I’ve gotta admit. I haven’t been the biggest fan of previous Equalizer instalments. Granted, the film starred the once in a generation talent Mr. Denzel Washington but the films, especially the second one, left me kinda flat. So, I went into The Equalizer 3 with zero expectations. I was completely blown away. A mature action blockbuster that doesn’t primarily rely on gore or action set pieces to engage its audiences, The Equalizer 3 takes its time with the narrative and the characters crafting an enthralling, crowd pleasing thriller. Best film of the trilogy. 

 

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 are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.

 

I’d kinda forgotten what had happened in the preceding two films, if you haven’t seen them don’t worry - you won’t be in the dark. The story is fairly contained within this film, giving you enough of Robert McCall’s backstory to completely immerse you into the narrative. 

 

There’s a couple of things with the modern day action flick that grind my gears: the actor is far too old for the gratuitous, brutal hand to hand combat they’re engaged in throughout the film and the film moves way too fast for any character development leaving you not really caring for the characters. 

 

The Equalizer 3 corrects these modern action blockbuster stumbles. Injured early on and needing to build up strength and recover from his wounds allows for the film to take its time with McCall, getting to know him and the villagers he begins to call family. It also gives an excuse for McCall using more technique than brutality to vanquish the baddies. 

 

That’s not to say that there isn’t action to be found here. It's packed to the gunnels with a ferocity and brutality that will make even the most ardent action fan grimace and squirm uncomfortably in their seats. 

 

But this film belongs to Denzel Washington. Washington is the rare kind of actor that fills the screen just by his mere presence with the audience hanging on the pronunciation of every syllable. He is magnificent here; powerful, constrained, electric. 

 

A mature action blockbuster that doesn’t primarily rely on gore or action set pieces to engage its audiences, The Equalizer 3 takes its time with the narrative and the characters crafting an enthralling, crowd pleasing thriller. Best film of the trilogy.