REVIEW: THE EQUALIZER 3

3.5/5

No =

109 Mins. Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Sonia Ben Ammar & Remo Girone. Director: Antoine Fuqua. In: Theatres.

We always start our movie reviews with the classic movie banner like strap-lines. Usually a play pun on words. Yet sometimes, it's hard to choose just one. So in honour of the third and "final" part (yeah right, tell that to 'John Wick') of director/actor one-two punch ('Training Day', 'The Magnificent Seven') Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington's 'The Equalizer' trilogy, how about three?

The Italian Job.

Altamonte. A remote Italian town off the Amalfi Coast. The perfect place to retire...or to recover. Walking around on a cane like the man in black, with a hat to match, Denzel looks like a don descending the stone steps to the romanticized cobbled streets. Or a vigilante just looking for peace like this town is from under the trigger finger of the Mafia like Camorra. But after distilling more in Sicily than just red, red wine, there's more chance of blowing just the bloody doors off when hell comes to visit in all its fire and brimstone. Racketeering, putting the squeeze on local police under the boot, forcing families to move out of their homes, just to put up hotels where the only thing that checks out is dirty money, this idyllic (albeit on the surface) town needs a saviour. The good doctor and legend Remo Girone ('Live By Night', 'Ford v Ferrari' ('Le Mans 66')', 'Killing Eve') may have practically brought every local child into this world, but he can't save everybody. Even if what he does for Washington hits the heights of good doctor clichés made into classic moments of cinema. Add a good carabiniere in Eugenio Mastrandrea 'From (Netflix) Scratch' by the script play-book and the fond friendship, turned cutting-room floor love interest ('Scream's' (2022) Sonia Ben Ammar) that still shows our leading man a beautiful night on the town, and this place is full of people needing saving. 

The American

So in comes 'The Equalizer' Robert McCall, like Edward Woodward or Queen Latifah on your small screen for a third and maybe final go-round in theatres. Although Antoine has expressed an interest in an AI, Denzel de-aged, or Michael B. Jordan prequel. The first may have been the original remake that took over Costco with a nail-gun like Ben Stiller's 'The Watch' and the second the sweet-spot best, but this cut is the deepest. Not out to pasture, but out for peace. Finally, after Denzel Washington has found his franchise (he was once also in talks to be King T'challa for an earlier version of the late, great Chadwick Boseman's 'Black Panther'), he's ready to say goodbye. Ready to go hand-to-hand in close combat with an army of bad guys in less time than it takes to set your Timex watch. Six seconds, don't call this a geriatric 'John Wick' as Keanu Reeves closes out his own revenge chapter this summer. Besides, there's only nine (years like the guns they tote) between them. And for some extra trivia, can you name the film the pair starred in together? I'll give you a clue, it's Shakespearean. Here 'The Tragedy Of Macbeth', 'Glory', 'Philadelphia', 'Cry Freedom' and 'Roman J. Israel, Esq' actor has still got it. Okay? Alright? With some of the best moves that will shake you since he took that gun from that goon in the first film. All as this trilogy conclusion feels like the rifling assembly of George Clooney's 'The American' in sleepy Italy. Albeit without all the f#####g.

Man On Fire.

Chloe Grace Moretz graced 'The Equalizer' the moment they met in the Edward Hopper like lonely diner. 'Moonlight's' Ashton Sanders and Denzel really gave 'The Equalizer 2' and the whole franchise itself the most powerful moment in that lobby scene ("you have no idea what death is" and you have no idea how much Denzel really does still have it). Not to mention their viral one of meeting on the red carpet for the first time when the promising young Ashton told Washington he was maybe about to do a movie with him ("see you at work"). But it's the meeting in this third film that really strikes a chord. A 'Man On Fire' reunion with Dakota Fanning (partnering up with an underused, but undeniable David Denman) after all these years, as the former child star of Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg's 'The War Of The Worlds' has grown into one of the youngest and best actors around. Especially as they charismatically, cop and target, go back-and-forth over coffee shop exchanges like they haven't missed a beat. It's what makes this final Fuqua film (the 'Olympus Has Fallen' director who has recently done some revelatory documentary work like 'Legacy: The True Story Of The LA Lakers') so special. And just wait until you see where Fanning really comes from. This retired US Marine and DIA officer may be calling it quits, but the action never lets up. As Denzel Washington's great equalizer stares right through fourth walls, straight to you, from a chair with the statue scales of Lady Justice reflected underneath. Tell me, what do you see? How about a legend set in stone? One that he will always own. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'The Equalizer (any, movie, original TV show, or Queen Latifah remake)', 'John Wick: Chapter 4', 'Man On Fire'.