The Equalizer franchise is basically the one-man show where our hero, Robert McCall, with the burden of a past, is determined to give justice to the poor and the needy. The highlight of the Antoine Fuqua movies is the slow-motion bits that show the impeccable fighting skills of our common man hero. While everything in terms of structure remains the same, what is particularly interesting for me is the row style with less romanticizing of violence and the approach of making McCall a slightly more fragile individual.
The movie opens with our man on a mission in Italy. After his usual killing spree, while he was returning, he got shot, eventually leading him to this town named Altamonte near Naples. In The Equalizer 3, we see his days in Altamonte and how what he did before reaching that town caused some trouble for him and the residents.
The format is pretty simple, and it has also been repeated in the first two movies. McCall prefers a normal life with normal people. But when people with power decide to do injustice to them, the inner beast in McCall cannot control himself. And just like the other two films, what McCall does instinctively will have some link with the bigger villain in the picture. Antoine Fuqua and his writer Richard Wenk actually use the character’s aging to add some humaneness to the main narrative that till now had a more stylized approach towards the hero’s methods.
Robert McCall clicking his digital watch and the camera going on a sexy slow-motion action set piece is like a signature thing of The Equalizer franchise. The most interesting thing about The Equalizer 3 is the creative decision of the makers to not follow that style at any point in this movie. In terms of a fun factor, that might be a letdown for some of the fans. But in a John Wick era, I think it is a sensible decision, and frankly, it adds depth to the character when you keep it real. The cinematography follows the usual color palette with harsh black in many places. The action choreography is less stylized and more brutal this time.
In his third outing as Robert McCall, Denzel Washington shows us that slightly vulnerable side of the character this time. In the beginning, when McCall gets shot, we get this feeling that the man has undergone some changes on an emotional level. The calmness and OCD of the character are still there, which makes the movie interesting for us despite the story being the same. Dakota Fanning makes her entry to the franchise as CIA official Emma. Andrea Scarduzio plays the typical bad guy with the perfect beard, tuxedo, and people but a fragile ego. Andrea Dodero plays the role of the hotheaded young bloke whose destiny is pretty much clear the moment he is introduced in the movie.
Usually, when franchises reach a third installment, you can see the makers trying to expand the concept on a scale level and adding up things from past parts to make it emotionally much heftier. But when it comes to The Equalizer 3, there are no such ambitions here. They have basically narrated the same story, but just in a different setting. As I already said, the age and evolution of the character come to the rescue as it gives this third part some character-exploring shades.
They have basically narrated the same story, but just in a different setting. the age and evolution of the character come to the rescue as it gives this third part some character-exploring shades
Green: Recommended Content
Orange: The In-Between Ones
Red: Not Recommended
