Film Review: The Equalizer 2

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Cert: 15 cert

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Screenwriter: (written by) Richard Wenk, (based on the television series created by) Michael Sloan, Richard Lindheim

Starring: Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Orson Bean, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Jonathan Scarfe, Sakina Jaffrey, Kazy Tauginas, Garrett Golden, Adam Karst, Alican Barlas, Rhys Olivia Cote, Tamara Hickey, Ken Baltin

Running time: 2h 1min

Parents advised reading before viewing the film as some scene may contain scenes unsuitable for younger viewers.

Sex & Nudity:

• Investigating an apparent murder-suicide, in which the victims were a husband and wife, Susan and her investigative partner, Dave, discuss the possibility of infidelity (potentially either straight or gay).
• When McCall meets Susan after a mission, he says that it had a happy ending, adding quickly, "no pun intended."

Violence & Gore:

• As a Lyft driver, McCall picks up a woman who's obviously in a great deal of pain and anguish.
• While never stated explicitly, that scene and a follow-up encounter with several of her young, affluent bosses and coworkers (where we learn that she's an intern) suggest that she was drugged and sexually assaulted, perhaps gang-raped.
• McCall does pretty horrific damage to scores of baddies, killing many of them.
• We hear the sounds of several bones break (he asks one victim what hand he uses before crushing the other one), and he snaps two or three necks, too.
• He juliennes a few unfortunates with knives, skewering one in the back of the neck.
• One antagonist meets his bloody end via a harpoon-like skewer to the face.
• McCall gouges out someone's eye.
• He shoots one man (partly off-camera) several times (after breaking several of the man's bones) and blows up another, who lies on the ground with his charred innards exposed.
• A guy is stabbed in the gut before being thrown off a ledge, bouncing off the ground below.
• McCall smashes a teapot into some guy's face.
• A husband and wife are killed by ruthless executioners
• One killer shoots the woman in the back of the head while her husband watches then stuffs the barrel of the gun into the man's mouth and pulls the trigger.
• Blood splashes across the family pictures behind him.
• We also see reenactments of that murder several times, along with the bloody crime scene
• A woman is assaulted in a hotel room
• Her assailants bounce her head off pictures and mirrors and throw her into walls.
• She fights back, punching and kicking the men and stabbing one in the leg.
• But the men get the upper hand, closing the door on the rest of the assault.
• No relief for the audience, though: Later, we see her receive a fatal stab wound to the chest
• Crime photos document the aftermath, displaying the woman's bloodstained corpse curled up on the floor.
• Several people are shot, though not always lethally.
• People attack McCall with guns and knives.
• A fight takes place during a raging hurricane.
• We hear vague references to the violent nature of McCall's old gig, and hear that most folks think he's dead.
• We learn that McCall's brother was shot and killed by a gang.
• A rival gang encourages Miles to seek revenge, pressing a gun in his hand and telling him to not come back until he's out of bullets.
• Unknown ruffians scrawl graffiti on outside wall art and rip up someone's lovingly tended garden.

Profanity: 

• We hear the f-word more than 25 times and the s-word at least another 15.
• The n-word is hurled about half-dozen times, sometimes in the movie's background music.
• Characters also utter "a--," "b--ch", "h---" and "p-ss."
• God's name is misused four times, once with "d--n."

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking:

• Several people pour and drink vodka shots on a train.
• A dilapidated apartment appears to be a drug den, and its two inhabitants are quite high.
• A classy apartment or hotel room seems to be the site of another drug-fueled get-together
• We're treated to a quick montage of images picturing people snorting cocaine and taking unnamed pills.
• When Miles asks McCall for something to drink, he's offered water or tea.
• "What do I look like, Jackie Chan?" Miles complains.
• Wine is present at a dinner. McCall warns Miles to "stay off those corners," implying that Miles was or might be tempted to sell drugs to make ends meet.

Frightening/Intense Scenes: 

• Some scene can be intense, where

Story: Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice in this sequel that will test him to the limit when the past catches up to him, once again forced to take action but this time its personal as the ones he loves are put in the firing line from some dangerous people from his past.

Likes: I see most review saying that the film focuses a little too much on helping people before the film main story kicks in, to those people that say this watch the Edward Woodward tv series you understand this direction.

Do I agree on the film focus too much on this I would say yes on a slight yes though because ive seen the tv series so I know this is who Mccall is, using his training to help people that need his help. But the film does slightly focus a little too much to help people than focusing on the main plot as it doesn't kick in until midway through the second half of the film.

Not that this was a great film because it has its moments, That reminds me of the first film with the great action scene and great fight choreography, Denzil Washington is still a badass in these film, certainly still a man not to be messed with.

What great here is the in the first film Denzil character become the hunted, as the Russian mob were tracking him down which was their mistake, if you havent yet watched the first film I recommended you watch it, it won't disappoint. With the sequel, Denzil becomes the hunter which is a great switch for his character especial brings in the past give his character a background story to his past, he's forced to once again take up action on those that are hunting his loved ones.

I do find myself question though between the first film and this sequel, I'll be honest although this film was great, with a great performance from all the cast I find that the first film was actually better when it came to story and action. Though this sequel is good for the background story of McCall life that give a certain background to just how trained he truly is.

Visual the film is good the end was so realistic in the animation that is so convincing on what is happening around them, great job there. The action is pretty good in places with the same brutal hand to hand combat and using enivorment to his advantage, which is the trademark combat like the first film, only this time the story feel personal.

So overall this isnt a bad sequel even though the first film is was better, the sequel does have that entertainment and Good story direction, so if you like the first film you love this film. I recommended watching this film.


Dislikes: The only slight flaw that makes the first film a better film, is this sequel falls into that trap like Quantum of Solace did by instead of making a new threat where McCall goes after to help someone, it ends up being some gangster or Cartel boss, I found the story bring his past in to the film slightly pull the film down.

Not that it a great film I feel this type of story should have been done for the first and the first film should've been the second film, but that just my opinion it, not a reflection on the sequel because it a great film, I just found the first film was better.

Overall: Great film, great acting, Good combat scene, good story direction.

Rating: 5 out of 5 for Entertainment / 8.9 out of 10 for sequel concept