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Johnson Thomas
Denzel Washington is probably getting restive given that there’s not that many roles suited to his specific talents coming up – so this attempt at a sequel with favourite director Antoine Fuqua is quite understandable.
The Equaliser 2 may not appear to be a necessary addition to the thriller sweepstakes but it’s an altogether satisfying one, nevertheless. Here, Washington reprises his role as Robert McCall, ex-CIA agent and dead to his colleagues, becoming a Lyft driver and flirting with vigilantism on the side.
This may sound like a regular regurgitated revenge action thriller but it’s not that easily slotted. Here the central character is a Zen-like individual who lives a very common, unadorned life mixing with regular people and trying to do his bit to make their lives violence free. For that, he is willing to go to any lengths and that includes using his CIA training and skill sets to threaten those who do harm to his acquaintances, friends and loved ones. He is a saviour of sorts and that is what makes him special.
When his close friend, former CIA handler, Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) gets murdered in Belgium, he sets up a chase that exposes the inside job, nabbing his kills while in the midst of a hurricane. Fuqua’s clean, uncluttered narrative and deliberate pacing allows for inveigling engagement. The camerawork and background score aptly convey the monk-like ethos of the central character. And Washington is imposing enough to make it all look convincing!