The Equalizer 2

Exactly what you’d expect from the sequel of a film that relies almost entirely on the main character and cool, flashy direction with elements for effect. Paradoxically, Equalizer 2 feels like there is more of everything, more supporting characters, more Washington speaking into the soul, a better understanding of the main character and his history. Fuqua still manages cool moments and solid action, but the main villain fails, classic plot twist included. The action was better in in the first film, as more was not expected it, so there was no need to experiment with the story. The blustery ending is interestingly shot, but with poor tension, it makes you miss the supermarket scene of the first film. And, unfortunately, the fact that Melissa Leo (a woman) in a supporting role has the best fight in the whole film is also quite tragic. (23.08.2018)

The first thirty minutes offer a clichèd presentation of characters, but the subsequent development is interesting and once all the cards are on the table, the movie looks very promising. The final location has a great atmosphere, but it does not meet the high expectations of a cathartic reckoning. Too bad the movie didn’t devote more space to its interesting villain and all his minions, giving them some individuality, preferably at the expense of the unnecessary half-hour introduction. Then it would have been a blast and I’d be fine with it even with the lack of explanation of the happenings in Brussels with which it all started. (21.09.2018)

Denzel Washington brings exactly what you'd expect from a movie with Equalizer 2. Still the same well-acted and interesting hero, tough guy action and a slightly simpler script. But the main story doesn't drag as much as last time and even the villain is weaker, but it's still enough for an above average old-school thriller. (16.08.2018)

As the first movie was a nice chillout before going to bed, I thought to myself that the second one wouldn’t be much worse. And it wasn’t. It was nothing that would offend anyone. A bit of a techno-thriller, the type that Tony Scott used to make years ago, and now Antoine Fuqua picked up the baton. (25.04.2019)

Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington together again. The first part is very high among my favourite films, so the sequel had a hard time in many ways and of course it doesn't have the same quality as the first one, but it is still a decent old-school action thriller. Denzel is still the same, he's hardly aged, he's still fit, his acting is impeccable and his quirky antics are some of the best to be found here. The action is surprisingly less, apart from the smaller short disposals there is only the big final set-piece where the setting is well chosen. The pace is slower, but the film doesn't get boring, it passes quickly, the side lines are interesting and it is nicely suspenseful at times. What sucks is that there is not much R-rated action, the villain Marton Csokas from the first film is unbeatable and it annoyed me that the train scene in the trailer was cut from the film. All in all, a minor disappointment, but I certainly don't regret going to the cinema. P.S. I'm glad to see Pedro Pascal getting more and more screen time after Narcos (Kingsman and here), and the future looks promising as well. 75%. (17.08.2018)

You’d expect that with the hefty budget of the second film, there would be much more action and various shootouts, but that wasn’t the case. It seemed to me that there were even fewer of such scenes compared to the first one (believe it or not). But really, you just need to center the film around the charisma of the main character, especially when played by a legendary actor like Denzel Washington. Every gesture, every action from him, I was completely captivated by. The plot could have been more developed, and the script didn’t do much to help in that regard, but a simple revenge story always works for me (shout out to John Wick and The Punisher :D). I don’t know why, but I suppose I have a soft spot for them. When it comes to action, it's decent, and we get a few moments of pure brutality (the harpoon scene undeniably holds the top spot). The final tense episode with interesting external conditions (the storm added to the effect) was great, but it’s a pity it was so short (though still slightly weaker compared to the final showdown in Bauhaus from the first film). It’s not earth-shattering, but I had a royal time. And that’s what matters, right? For me, it’s a 7.5/10. (22.01.2021)