THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
The Equalizer got enough attention to make a sequel possible. But was it worth it? I guess so.
PLOT
The Equalizer 2 follows retired DIA officer Robert McCall trying to continue living quietly in Boston, working as a Lyft driver, while still helping people in need with the assist of her former colleague Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo). When not taking big action by rescuing a little girl from abduction or defend a young woman's honor after being assaulted, he would also assist an elderly Holocaust survivor reunite with his long lost sister. One day, his apartment's courtyard would be found vandalized. When he quickly decides to take care of it personally, he would then take the offer of a troubled yet artistic teen resident named Miles Whittaker to make a new mural. Tragedy would sadly occur in Robert's life again when Susan is found dead in a robbery, while investigating a murder-suicide of an agency affiliate and his wife in Brussels. When he chooses to investigate her death, he deduces that she was targeted and the murder-suicide she was investigating was staged. He shares his revelation to his former partner Dave York, who offers to help however possible. During a Lyft run, he gets attacked by an assassin posing as a passenger. After successfully defending himself, he would find Dave's phone number on the assassin's cellphone. When confronting him at his own home, he would admit to have becoming a mercenary after feeling used/discarded by the government. He would then admit to have taken the final blow to end Susan's life, knowing she would have figured out he was behind the Brussels killings. Upon leaving Dave's home, Robert would see other former teammates Kovac, Ari & Resnik lying in wait, promising to kill them for what they've done. Soon, they would go after Susan's now widowed husband Bill (Bill Pullman) to tie up loose ends. Thanfully, Robert would save him and take him into hiding until the conflict is blown over. Dave would then try to go after Robert himself at his apartment, only to find Miles instead painting the walls. Robert would try directing the teen to hide within the apartment, only for Dave to soon find him. Dave would then track Robert down to be hiding in his seaside hometown and would take his chance to confront him as the town would be evacuated due to a hurricane. Despite the number's advantage, McCall would kill Kovac, Ari & Resnik (Garrett Golden, Kazy Tauginas & Jonathan Scarfe) before getting York to himself. With the enemy situating himself on the watchtower, he threatens to kill Miles if he doesn't surrender. Robert however would make Dave miss by shooting at the tires. With the storm getting tense enough to knock York over, McCall would take advantage to reach the tower in time and kill the man he thought to be a friend. It is after this moment he is able to free Miles. Some time after this incident, Miles would finish the mural and return to school to focus on his art. The film would end with Robert moving back into his old home.
THOUGHTS
Considering how much of a blast I had with the first film, I couldn't help it when making high expectations on how a sequel would turn out. Looking back, I don't think this one matches the bar that was left behind. While I don't deem this terrible, I still think director Antoine Fuqua gives a generally fine action sequel. The action sequences are fairly edited and each stand out on their own but it's hard to maintain interest apart from that. Denzel Washington still makes one hell of a lead as Robert McCall and continues to teach viewers to always step in when you know you can, but I felt distracted on the side stories he was dealing with were too distracting. The cold open set on the train was sweet and I didn't mind the bond he made with Miles, especially since Ashton Sanders showed him as one who needed motivation to pursue his dream. But I had a hard time appreciating Robert defending the abused Amy because it felt like a forced callback to the first film. And I had a hard time caring for the elderly painter because it slows down way too much before the main story can actually happen. What kept me onboard apart from Denzel being a strong lead, I totally dug Pedro Pascal as the traitorous Dave York. He sold me on playing a guy who believed he was right with each cruel action he's made, especially killing a friend like Susan. I get that he felt disrespected for not being appreciated for his services, which is common for a lot of spy like villains, but it didn't feel valid here, which makes it easier for us to go easier. While I point out there are a few things that work, there's still a handful of shit that does not. Like for starters, how come no one told Grace, the mother of the abducted daughter, not be told on who returned her. I know this symbolizes how Robert is a guardian angel but it really can't hurt knowing if the enemy is taken care of. I even thought it was weird to see him take three kids to school as a Lyft driver. We may trust him because of seeing how he cares for everybody, but it felt too easy of a decision for the unseen parents to allow this shit to happen. And was it a really good idea for Susan to break into Robert's apartment for no good reason? I mean that's either a weird way to reintroduce her or a bad foreshadowing on what would happen to her. Also, why doesn't Robert have security cameras outside the apartment? If he enjoys helping people out, it would've been another cool scene for him to take down those who vandalized the courtyard. I'm even wondering how did Robert not consider Dave as a suspect since he was on the elevator before Susan died? I know you remember him as a friend, but you gotta lay out every possibility in a case like this. I mean I was getting skeptical about him the second Robert started looking over the elevator camera footage. On top of that, why would the assassin go for a knife when attacking Robert in the car? I don't want to root for the bad guys, but he should know a gun betters the chances on taking out the target. I honestly don't understand why would Robert tell Dave he knows the truth in his home? If he wants to get revenge, he should've arranged a meeting since Dave wasn't putting too much of an effort in stopping him. I don't even believe Robert heard the dog barking through the phone since it was already raining which would totally drown out most of the noise. Robert also should've kept checking the cameras to see them leave the apartment completely if he wanted to ensure Miles' safety. Lastly, I don't even blame Dave for trying to get an upper hand by setting up a sniper on a watchtower during a hurricane, but those circumstances should've made him aware it wouldn't guarantee success no matter how times he's sniped. I do hope you're more capable of ignoring these issues than I did. To wrap up, The Equalizer 2 is a moderate sequel that should've stronger moments to be a more memorable experience. If you've enjoyed past action films directed by Fuqua or starring Denzel, then this will still be up your alley.
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