The Equalizer

The Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington, is an adaptation of the 1980s television show in which a retired intelligence officer offers his services to people who feel the odds are stacked against them.

I've never seen an episode of the TV show, but having seen the movie I can absolutely tell you it's not a very good (or at least faithful) adaptation. In fact, it's apparent the film makers only called this film The Equalizer for brand recognition, as the only trace of similarity the film shares with the show (aside from the lead characters name) comes at the tail end of the movie, and even then it feels like the filmmakers tacked it on at the last minute when they realized actual fans of the show might want to see a movie called The Equalizer have something in common with the television show on which it's based.

OK, the same argument could be said for the adaptation of The A-Team a few years ago. The film served as a set up for a franchise of course, and only during the end credits of the film was there a mention of the team being soldiers for hire. But, you know, at least the film tried to make the characters recognizable from the show, as well as embodying the same sense of fun and adventure that made the show so easy to watch. Honestly, I really enjoyed that movie and I thought it was a great set up for further adventures, but I digress.


I know it's weird to be so upset about a failed adaptation of a television program I never watched, but it really bothers me that since the filmmakers couldn't make a fun or entertaining movie with Denzel Washington kicking ass and taking names (which has been done several times before, to my great enjoyment) I at least figured they would make an effort to TRY an actual adaptation of the show. Instead, director Antoine Fuqua clumsily goes back and forth between  TGIF sitcom sweetness to extreme, over the top violence, resulting in an awkward tone that never finds its groove.

Actually, Fuqua's previous film, Olympus Has Fallen had similar problems. The tone of that movie was a little more consistent, but it all felt a little forced, like Fuqua thought he was making more of a badass action film than he actually was. The violence in that film was extremely graphic as well, almost too much so like The Equalizer. Normally I'm all for over the top and gratuitous violence, but Fuqua seems to have no real understanding of how to use the violence for any kind of impact on the viewer. Usually such violence in film in used to elicit some kind of response from the audience, whether it's visceral or dramatic or entertaining or funny, it can be quite a tool for any gifted filmmaker.

But Fuqua seems to think that just by putting graphic violence onscreen that we will cheer it on. After all, Denzel is killing some really bad guys. But it all just comes off as ugly as opposed to fun.

As I mentioned earlier though, the films worst offense is probably the tone. As the film opens, Washington is helping a fellow employee at his Home Depot-like store to lose weight so he can qualify for a security job at said store. The interaction between the two characters and all the other employees is so sweet and silly and contrived that it feels like Family Matters with cursing. It gets even weirder during the films big climax when those characters meet up with the main villains, a group of Russian mobsters (!), and another sequence of out of place violence ensues.


Chloe Grace Moretz is all but wasted as the teenage hooker that serves as the catalyst for getting Washington out of retirement. I'm not sure if it's a script problem or simple miscasting, but Moretz never feels anything like an actual character and instead just comes off as a young actress made up to look rough. It doesn't help that she disappears for most of the movie only to turn up at the very end all cleaned up and talking up the fact that she now reads books.

I guess the sole good thing I have to say about The Equalizer is that Denzel Washington is fine. He certainly doesn't embarrass himself but it's a role he can do in his sleep at this point, though thankfully he doesn't seem to be doing so here.  Actually, there is one sequence in the film where Washington walks away from an explosion without looking back that is so silly and oddly put together by Fuqua that it actually borders on self parody, so there's that.

Overall, The Equalizer a non adaptation of the TV show on which it is based, as well as a boring and tonally confused mess of an action movie.