The Equalizer 2 is enjoying something of an upset at the box office after defeating the star-laden Mama Mia at the box office. What can you say about Denzel Washington? He singlehandedly puts butts in the seats.
Four straight movies of opening weekend gross numbers of $30 million, two $40 million films within the last six years. It ain’t hard to tell, Denzel excels and prevails at the box office with a $36 million opening weekend for The Equalizer 2.
THE EQUALIZER 2 – Official Trailer (HD)
Not all enemies are created equal. Watch #TheEqualizer2 new trailer now and don’t miss Denzel back in action July 20th. Subscribe to Sony Pictures for exclusive content: http://bit.ly/SonyPicsSubscribe Follow EQ2 on social: https://www.facebook.com/TheEqualizerMovie https://www.instagram.com/theequalizermovie/ https://twitter.com/theequalizer Denzel Washington returns to one of his signature roles in the first sequel of his career.
From a technical standpoint, the action was constant and palpable, the villains were indeed despicable and the compassion of the protagonist was as endearing as his threats were menacing.
The story arc was predictable but not to the point of distraction.
Ten Memorable Denzel Washington Roles
Our photographic tribute to the GOAT, Denzel
After all, there are only so many ways that you can skin a cat if you’re so inclined to be into cat-skinnin’, but Denzel’s mystique is such that even the predictable story arc becomes a map upon which to plot Robert McCall’s targets and yearn for their eventual comeuppance.
Antoine Fuqua’s expertise as a very, VERY good action film director cannot be understated, either. He keeps your eyes moving with the camera, leading you one way then, boom, the action explodes in an unexpected manner.
Though the story itself is somewhat formulaic and somewhat predictable to a degree, seeing Denzel protect the innocent, befriend the elderly, provide stewardship and guidance to a young person while ratifying lethal justice with precision, regardless of class, race or gender, while avoiding hurting or alerting law enforcement and civilian casualties was entertaining on a different level for me.
The Underappreciated Brilliance of Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington is already a history-making, Academy Award-winning actor with two Oscars to his credit. His first was as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Glory. The second honor was for Best Actor, thanks to his role as the nefarious Detective Alonzo Harris in Training Day.
Especially with the current racial realities of the day.
Denzel is Denzel, and that’s a ton.
I also found myself emotionally invested in each of the supporting characters. Ashton Sanders did a great job, and the visual dynamic of an older black man rescuing a young black man in distress cannot be understated.
Denzel’s character, Robert McCall, is a black man acting in the name of justice, against those who deserve it, and in defense of the innocent. The role is provocative to me because the reality is that justice is anything but precise, humane or balanced when it comes to black folks. But Denzel gives us a taste of it, if only in our imaginations.
