The Equalizer

Langsam, aber umso konzentrierter, mit einer dezenten Steigerung und einem super Genuss vom Hauptschuft. Washington nähert sich dem Posten vom erstklassigen Seagal und bald erscheint über seinem Kopf ein Heiligenschein. Ich habe mich über die Ausgewogenheit der Souveränität zwischen ihm und Csokas, die Dialoge, die kleine Rolle von Bill Pullman, einen blutigeren Charakter (als es bei Washington-Filmen üblich ist) und Moby am Ende gefreut. Fuqua is back. (14.10.2014)

Denzel and dangerous DIY techniques, or also the prequel to Man on Fire, whose only fault is that Fuqua is not Scott. Thus, the slow building of the plot is rather annoyingly long (out of 135 minutes, about 20 minutes are horrendous) and the length of the slow-motion sequences is long beyond absurd. 3 ½. (14.12.2014)

The Equalizer with Denzel Washington could be pretty much compared to Shooter with Mark Wahlberg, which was also shot by Fuqua, years ago. As far as the action goes, the scenes are very well-done, but the movie has a couple of mediocre, uninteresting and useless moments; it could’ve been 30 minutes shorter and I wouldn’t mind at all. (15.06.2015)

The Punisher: Hornbach Edition. The better the first half is, which holds back, relies on the characters and has a nice old-school trace, the worse the second is, because it ruins everything. In the second half, Denzel is just an invincible chimera that takes himself too seriously and that makes him an uninteresting character. Literally, the nail in the coffin is footage when, instead of uncompromising gradation, it fades away because of so many endings that even the Return of the King would get up and go home. (30.05.2018)

Taken + Man On Fire x 2 and you get The Equalizer!! Denzel Washington is in more form than ever and gets my personal Oscar, for Best Actor in an Action Movie (even if he just sits on the toilet for the whole movie, he's got balls). His likability, looks, charisma, skill, ingenuity, focus, military skills and deadly destruction will haunt you throughout the film. What is there to praise here? The excellent cinematography and slow motion effects during the action scenes that strongly rival Korean action movies (the best explosion ever filmed in a movie). A perfect script and dialogues, for the whole film we have the opportunity to hear a plethora of wisecracks and morsels of wisdom, in the next screening I will watch with pencil and paper. The villain, the main bad ass, is a properly smart, cold, menacing and uncompromising mafia boss, he was no doubt a key factor in the success of the film. The action is classy and so distinct you can almost reach out and touch it. The half hour finale was bloodier than any horror film, those who like traps and blood will come into their own as I did. More people died in this film than the number of films I watched in 2014 and there were no few!!! A fully Intelligent, dark and violent revenge ride like there hasn't been in a long time. Whoever humiliates this film flies will be unfriended without mercy! Top 3 movie of the year. (09.10.2014)

A commercial for essential DIY tools in a well-fitting outfit by Antoine Fuqua. Denzel is cool again, even though he’s getting on for sixty, he’s still got it. Csokas is unusually precise and makes a respectable rival. The way the atmosphere is painted is textbook standard. The darkness is added to by the endeavor to punish the world. The intro is a little slow, but the ending good and bloody. And tracking down anything imaginable is super. Now, off to Walmart to buy yourself a hammer, a saw or a rivet gun. (20.12.2014)

A breathtaking stylish piece, with image and individual details playing the main role, the story is unimportant. There are so damn few films like this and yet they are so great to watch. (18.10.2014)

Sorry, but no way. A drawn-out borefest about nothing, everything is horribly wannabe badass (the main character in particular), and the script is on the level the latest Steven Seagal films. And yet so much praise? (25.12.2014)

Well... no. I can appreciate an action flick with higher formal ambitions from time to time, but I also demand that its contents not strongly irritate me, which here unfortunately wasn’t the case. Equalizer looks good, the performances are fine and the sound design is great, but I found it boring and irritating most of the time. Is it exaggerated? Of course, but it doesn’t matter. Is it narratively dumb and disjointed? Yes, unfortunately very much so. And yet it looks so, so good :/ 60% (22.02.2015)

After six long years and a second viewing, I have to raise my rating because this film starring Denzel Washington deserves every bit of praise it can get. Antoine Fuqua knew exactly why he cast this legendary actor in the lead role; Denzel delivers perhaps the best performance of his career, following Man on Fire and Training Day. His seemingly unassuming portrayal of an older, innocent-looking guy working at the warehouse completely dissolves when the film unleashes its first action scene, revealing what a top-notch professional Robert McCall truly is. The dialogues are among the sharpest in the genre recently, and you really savor the exchanges (especially between Denzel and Csokas). Martin Csokas stands out as one of the most terrifying villains of late; his expressions truly send chills down your spine at every turn. The action is impactful, unexpected, brutal, and above all, inventive (the finale at the warehouse with the fire sprinklers is one of the most effective scenes in recent years). Sure, it’s exaggerated, but the execution is so precise and perfect at its core that giving it less than five stars would be a grave injustice. For me, it’s a 9/10. P.S. One of the best soundtracks for action films; Harry Gregson-Williams has outdone himself again. (11.01.2021)

A superbly executed action film where Fuqua's ability to direct great scenes and Denzel's ability to carry the entire film shine through excellently. He's exactly the kind of hero you want to root for. What really bothered me was Chloe Grace Moretz's disappearance from the scene for over an hour. And it's not just because I really like that girl; it also harmed the story. (15.12.2014)

A hardcore Robin Hood for the 21st century, who manages to use his deep knowledge of the hobby market to the hilt in his battle with the biggest scumbag. It's not that The Equalizer isn't entertaining or bloody enough, it's more that at times it oozes with overblown and primitively cheesy action "for effect". The level of emotional heroism here is really over the top, and much more than an action thriller it feels at times like a slightly failed comic book adaptation. A weaker 3 stars. (14.11.2019)