our hero engages in not only a repetitive cycle of talking with locals and going on walks to ponder things and repeat, but even an attempt to try to go into the idea of redemption really doesn’t go anywhere that plays a potent enough role in the arc of our hero this time out. Fortunately, if you are one who possesses enough in the way of patience to get to this film’s final third, I promise that there is a prize for doing so. That being that this film manages to give you some action beats that might be better staged, but are most assuredly far more brutal than the first two sought to give us. I mean I’m not kidding when I say that in this film we as movie goers are definitely rooting for McCall to kick some bad guy butt in this, but the manners in which he chooses to do so really does feel less like we are watching a vigilante action thriller and more like a slasher film. At any rate, we see that this elevated sense of viscerality does manage to provide this film with an air of surprise to it (I mean there were times even during my screening where I found myself going holy schnikes at what I was seeing unfold) thus providing the film with a wonderful shot of energy whenever they pop up in the film. For all the wonderful work that goes into the action beats however, the one arena where this slice of cinema definitely drops the ball is in regards to the overall cinematography department. I say this because even though film helmer Antoine Fuqua collaborated with a three-time Oscar winner in that arena on this film I am beginning to wonder if that guy has a twin brother with the same name. I say that because the way this film is shot is, at best, definitely hard on the eyes and at worst very much a mess. I mean not only is it hard to tell what is going on when things take place indoors, but even the exterior shots feel and look very cold and cloudy. As a result, not only does the film look downright drab, but the look also tragically prevents any degree of engaging humanity from infiltrating this film whenever possible as well. Suffice it to say then that the work done behind the camera is definitely flawed, but the action beats do their part to try and help make up for it.
Of course, the other element that strives to work to the overall quality of the film would have to come in the form of the performances by the cast of players in front of the camera. In that regard, I think it’s safe to say that, reprising the lead role once more, audiences are treated to another dependably solid turn here from Denzel Washington. Indeed I know I have said this before, but Washington really is a part of that rare group of performers that, no matter the overall quality of the slice of cinema in question, still at the very least make the film at the very least watchable due to the level of commitment and skill that they bring. Suffice it to say that is most assuredly the case here as with his distinct degree of charm Washington does help to make the lull between the action beats almost as engaging as the action beats themselves. Yet even though in the action beats we see that Denzel once again shows that he is, even a few years shy of 70 (!), more than capable of dispatching with bad guys left and right, we see that in terms of characterization this film does something distinct and actually manages to take this guy to an intriguing place. One where he’s not only more at ease with his surroundings, but which also finds Denzel able to bring forth a bit of a snarky wit to say nothing of a confidence that, despite being tossed a fairly significant curve in the beginning, once it manages to recover will make the audience smile especially when that confidence is utilized to outright be 2 steps ahead of most of the other characters in this or in threatening the bad guys in a way that you know is by no means an empty threat. Suffice it to say that it might not be the most riveting turn that this bonafide cinematic icon has ever given audiences over the years, but he still nonetheless still manages to electrify the screen in that way few of his contemporaries are able to. We also get a good turn here from Dakota Fanning in the role of CIA agent Emma Collins even though her role in this, more often than not, does give off the vibe of being more mandatory rather than necessary. To be sure, the character does have a fair bit potential and there is something about her character that I can’t reveal due to spoilers, but the truth is that this significant reveal comes in to the film far too late for it to make the impact that it honestly could have. As a result, this character really does feel a lot like a missed opportunity on the part of the film instead of one that could have contributed significantly to the narrative. Now in the roles of this film’s chief antagonists Vincent and Marco Quaranta, we get a pair of delightful turns here from Andrea Scarduzio and Andrea Dodero who, despite how fairly comically idiotic their characters are, still do manage to give good performances all things considered. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in good if underwritten efforts from such talents as Eugenio Mastrandrea, Gaia Scodellaro, Remo Girone, and David Denman (Roy from The Office!) to name but a few, it’s clear that the fairly talented cast in front of the camera might not have the most three-dimensional roles in the world, but they still do their best with the material that they are given.
All in all and at the end of the day, I think it can safely be said that any time you sit down and watch a action film from (insert name here), you are going to get a film that, entertainment value aside, also operates as a reflection of who that actor likes to personify for an audience. As a result, Tom Cruise is a near-maniac yet fully committed daredevil, Keanu Reeves is a stoic yet stylish bringer of death especially when you kill his dog, and Liam Neeson is paternal yet has no qualms about threatening you over the phone before finding you and doing exactly what he promised to do. All jokes aside, I think this philosophy can also be applied to Denzel Washington too. I say this because in this Equalizer franchise, we get a man who is a wonderful mix of intelligent yet decent, a solo combatant, and a righteous butt whooper who has no desire to see injustice win the day. Perhaps this is why these films were then constructed to showcase for movie goers every bit of what they have come to admire about Denzel over the years including his genuine empathy, his effortless charisma, his steely gaze, and an intensity that you hope you are not on the receiving end of. To be sure, every single one of those elements is still on full display here in this purportedly final entry in the franchise, but it is also worth pointing out that this slice of cinema is also one that I would definitely not say is a true must-see in any sense of the word. Rather, I would say that this slice of cinema is one that fits snugly and comfortably into a category of films that I would like to christen with the label of a complete and utter “Dad film” in that this is one film meant to be watched/enjoyed with your dad (or father figure) complete with a bucket of beer to split between the two of you and then put on a shelf for whenever you and your dad want to enjoy it all over again. Suffice it to say that this film might have its issues, but there is also no denying that the work done in front of the camera (especially from the always reliable Washington) and the work done behind the camera do help to a large degree ensure that people who appreciate this distinct genre will check this out. More than anything though, this film is a good yet not great exit stage right for a character who has always been willing to ensure that justice might get sidetracked, but that sooner or later it will always find its way home. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give The Equalizer 3 “2023” a solid 3 out of 5.
