The Equalizer 2

Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington together again. The first part is very high among my favourite films, so the sequel had a hard time in many ways and of course it doesn't have the same quality as the first one, but it is still a decent old-school action thriller. Denzel is still the same, he's hardly aged, he's still fit, his acting is impeccable and his quirky antics are some of the best to be found here. The action is surprisingly less, apart from the smaller short disposals there is only the big final set-piece where the setting is well chosen. The pace is slower, but the film doesn't get boring, it passes quickly, the side lines are interesting and it is nicely suspenseful at times. What sucks is that there is not much R-rated action, the villain Marton Csokas from the first film is unbeatable and it annoyed me that the train scene in the trailer was cut from the film. All in all, a minor disappointment, but I certainly don't regret going to the cinema. P.S. I'm glad to see Pedro Pascal getting more and more screen time after Narcos (Kingsman and here), and the future looks promising as well. 75%. (17.08.2018)

Exactly what you’d expect from the sequel of a film that relies almost entirely on the main character and cool, flashy direction with elements for effect. Paradoxically, Equalizer 2 feels like there is more of everything, more supporting characters, more Washington speaking into the soul, a better understanding of the main character and his history. Fuqua still manages cool moments and solid action, but the main villain fails, classic plot twist included. The action was better in in the first film, as more was not expected it, so there was no need to experiment with the story. The blustery ending is interestingly shot, but with poor tension, it makes you miss the supermarket scene of the first film. And, unfortunately, the fact that Melissa Leo (a woman) in a supporting role has the best fight in the whole film is also quite tragic. (23.08.2018)

Denzel Washington brings exactly what you'd expect from a movie with Equalizer 2. Still the same well-acted and interesting hero, tough guy action and a slightly simpler script. But the main story doesn't drag as much as last time and even the villain is weaker, but it's still enough for an above average old-school thriller. (16.08.2018)

The first thirty minutes offer a clichèd presentation of characters, but the subsequent development is interesting and once all the cards are on the table, the movie looks very promising. The final location has a great atmosphere, but it does not meet the high expectations of a cathartic reckoning. Too bad the movie didn’t devote more space to its interesting villain and all his minions, giving them some individuality, preferably at the expense of the unnecessary half-hour introduction. Then it would have been a blast and I’d be fine with it even with the lack of explanation of the happenings in Brussels with which it all started. (21.09.2018)

I don't remember the first one well, so I don't really want to compare, but this was a pretty decent ride and I liked it more. Denzel Washington is pretty decent for being 65 and a joy to watch in action. I loved the first half hour or so the most, starting with a solid scene on a train and ending with him driving a taxi and dealing with his customers' crises (the slashing of the guys who raped a girl was awesome). Then came the plot, which was more or less about nothing, but still very decently delivered and it had a great twist halfway through. The finale, in a small town with a blizzard, was atmospherically and visually great, and the kills at the end were imaginative and well executed. I was expecting average and this is a very good, above average movie. (22.02.2019)