Lemme alone!!! I just wanna work peacefully and mind my business...Pew pew pew aaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhh I'm in toooo deep ppphhhffrrrrttt

We all knew on some level that Denzel Washington was a badass. The Equalizer was just the movie that hammered it in. That, and the fact that Home Depot can be a dangerous place at night...especially if you got evil intentions. The story is the standard revenge(ish) affair, but Denzel Washington makes it much better. Probably a bit better than it deserved to be, but who cares. It's exciting, the pacing is almost perfect, and the music and cinematography borders on brilliant. I tend to like movies with Denzel Washington quite a lot, so my rating will probably be rather high compared to others. Though...Don't make that dissuade you from checking the Equalizer out. It's really a good movie...trust me.

I remember watching this when it came out and not being very impressed or entertained. I was excited to rewatch it (and the second one) in light of the 3rd one coming out. Plus I must have been in a bad mood or something because there's no way a big budget action movie with good ole Denzel in the lead could suck? Unfortunately, it's just as stupid and bad the second time around...

Such an awesome adaptation. It's a great vigilante film that's gritty and feels more down to earth than some other big action spectacles. Denzel and Fuqua are a beautiful pairing. Also found it interesting that the character went out of his way to not use guns. It's appreciated, as it gives him an extra layer and makes for more creative sequences.

Denzel Washington plays a hardware store assistant with a murky past, who has a chance encounter with a girl in a diner (Chloe Grace Moretz). They hit it off as friends, but it soon becomes clear she has connections to the Russian mob. When she is hospitalized, Denzel sees red and goes on a rampage to take those motherfuckers down. The Equalizer has a very simple take on the world - Denzel can and will stop the bad guys, and no good guys get hurt in the process. It’s pure fantasy; the notion that one man with the right skills and the right intentions can stop the entire Russian mafia in their tracks is ridiculous, but it’s all in the way you tell it. Fuqua clearly had a unique vision for this film. It has a neo-noir aesthetic combined with hyper-realistic visuals and an eye for a great shot. It’s like Nighthawks at the Diner crossed with Watchmen. As with all great Film Noir, shadows, smoke and street lights are almost like an extra character in the film. The dialogue is clunky, especially when it tries to spoon-feed us the ‘meaning’ behind it all. It’s a shame because the simplicity of the story is appealing, as well as the focus on visuals rather than trying to philosophise for no reason. The final sequence also lets the film down, shifting the tone towards Home Alone more than a gritty thriller. Still, the great direction and performances make for a surprisingly effective film. Mindless escapism perhaps, but The Equalizer is far from mindless film-making. http://benoliver999.com/film/2016/08/27/theequalizer/