The Equalizer 3

Vigilante films are not as common in Hollywood circles as compared to typical crime dramas, but, in a day and age where those that break the law, sometimes in the worst ways, I would say that a film like "The Equalizer 3" would be a real crowd pleaser. This franchise has spanned the last 9 years, and even though this is the 'final chapter', this could potential go on with more stories of McCall righting many wrongs.

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he's done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends, including Aminah (Gaia Scodellaro), Dr. Enzo Arisio (Ermo Girone) and others, are under the control of local crime bosses headed up by Vincent Quaranta (Andrea Scarduzio) and his brother, Marco Quaranta (Andrea Dodero). As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the mafia. 

Others to round out the cast are Dakota Fanning as Agent Emma Collins, David Denman as Agent Frank Conroy, Eugenio Mastrandrea as Gio Bonucci, Daniele Perrone as Angelo, Zakiria Hamza as Khalid, Manuela Tasciotti as Carmela and Dea Lanzaro as Gabriella Bonucci.

This was intensely and grittily directed by Antoine Fuqua ("The Replacement Killers" '98, "Bait" 2000, "Training Day" '01, "Tears of the Sun" '03, "Lightning in a Bottle" '04, "King Arthur" '04, "Shooter" '07, "Brooklyn's Finest" '09, "Olympus Has Fallen" '13, "The Equalizer" '14, "Southpaw" '15, "The Magnificent Seven" '16, "The Equalizer 2" '18, "What's My Name: Muhammed Ali" '19, "Infinite" '21, "The Guilty" '21, "Emancipation" '22) plus TV movies, music videos, videos, shorts and TV. By his very resume, this is not the first time Fuqua has worked with Washington--in fact they teamed up on "Training Day" back in '01 which, ultimately catapulted Fuqua as a caliber director. This filmmaker clearly knows what an actor needs to convey to convince the audience that his actors are really the people or characters they are portraying. It simply is a joy to watch a film Fuqua has helmed because of his precision in delineating his projects. I can't wait to see what he has in store for his next film. It was also equally written in such an unstoppable script by Richard Wenk (""Vamp" '86, "Just the Ticket" '98, "16 Blocks" '06, "The Mechanic" '11, "The Expendables 2" '12, "The Equalizer" '14, "Countdown" '16, "The Magnificent Seven" '16, "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" '16, "American Renegades" '17, "The Equalizer 2" '18, "The Protoge" '21), based on the TV series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. Each one of the films of this franchise has very similar elements that give them the frenetic feel this story demands, but considering that each film was directed and written by the same individuals, it's no surprise that each one of them give that one two punch, including this incarnation. Other than a couple of very small places of choppiness in the story, this script was amazing. This character takes no prisoners, calculates his every move when confronting the bad guys so justice is fully served. If you like this writer's brand of screenwriting, his "Kraven the Hunter" has been completed for a 2023 release.

If you like Washington and even director, Fuqua, you will love this. I do, and so I really liked this, but even if perhaps I didn't, still Washington's acting and Fuqua's directing is spot on. If you'd like to see this film really close, it is presented in an IMAX format as well. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                    Rated: R                                        109mins.