The Equalizer 3

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer 3 follows Denzel Washington’s Robert McCall as he’s forced to once again spring into action after ruthless mobsters terrorize a small Italian village. It’s agreeably familiar subject matter that’s employed to erratic yet watchable effect by Fuqua, as the filmmaker, working from Richard Wenk’s screenplay, delivers a hit-and-miss thriller that admittedly kicks off with a tremendous amount of promise – with the movie boasting an almost astonishingly violent opening stretch that seems to be setting the stage for a briskly-paced actioner. It’s disappointing to discover, then, that The Equalizer 3 segues into a seriously subdued midsection that contains few attributes worth getting wholeheartedly excited about, with the arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by Robert Richardson’s often excessively dim cinematography and a frustratingly low-key performance by Washington. (The actor’s muted turn makes it awfully difficult to entirely sympathize with his character’s exploits, for the most part.) The inclusion of an absolutely electrifying sequence around the midway point, in which McCall confronts a villain within a crowded restaurant, buoys one’s dwindling interest, while the compelling, action-packed climax ensures that the picture ends on a far more enthralling note than one might’ve anticipated – with the final result a decent sequel that fares better than its immediate predecessor (but is nevertheless a far cry from the top-notch original film).

**1/2 out of ****