After meeting a teenage girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) who is being controlled and abused by an extremely aggressive group of Russian gangsters, McCall feels that he can't simply stand by. In trying to help her, he sets off a series of events that will turn his peaceful and quiet life upside-down.
As I stated before, Washington is absolutely brilliant. He portrays the different aspects of McCall's personality seamlessly, managing to act as both a kind and understanding person, and a calm and efficient killer all at once. It's entirely possible that his performance is what makes the film. However, I would also say that Marton Csokas is outstanding in his role as McCall's primary nemesis, Nikolai. Sent to kill Robert McCall by the leader of the Russian gang, it quickly becomes apparent that he is a cold blooded, ruthless psychopath. Csokas plays this role with an emotional detachment that makes the character truly creepy, a fitting rival for Denzel Washington's kickass protagonist. However, despite these amazing performances, there are some amazing acting talents in The Equaliser that just aren't used enough. Moretz is a good example of this. From the adverts, you would guess that Moretz has a relatively major part in the film. Not so. She's in it for about twenty minutes at the start of the film, and around five at the end. Given that by the age of thirteen she had received widespread critical acclaim (for her role as Hit Girl in Kick-Ass) it simply seems a waste of talent to include her in so little of the film.
Although the pace is somewhat start-stop, the action sequences are fast paced and delightful to watch. The fights are well put together, and are guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. It should be noted, though, that some of these scenes are extremely violent. Of course, this is to be expected from an action thriller, but there are some moments during The Equaliser where you will feel slightly squeamish, or find yourself cringing. To say the least, some of McCall's kills are very creative. The final showdown between him and Nikolai occurs in a hardware store. I'm sure you can imagine what ensues. To give you a preview: drills and barbed wire. As good as this film is, I often found myself stopping to think how long it was when watching. It seems almost unnecessarily long, and there are some scenes that don't seem to further the plot at all. On top of this, there seem to be three different endings. All three scenes feel as though they are trying to wrap up the film, almost as though the makers couldn't decide which ending to use, and so ended up using all three of them.
A bit too violent and much too long, The Equaliser is nonetheless a good, entertaining action thriller. Although, without the superb acting of Washington and Csokas, it wouldn't be anything more than mundane.
