Denzel On Fire.
121 Mins. Starring: Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Bill Pullman & Melissa Leo. Director: Antoine Fuqua.
Okay! Cue your Jay Pharoah SNL rivalling Denzel impressions. Because Washington's new heights score the first ever sequel of his classic career with 'The Equalizer 2'. Although you could say the Hawaiian shirts of his Florida 'Out Of Time' cop was an island sand in the sun, spiritual sequel to his Jamaican steel drum 'Mighty Quinn' early glory. The New York subway remake of 'The Taking Of The Pelham 1 2 3' on the same Tony Scott tracks as the Chrysler Building sized missile of that 'Unstoppable' runaway train. The Wild West 'The Magnificent Seven' remake an Antoine Fuqua, Hawke like reunion to the leading mans Oscar winning, West Coast 'Training Day' Los Angeles crimes. And with this sequel to their 'Equalizer' the acting/directing duo partner up yet again to vigilante twist the law like the arms of the real bad guys they break. And just like a middle-aged Keanu Reeves setting off 'John Wick', or 'Jack Reacher' Tom Cruise pushing the same 60 and ankle-breaking limits completing another accepted 'Mission: Impossible', Denzel Washington is Liam Neeson going up against everyone with a pension. Even his own son John David Washington this month in Spike Lee's next, great insighting movie 'BlacKkKlansman'. One of the most defiant and definitive directors, especially to Denzel's career who made 'He Got Game', 'Mo Better Blues' and 'Inside Man' with Washington. Aswell as of course 'Malcolm X', who John David appeared in alongside pops as a young man. Armed with his best calender in recent years, the 'Philadelphia', 'American Gangster', 'Flight' and 'Fences' Academy Award nominated actor follows striking another Oscar nod for the criminally undervalued 'Roman J. Israel, Esq' with this sequel score. When it comes to legendary leading men, Denzel has no equal.
Remaking 'The Equalizer' series from the 1980's into the first franchise of Washington's career adds another middle-weight, Hollywood hitting title to his fan favourites like the 'Safe House', 'Bone Collector', 'Fallen' and 'John Q'. Not everything has to be Oscar for it to be gold. Original Robert McCall, Edward Woodward would agree. Would you? And even in this pre-fall Catherine Wheel season of sequels and reboots, Washington still brings fireworks like D.C. on the fourth of July. Here the man armed with disarming charm and that smile and cries of laughter loads up more than '2 Guns' as 'The Book Of Eli' good book carrier goes Old Testament. In the first film Denzel shaved his head like the pugilist 'Hurricane' and brought the storm (there's another one coming here, for real). Going all old 'Man On Fire' whilst taking care of Chloe Grace-Moretz's 'Taxi Driver', Michelle Pfeiffer channeling character (who sadly does not make the return trip to this fare). Not to mention turning a Home Mart into a 'Home Alone', nail-gun arsenal of military grade hardware in store for the third act finale. Look our Marv! You see that scene where he flip took that gun right out of that guys hands and turned it on him in the blink of an instant? That's what the circle-back 30 seconds button on Netflix is for. To watch Washington make these goons gone in 60 seconds or less. Check your wrist watch. And make sure you give this guy five stars guys (ahem...erm we gave him a 3 point 5). But this aint Uber. Fancy a 'Lyft'? More like 'Murder On The Orient Express' as Denzel takes on more crimes than Agatha Christie could solve in the town of a crime, Beantown riddled Boston, Massachusettes. The minute he takes the tea bag from the folded napkin and sees the world in a Robert Downey Jnr, 'Sherlock Holmes' haze, two moves ahead time you know it's on again. Remember in 'Live Free And Die Hard' where Timothy Olyphant's classic villain called John McClane, "a Timex watch in a digital age"? Well Bruce Willis may be getting roasted by everyone these days (even Demi), but Casio is the new retro now like watches thats backlights glow in the dark. Whereas more traditional timepieces ars back in fashion. The older the face, the better the grace. You get the fine wine analogy. Denzel may be analogue, but he's still right here, right now. Always on time. Ready to take the youngbloods to school, cradle to grave. And all that equals box office ties with his own flesh and blood. This is Wahington Senior's moment. And this may just be as good, or even one step ahead of its predecessor. As Denzel's excelled nuance and larger truths in that elevates what would in the hands of a lesser actor be another paint by numbers, straight to DVD release thriller and gives it so much signature soul. With something that some twenty years ago would be the biggest thing of his career, you can always count on Denzel Washington. There's kindness amongst all this violence.
King Kong aint got...you already know the rest. But there's plenty of the "little people" this man would run up the side of the Empire State Building with them clutched in his palm just to help. Like 'Moonlight' middle-child Ashton Sanders, an anxious, artistic soul who knows how to handle himself (you saw what he did with that chair), but still knows how to bring that emotional intensity like said scene. One part of the movie were Denzel tells him man isn't spelt G-U-N and he has no idea what death is will leave you well and truly, emotionally empty like this pictures epic end. Ashton will paint Washington's apartment for $100 and change. The change being Ta-Nehisi Coates' poignant and moving letters to his teenage son about being black in America, 'Between The World And Me'. Which you don't need to also see being read by Harlem's hero 'Luke Cage' in Marvel and Netflix's Season 2 too to know you need to add to your list. First film veterans Melissa Leo and Bill Pullman also return. The former 'Independence Day' President with the stirring speeches has been doing his own grizzled grey beard detective work on Jessica Biel's heaven sent Netflix steal, 'The Sinner', whilst also working himself into quite the career rejuvanation lately. Whereas the Oscar winning 'Fighter' Leo who is the emotional arc and set-piece catalyst of this picture returns to that in every other movie formidable form. But it's 'Narcos' Pedro Pascal, so scene stealing amongst all the Statesman stars in the 'Kingsman: Golden Circle' sequel who is so whip-smart here in all the epic, electrifying action. Cracking. Just like 'Brooklyn's Finest' Fuqua's fireball, firebrand of action. This 'Shooter' director has taken it to the White House with 'Olympus Has Fallen' and he knows how to switch to 'Southpaw' too when it comes to making hits. So you know aligning with the Washington post administration makes him the perfect candidate for Denzel's big-three act of double duty, director duos alongside Spike and the late, great Scott, we only wish we could see a 'Deja Vu' with. Especially when in Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter's prizefighting corner, Antoine brings an actual hurricane to the final frames punch up. Bringing a tide of crimson that sure as hell paints and glosses over a hardware store conclusion for you to register. But hammer and nail when Denzel rings them all up you know no one can make it reign quite like the titan king of modern cinema. My man! TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Man On Fire', 'John Wick', 'Jack Reacher'
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