Read Mixed User Reviews for The Equalizer

4

andarial6670Dec 10, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I like "The Old Man and the Sea" references in this movie. That's about the only thing that stuck out to me. The pacing is bad. The story is underdeveloped in my opinion. Based on what happens throughout the entire movie, the plot could have resolved itself within the first hour. I think the biggest problem is that this movie follows the formula of "unstoppable protagonist" where Denzel is basically a black superhero smacking around mobsters who look like they've never been in a fight before. I take back the black superhero description, I think "Home Depot Warrior" fits him better.… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

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4

GinaKSep 28, 2014

The Equalizer was a very disappointing film because it was so uneven – schmaltzy parts and vicious action and both types of scenes could be boring. The one really interesting thing was the creative ways the villains were dispatched, althoughThe Equalizer was a very disappointing film because it was so uneven – schmaltzy parts and vicious action and both types of scenes could be boring. The one really interesting thing was the creative ways the villains were dispatched, although The Equalizer was cheating a bit because all his “equalizing “was done on his home turf. Also I wasn’t quite sure where the director and screenwriter were going with the character (I never saw the TV series.) At one point the Equalizer tells a story to the main villain about an orphan boy who was adopted, and he speculates that the boy ended up killing the people who were kind to him. I thought he was talking about the villain, but someone cleverer than I suggested afterwards that he could just as well have been talking about himself since he had such a talent for unadulterated, sadistic violence. If this subtlety was deliberate, then it was a better movie than I thought. But I still am not impressed. (PS: I am a Denzel Washington fan.)… Expand

6 of 11 users found this helpful65

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5

HaithamBDec 13, 2014

The Equalizer is shriveled in plot; where it is mundane and salvaged. Denzel Washington is the 10 of this movie, and is desperately trying to deliver fun action, he succeeds always.

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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6

Brutus54Sep 28, 2014

Alright - but way too long, and suffers from the usual problem with heroes these days - where the protagonist is apparently invulnerable, and routinely able to brush off horrible mutilation and/or severe wounds that would sideline - orAlright - but way too long, and suffers from the usual problem with heroes these days - where the protagonist is apparently invulnerable, and routinely able to brush off horrible mutilation and/or severe wounds that would sideline - or terminate - anyone else. It just becomes tedious to watch when no matter what injury is suggested, you know that the hero will simply get up, shrug his shoulders, and then continue on to dispatch everyone else - usually without any consequences. It appears all heroes are now automatically assumed have absorbed Wolverine's self-healing capacity. For example, at one stage here, the Equalizer gets shot (and blown up), is apparently seriously disabled, and even has to be dragged to safety by an onlooker . But one minutes late, he is back, dealing death through the judicious and malevolent manipulation of domestic hardware. It all becomes a bit silly after a while. But nevertheless, Denzel is OK in the role, and the various supporting characters (while clichéd) are also adequate. A sequel beckons. Or possibly five.… Expand

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

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5

KastleJan 3, 2015

I liked this movie WAY better when it was called 'Man on Fire'. It was almost the exact same story except instead of killing Mexican cartel he was killing Russian mob to get revenge for a young girl. Hope Denzel decides to make some moreI liked this movie WAY better when it was called 'Man on Fire'. It was almost the exact same story except instead of killing Mexican cartel he was killing Russian mob to get revenge for a young girl. Hope Denzel decides to make some more unique films again.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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4

BshopOct 2, 2014

Reminded me of another "I'll find you and kill you" type of movie - Paul Blart - Mall Cop.
Seriously though, it was an alright movie, but lasted a bit too long.
Chloe Martz-whatever was alright, small and predictable role. I would wait toReminded me of another "I'll find you and kill you" type of movie - Paul Blart - Mall Cop.
Seriously though, it was an alright movie, but lasted a bit too long.
Chloe Martz-whatever was alright, small and predictable role.
I would wait to see on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Not one of Denzel's best, I though his movie Flight was better than this honestly.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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6

BrianMcCriticJan 4, 2015

A fairly good action film that was about 20 minutes to long. Every time you see Denzel Washington on screen you forget just how awesome he is and in this film it's no different. My main issue would be some scenes just seemed thrown in thereA fairly good action film that was about 20 minutes to long. Every time you see Denzel Washington on screen you forget just how awesome he is and in this film it's no different. My main issue would be some scenes just seemed thrown in there and had very little to do with the plot. In the end Denzel is worth the recommendation. B… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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6

calinutzDec 12, 2014

Great movie... Denzel W is one of my favorites so I do not miss anything he plays in.
However the script is very bad. I mean, my main problem is: DW is an ex-CIA probably contract killer or something, and while being that, he does not seemGreat movie... Denzel W is one of my favorites so I do not miss anything he plays in.
However the script is very bad. I mean, my main problem is: DW is an ex-CIA probably contract killer or something, and while being that, he does not seem to be a fan of weapons, he prefers to kill people using home appliances even if all kinds of weapons lie around. I think that originally the killings were probably made the regular way, with guns and stuff, but some producer in the last minute said: let's make it different from John Wick and other FPS movies out there, make him kill using anything but guns, and do not make any hint in the movie as for what is his reason of doing so. Also, he does not mind leaving murder weapons laying around all over the place, not caring that his prints and DNA are all-over them. Except for that and a few too prolonged scenes when DW leaves a killing zone, the movie is great. Probably most viewers wont even notice these issues and simply enjoy the movie. I rate it a 6 because of the quality of the film and of course because of Denzel Washington.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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6

HfahmyOct 17, 2014

A superman in casual clothes

A handmade film for Denzel Washington, he is in every scene, he sees, foresees, acts, reacts, knows everything and does everything. There is no real scenario, a storyline that attires, just series of cat andA superman in casual clothes

A handmade film for Denzel Washington, he is in every scene, he sees, foresees, acts, reacts, knows everything and does everything. There is no real scenario, a storyline that attires, just series of cat and rat maneuvers. Nevertheless the film is tense, there is no why and how, only Denzel Washington knows and may be the script writer. It is hard to identify a typical character or actor, it is a one man show. If you are interested in spending two hours with Denzel, it is the movie, if you are curious in knowing what will happen next, it is the movie, no more no less.… Expand

1 of 8 users found this helpful17

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6

lasttimeisawOct 6, 2014

A recent cinema-going of Denzel Washington’s latest thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua, the man behind his Oscar-crowning good-cop-goes-bad turn in TRAINING DAY (2001, 8/10). But that is only a one-off bait for his Oscar consummation. As oneA recent cinema-going of Denzel Washington’s latest thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua, the man behind his Oscar-crowning good-cop-goes-bad turn in TRAINING DAY (2001, 8/10). But that is only a one-off bait for his Oscar consummation. As one of the most consistently bankable actor in Hollywood (at least in the domestic market), Washington’s good-man card never fail his audience, bar his sortie in portraying an ambiguous character as a drunken pilot garners him another Oscar-nomination in Robert Zemeckis’ FLIGHT (2012, 7/10). So this reunion is more or less commercial-oriented than an ambitious art-house attempt as Fuqua has established his status as the Hollywood go-to action journeyman after producing profitable outputs like SHOOTER (2007) and OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (2013).

continue reading my review on my blog: google cinema omnivore, thanks… Expand

1 of 8 users found this helpful17

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6

TyranianSep 16, 2019

Decent Washington action-thriller though his character is a bit ridiculous, still fun though.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

Bruce722Oct 24, 2015

I had high hopes for this movie and, while it largely lived up to them, I felt there were some glaring flaws that could've easily been avoided, which would've resulted in a superior film. For one, Antoine Fuqua did a mediocre job with theI had high hopes for this movie and, while it largely lived up to them, I felt there were some glaring flaws that could've easily been avoided, which would've resulted in a superior film. For one, Antoine Fuqua did a mediocre job with the directing role. It almost felt like he had never directed a film in his entire life, found a list of all the cool camera tricks, angles, and cinematic effects, and felt compelled to include each and every one of them. How did this impact the movie? It made it seem as though it lacked any identity whatsoever. Secondly, there is a critical moment in the final major conflict resolution that is just terrible. To avoid spoilers, let's just say that the protagonist that had been established throughout the film makes a decision that he would never make. That, combined with the plot getting a little out of hand, made the last quarter or so of the movie hard to swallow. It wasn't all bad, however, as the rating should reflect. The acting was great and fighting sequences were done incredibly well. The build up and initial character and plot development were fantastic too. Unfortunately this film suffered from having a director who wanted to do everything instead of making a great movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

MeritCobaSep 11, 2016

This is certainly an amazing movie as it shows how great an actor Denzel Washinton is. A lot of credit should also go to Marton Csokas who is great as well and the cat and mouse play between the two is what makes the movie.
Washinton is aThis is certainly an amazing movie as it shows how great an actor Denzel Washinton is. A lot of credit should also go to Marton Csokas who is great as well and the cat and mouse play between the two is what makes the movie.
Washinton is a former undercover agent who gets involved in a battle with the Russian mob. Csokas is a former Spetznaz who has to track down and remove the problem Washington.
The biggest flaw in the movie is that Washington is presented as an overconfident and overpowered killing machine who knows too much, with him killing a room full of enemies with just his bare hands to start out with in one of the dumbest scenes. And on the flip side: Csokas is soon revealed as a cliche brutish thug, which makes his first appearance, where he is smart, self-assured and cool a downer in hindsight.
Missing is also the obvious third player, the authorities(or journalist?) hunting the vigilante Washington and a love interest or other vulnerability for Washingon. Many movies know that when one makes someone overpowered, you need to a weakness to make up for it.
This makes the movie mostly boil down to Washington talking a lot to people, killing a lot of bad guys and Csokas being a brute.
The climax of the movie is great because of excellent soundtrack Vengeance by Zack Hemsey and it is a brilliant way of giving tension to the scenes. It also has Washington using the various power tools as deadly weapons.
The movie excels in great scenes, moody talks, finely tuned combat scenes and then gets hurt with Washington knowing too much, being too self-assured , being too overpowered and scenes that are ridiculous as the one that has him walking unarmed into a room with five thugs. Washington also never gets hurt until in the last scene.
This makes the movie unbalanced, despite the great acting. A pity.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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4

eagleeyevikingFeb 7, 2018

Despite the star power behind and in front of the camera, "The Equalizer" disappoints with over-the-top action sequences, no emotion, and a predictable plot.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

skip260Oct 18, 2014

This is a very cliche movie. The typical "I gave that life up years ago" action lone-wolf film. At least it puts a nice catch to it. And since this has to be 50 characters long I'm just typing this random stuff.

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

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6

inaneswineNov 14, 2017

The Equalizer really couldn't get any more generic if it tried. Denzel Washington, as usual, is fantastic; the violence is awesome; and it certainly keeps your attention - if only to the credits. After that, it's completely forgettable.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

BarbudezJul 20, 2015

"Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) es un ex-agente de alguna agencia chachi molona gubernamental que nunca sabemos cual es, que está retirado viviendo una vida normal trabajando en un Ikea, hasta que a una chotera buscona una joven prostituta"Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) es un ex-agente de alguna agencia chachi molona gubernamental que nunca sabemos cual es, que está retirado viviendo una vida normal trabajando en un Ikea, hasta que a una chotera buscona una joven prostituta (Chlöe Moretz), con la que habló con ella menos de 5 minutos, le pega una paliza su chulo, este señor va, se los carga y se mete en un lío con la mafia rusa"

Esto es The Equalizer, la nueva película de Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) y Denzel Washington, donde nos presenta un truño direct to DVD, digno del danés adicto a las luces de neón o de cualquier película con Steven Seagal o Dolph Lundgrend en la portada. The Equalizer durante toda la película intenta emular a Drive en todos los aspectos (salvo en las lucecitas de neón de lo cojones), es decir, una historia copiada de un film donde sólo lo encontrarías en el videoclub de la esquina o puesta en la cartelera de algún cine de verano de Torremolinos, un protagonista plano y sin desarrollo, con pocas lineas de dialogo y que en su tercer acto... contiene mucha violencia, para intentar destacar de los demás ñordos de su mismo calibre... que casualidad, parece que estoy haciendo una reseña de Drive

Denzel Washington, que es un buen actor no lo olvidemos, hace un personaje indigno para su talento, Robert Mc Call tiene un desarrollo nulo, escaso, vacio y simplón, simplemente es verle matando a malosos y soltando frases gilipollescas dignas de un manual de autoayuda.

Debo destacar que la ultima parte del film, Denzel se convierte en un slasher, matando a malosos de maneras dignas de Viernes 13, donde ya dejas de tomartela en serio y solo te descojonas hasta que se te desencaja la mandibula. El reparto, Moretz solo sale...¡¡¡ 5 minutos!!! y cameos de caducados como Bill Pulman. El único que mas o menos actúa bien es el villano (que es el tío que hizo de Celeborn en El Señor de los Anillos), al principio borda un papel incomodo, cruel hasta desagradable (la escena de los irlandeses te deja mal cuerpo), pero con el paso del film, ese villano se convierte en un villano genérico de pelis de Steven Seagal.

En conclusión, un film de sobremesa, vacio, hueco, genérico sin nada destacable mas que violencia gratuita y actores de relativa calidad, para que salga a cines y no donde se merece, directa a Antena 3.

The Equalizer, Próximamente en tu autobús de La Sepulvenada más cercano.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

DANIELW45Jun 7, 2015

The equalizer is a good action revenge film. Denzel does a chilling interpretation of the cold and calculating protagonist of the film. Sadly, the plot to the film is a bit lose on the ground which lets the film down.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

amheretojudgeApr 23, 2018

i am offering you a chance to do the right thing..

The Equalizer It chews off way too much from protagonist's perspective that it almost grows numb before reaching the expected destination that is stretched by overlong familiar actioni am offering you a chance to do the right thing..

The Equalizer

It chews off way too much from protagonist's perspective that it almost grows numb before reaching the expected destination that is stretched by overlong familiar action sequences and irrelevant slow motion shots. Antonie Fuqua seemed a bit loose and careless on executing the script that unfortunately didn't have much in it in the first place. Denzel Washington's work is plausible in here but it certainly isn't his best either along with it, it also lacked a better negative aspect to it. The Equalizer never reaches more than a mere popcorn time action feature no matter how much the makers try to play merry go round to make a definite point out of it.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

the_shadhu_khanApr 27, 2023

i am big fan of denzel

now for the film - it is quite boring because of the slow pace positive - denzel washinghton performances + the vibes of his acting was too good+ the negative character played was brilliant negative - story build upi am big fan of denzel

now for the film - it is quite boring because of the slow pace

positive - denzel washinghton performances + the vibes of his acting was too good+ the negative character played was brilliant

negative - story build up was slow + story was not upto the mark actually + the actions could been improved

one time watch recomended… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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