“The Equalizer 2” is getting a lot of press because it’s the first time that Denzel Washington has starred in a sequel to one of his own movies. You can infer a lot about Washington’s connection to this material from that one piece of information, and about his (apparently quite positive) ongoing working relationship with director Antoine Fuqua, who directed both “Equalizer” installments, as well as “Training Day” and the 2016 remake of “The Magnificent Seven.”

But perhaps the most important takeaway is this: Never pick a fight with Denzel Washington. It’s been over two decades since the TV series “The Equalizer” debuted opposite Washington’s hit series “St. Elsewhere,” and now the actor has officially claimed the saga of ex-Black Ops assassin-turned-vigilante crime fighter Robert McCall for his own. The movies may be a mixed bag, but Washington brings his all to “The Equalizer 2.”

The first “Equalizer” was a stylish,...