The Equalizer 3 (2023) User Reviews

Tickets are Bought For The Butt-Kicking, But You Also Get Beautiful Scenery

[RightOnDaddio · 7/10 · 3 September 2023]

This is a decent and satisfying end to a trilogy. Remember the good ol' days, back in the day, when movies stopped at 3? No Fast X, Saw X, Indiana Jones cracking a whip at 85.

Things feel more complete at three.

The way things should be.

A beginning, a middle and an end.

And not some old man doing ridiculous things way beyond his age or physical capability.

Denzel is one of the greats.

And he deserves credit for never taking a role too far.

He's as much a presence on the screen here as he ever has been.

His age and wisdom is his real strength.

Oh, there will be punches thrown. Bones broken and many cries of agony.

But at least it comes from the villains on screen and not those in the audience.

Coastal Italy is gorgeous.

Denzel is a living legend.

You've seen the other two films in this series.

Wrap it up nicely with this installment.

Ciao.

One thing that never fails: Denzel is so damn cool

[FeastMode · 6/10 · 2 September 2023]

The Equalizer 3 is a solid concluding chapter to this entertaining trilogy. Even with an entirely new setting and cast, it does a great job of setting everything up and making you care about his new relationships. The movie overall is entertaining and mostly satisfying.

As usual, Denzel is a beast. Charm and charisma are off the charts, this isn't news. Like with part 2, there are few looks he gives that chill me to the bone. It's so impressive the way he portrays being the nicest guy in one scene and the scariest guy in another.

The only thing holding this back from being great is the surprising lack of action. Now I wouldn't call either of the previous movies action-packed. But I would estimate this one has a total of about 7 minutes of action. That's just not enough. And it especially hurts during the not-so-climactic climax.

I still had a good time with this movie. If you like the series, I think you will be pleased. And to Hollywood: more Denzel please! (1 viewing, opening Friday UltraScreen 9/1/2023)

The first movie was better, but this one is better than the sequel.

[michvanbeek · 7/10 · 4 September 2023]

In 2014, director Antoine Fuqua released The Equalizer, a film based on the television series of the same name that aired from 1985 to 1989. Where actor Edward Woodward played the role of Robert McCall in the series, none other than Denzel Washington was chosen for this film, who of course already had a whole arsenal of this kind of action films to his name in the past. What is funny is that in this third part of The Equalizer he is reunited with Dakota Fanning. The two already starred together in the 2004 film Man on Fire, but Fanning was only a ten-year-old girl there. In this film, she plays a CIA agent who tracks down McCall after an anonymous phone call to her agency leads her to a very large drug discovery on a wine farm. After a very strong first part, a fairly mediocre second part of The Equalizer followed in 2018. Now, five years later, you hold your breath a bit whether this third part is going to be worth it, of course. Well, that sounds quite negative compared to the second part, but it was just where the first part excelled, the second part had simply become more of a standard action print. Certainly not a bad film, but just less than its predecessor.

In this film, the story moves to Italy, Sicily to be precise. McCall ends up badly injured in Sicily, where he is rescued by the local agent Gio Bonucci, who takes him to the local doctor Enzo Arisio. McCall comes to and befriends the locals. The village is only ravaged by the mafia and of course McCall won't let that happen just like that. The film takes a long time to explain everything. It all starts on the wine farm, where McCall is on the trail of serious criminals and also murders them. The action scenes leave little to the imagination and are sometimes just rancidly portrayed. After that, the film slows down considerably and takes a good look at McCall's recovery and how he befriends the local population. When he leaves an anonymous tip to CIA agent Emma Collins, it is of course a simple calculation that she will quickly track McCall. Meanwhile, McCall watches with sorrow how the local population is put under heavy pressure by the mafia. Of course you immediately understand that they shouldn't have messed with McCall.

Most of the film seems like a long advertising film for Italy and it may evoke the holiday feeling in many viewers. The images are absolutely beautiful and eye-catching, something that enhances the atmosphere of the film. Still, a point of criticism can be made with the bad guys from the story, because we can't really say that they really express a lot of threat so that McCall faces a real challenge. But also the character of CIA agent Emma Collins has no added value in the film. You will therefore often wonder why she has so much screen time in the film. Not that it's really annoying or anything, but it doesn't really add value. Perhaps because this is the only film of the three that is under two hours, this storyline may have been intended as filler to keep the film from being too short. It now feels a bit like a wander in the story where the writers didn't really know where they wanted to go. The ending is what you can really expect from it and is of course accompanied by a lot of violence, but this so-called final chapter does not become as good as the first part.

The Equalizer 3 may not be as good as the very strong first part, but it certainly beats the disappointing second part in every way. Denzel Washington returns for the third and, according to the subtitle, the last time as the ice-cold and tough retired commando who carried out so-called 'black operations' for the government. This time the story moves to the beautiful Sicily in Italy, where Robert McCall gets into trouble with the mafia this time. The role of Dakota Fanning is very superfluous and really adds nothing to the film at all, the mafia members don't really radiate a lot of threat, so as a viewer you know that McCall will not be faced with his toughest job. Still, the action is nice in the film and it also has a pleasant running time that has been kept under two hours. Whether this really will be the final piece in the Equalizer series is of course still the question, but it is clear that this is very pleasant viewing and simply an excellent action film.

9 seconds to decide your fate...And grab a Kebab?

[luca-settembre · 11 January 2024]

The Equalizer 3 is the last chapter of the Equalizer franchise, and is directed by Antoine Foqua, and stars, of course, Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, and Dakota Fanning as a CIA officer.

As an action movie fan, I really enjoyed the Equalizer movies, still being aware that we are not talking about masterpieces. They are fun and enjoyable vigilante movies where Denzel Washington is freaking cool and badass as he takes down, alone, large and structured criminal organizations. Without the value he brings into these movies, I don't know if they would be even worth watching. The Equalizer 3 fits perfectly into this path, with some slight changes.

The first thing to say is that this movie is very very gory and brutal, much more compared to the first two movies. Clearly it was decided to go one level up, so one needs to be prepared. The movie looks very dark, the Italian Mafia gives sort of modernized Godfather vibes, and most importantly, is beautifully shot. All of that can be appreciated since the very beginning of the movie, where fantastic camera work is done as the viewer follows a man entering a building full of dead people, brutally murdered. This very intense initial scene really sets the tone of the movie, to which the music score also fits really well.

The movie is located in a tiny Italian village, whose people are constantly threatened by the mafia, where "business" brought McCall (Denzel), too. This is the third big action movie to be shot in Italy (after Indy 5 and Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning) to come out in theaters in 2023, at least that I know of. Whether or not this decision is based on financial benefits of some sort, it provided The Equalizer 3 with beautiful and picturesque scenery.

As an Italian and fan of Denzel Washington, it was really entertaining to watch Denzel Washington sitting at the cafe, talking broken Italian, making friends, getting familiar with the people and the quiet atmosphere of the town. I found the representation of the town and of the people authentic, very well done, and not too stereotypical. The Italian language is real Italian spoken by Italian actors, the accents are real, the film is shot in different Italian towns on the Amalfi coast, and so on. One can see the great attention to detail and care that was put into the making of this movie, which I mentioned above about the directing. I did have a "what?!" moment, though, that I could not wrap my head around: Aminah (Gaia Scodellaro) takes McCall on a tour of the village, by telling him that she'll help him discover the authentic food specialties of the town. As they go on a stroll and talk, they pass by some food stands, and Aminah shows McCall different authentic Italian dishes. Then, however, she invites him to grab a Kebab (great, but not Italian at all!), which he does! Seriously, what happened there? There was all that nice fish and stuff, too-why a Kebab??

I have read a lot of criticism about the action in this movie, especially about it being too little. The problem that I see with the action is with the fact that McCall is never really challenged by any of his enemies rather than with the length of the action scenes. In other words, none of the villains or his men are even close to Robert McCall's level, so it seems quite easy for him to take them down in creatively brutal ways. This applies, unfortunately, also to the ending of the movie, which is, anyway, very very powerful. Also, the non-action parts build the tension between McCall and the villain, and they are not boring at all.

Another weak point of the movie, from my point of view, has to do with some of the supporting characters and their relationship to the hero (McCall). Dakota Fanning's character (CIA) could have been a very good helper in the fight against the mafia, but instead she ends up not doing so much at all... Along with that, one aspect of McCall being in this town is the attachments that the townspeople form with him, but we actually don't have much evidence of this beyond him eating in a cafe once in a while. We do see McCall having an emotional response when they are threatened, we do see him getting comfortable in the town, but while a deeper layer to that is mentioned, the viewer doesn't directly witness this: for example, when McCall says that the people of the town brought him peace, or that he understood that this is the place where he belongs. All these sentiments sound a bit out of place and don't match the level of interactions that we as viewers have witnessed. We expect some deeper character development to happen in the "kebab"/walks scene, but the dialogue between McCall and Aminah doesn't actually build to anything relevant.

Overall, a very good and extremely brutal vigilante movie, with some weaknesses, very well shot, with a fantastic Denzel Washington doing very badass things. Worthwhile final chapter, 7 stars!

Better than I expected. Glorious scenery.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 26 September 2023]

My expectations for this one were moderate, I enjoyed the first, I wasn't blown away by the second, this third and final movie is actually really good.

It's a pretty good storyline, with Robert of course central to events and fighting for justice. He takes on Italian gang bosses, and of course there are multiple fight and action sequences, but in this film, he felt mortal, in the second I felt they made him into some sort of superhero, you felt he was indestructible, I didn't get that here.

The action sequences are great, and it is very, very well produced, but the true winner here is The Italian scenery, it looks sublime, and arguably enhances the movie.

Washington, outstanding once again, he really does nail it. This film has prompted me to get a hold of the original Edward Woodward series, that's up next.

Entertaining.

7/10.

Really good trilogy closer

[masonsaul · 7/10 · 30 August 2023]

The Equalizer 3 rounds out this unexpected trilogy with another satisfying action thriller that continues the journey of a man who understands violence, trying to finally put that behind him, placing him out of his element to show quite literally how far he goes for people. The ending hinders it a little because it feels anticlimactic but it still works.

On a quest to finally find and maintain happiness, Denzel Washington is as flawless as ever. This time around he gets to be happy and show McCall actually enjoying life for once and as this is the final instalment there's obviously some introspection and self reflection as well.

The villains are really weak, it's not a massive distraction as they remain easy to hate and don't take up too much time but as the marketing implied that this would be McCall meeting his equal is kinda laughable considering how little they feel like a genuine threat to him.

The subplot involving Dakota Fanning initially threatens to derail the film but thankfully it ties back into the main narrative effectively and any scene she shares with Washington is great because it's both a Man on Fire reunion and her rapport with Washington is so good.

Antione Fuqua's direction impresses yet again, the violence has never been faster or more brutal and the stark colour palette allows this one to stand out in contrast to its predecessors. The music by Marcelo Zarvos is better than it's ever been, so distinct and noticeably industrial.

A Vigilante Swan Song Worth Every Minute

[eysona · 7/10 · 13 October 2023]

Equalizer 3 marks the epitome of vigilante action, masterfully directed by Antoine Fuqua and led by the indomitable Denzel Washington as Robert McCall. This finale exudes a riveting blend of vengeance and virtue, set against the picturesque yet perilous backdrop of Southern Italy, a departure from the urban sprawl we're accustomed to from its predecessors.

The narrative unfolds with a sinister Sicilian mobster's world coming undone, an ode to McCall's relentless quest for justice. Washington's embodiment of a righteous avenger resonates with a sense of authenticity that is as engaging as it is awe-inspiring. His transition from a humble dweller to a harbinger of retribution is seamless, affirming his prowess in action-heavy roles, despite the generational gap with contemporary action stars.

The film doesn't shy away from delivering a gleefully violent spectacle, with each punch thrown and bullet fired reverberating the core essence of McCall's crusade against the unyielding Sicilian Mafia. The atmospheric tension is palpable, bearing the signature touch of Fuqua's directorial finesse. Amidst the relentless action, what shines through is McCall's affinity for the innocuous folk of his newfound haven, accentuating the dichotomy of his violent endeavors and his quest for tranquility.

Equalizer 3 also subtly explores McCall's coping with the ghosts of his past, while forging ahead on a merciless path of retribution. Though the subplot involving Emma, a young CIA analyst, leaves something to be desired, it doesn't detract from the film's core narrative.

The narrative rhythm is maintained with meticulous care, ensuring a robust pace that keeps the adrenaline pumping, yet providing those moments of reflection, showcasing a meditative side amidst a storm of violence.

In closing, Equalizer 3 isn't just a movie, it's an experience that leaves you at the edge of your seat, yet introspective about the dichotomy of good and evil, and the lengths one goes to uphold justice. The film is a fitting closure to a saga that has enthralled audiences with a raw depiction of vigilante justice, embodied by an actor who continues to defy age and expectations in delivering compelling performances.

A Cinematic Cocktail of Stylish Action and Unyielding Charisma!

[TheDanishMovie-Nerd · 8/10 · 4 September 2023]

Following the disappointingly lackluster sequel that notably marked the first time Denzel ever agreed to a sequel, "The Equalizer 3" remarkably surpasses expectations - though admittedly, I had set the bar fairly low. But any reservations were dispelled early on, as the movie plunged straight into its visceral, stylish action that sees Denzel masterfully blending the vibes of John Wick, Liam Neeson's unyielding avenger in "Taken", and his own enigmatic survivor from "The Book of Eli".

Age seems like just a number when it comes to Denzel. As he inches closer to 70, there's no slowing down. The film cleverly incorporates his age into his character, offering action sequences that lean more on intelligent combat rather than sheer brute strength and stamina akin to Rocky or John Wick. There's an elegance in how he maneuvers, outthinking and outmaneuvering adversaries in ways that leave you awestruck.

I absolutely loved witnessing the reunion of Denzel and Dakota Fanning, their electric dynamic echoing reminiscently of "Man On Fire". Their chemistry is undeniably magnetic, and adds layers of depth to the already charged narrative.

One of the movie's masterstrokes is its unyielding focus on the sheer prowess of Denzel's character. He remains ever the cool, unshakeable force of nature, perpetually ten steps ahead of everyone, leaving both foes and audience in anticipation of his next move.

While some might dismiss it as yet another action-filled extravaganza, for me, "The Equalizer 3" was the epitome of action cinema artistry. A mixture of raw, over-the-top action, the evergreen charm of Denzel, and a touch of Italian style made it the ultimate cinematic cocktail. It's a whirlwind of entertainment, action, and thrill - and I found myself completely immersed and gratified.

In short, "The Equalizer 3" delivers in spades. For fans of Denzel and the action genre, it's a treat that shouldn't be missed.

A vacation in beautiful Italy - and a movie

[leevi-pettersson · 6/10 · 9 September 2023]

Considering that the two previous installments had been quite good ones(especially the first one), I had pretty high expectations for the movie. Unfortunately after watching it, I found myself feeling like I had been one of the bad guys in this movie, but with less gore.

One has to wonder that if Fuque and Denzel were spending good time on the beautiful coast and decided that they might as well do a movie? So shallow and thoughtless it feels sometimes that even the fish in the movie might have problems swimming.

One of the biggest issues of the film are relationships which Robert/o creates. When compared to the previous films, I found myself caring much less what happens to the people involved. For example in the first movie there was a lot of story arch for the young female character and you really felt it. Also it was clear to see how much Robert was struggling with his conscience. In this movie he appeared almost sadistic sometimes. In the second movie the character bonds were much stronger and the people were interesting. These "civilians" and criminals were way more one dimensional.

As some of the previous reviewers have pointed out, we are starting to stretch the limits of imagination way too much. Obviously Robert has always been more or less fantasy character but this time we are taking things up to the notch. Also multiple scenes in the movie are not realistic at all or something what would really happen in the current criminal world. After all, this does not happen in Mexico or some parts of Africa or during the last century.

The slow tempo did not really bother me and I liked Roberto having a plenty of cups of tea. Cinematography is the clear winner of the movie and Italy looks stunning, so much so that the country could consider hiring Antoine as a creator of travel ads. Music is quite good too but it makes me wonder what Harry could have achieved with this one.

The film serie is known for it brutal action sequences but for those people who expect more of that, may feel like they have been gut punched by Roberto because after all, there is very little action and it's rather boring when compared to the previous films of the trilogy. The final action part is very disappointing and it almost feels like all the wine bottles were put into the basket of the beginning scene.

I have been pondering between 5 and 6 but since we can't give half points, I have to rise it to 6 and there are indeed some redeeming qualities like the beautiful cinematography. But for those who are after more realism and depth in their dishes, this smells like an "expired" fish. So stick with the previous titles, you get more soul and some.

I liked it

[rcole96380 · 8/10 · 1 September 2023]

I thought this was a very good movie. They build a story early with little action but it finishes strong. I would take this over the Marvel materials from the past 3 years. Denzel's character is similar to the past but more economy of motion. I wish Dakota had more screen time. The scenes in Italy were lovely. I doubt we will see another one of these movies. This was an old school action thriller. The formula is pretty tried and true. I'm not sure how films have gotten away from what works. I hope all fans will turn out to see this film. My large theater was only 1/3 full but the weather was perfect on a Thursday early evening.

Nice Job Anton, Dakota and Denzel.

A fitting end

[AfricanBro · 7/10 · 1 September 2023]

The equalizer always has a "you should've..." scene; 'you should've taken the money, you should've let me in' and they're all great. This installment doesn't hold back on action, while the first two films had the most memorable fights, this one still stands on its own. Plot progresses a little slower but still engaging. It's predictable, but that simplicity works in its favor, with no unnecessary additions which for me was the writers exude confidence in their narrative.

This is exactly what you'd expect from an Equalizer film. The protagonist is more humane and compassionate, yet the action maintains its brutality. It's a journey of revenge and finding peace, a fitting end to the trilogy. The pacing is good, having serene moments alongside thrilling fights without changing the vibe of the film. The sudden religious rally confused me though; perhaps I just missed something earlier.

It's Denzel Washington being a badass, always a treat to watch for me. Didn't give it a perfect rating. While it didn't blow me away, I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it. A trilogy binge-watch would make for a fun day, and I wish they'd re-release it for a triple feature like they did with Black Panther in cinemas.

Very enjoyable

[neil-476 · 8/10 · 3 September 2023]

Robert McCall, seriously wounded during operational activity, recuperates in the incredibly picturesque costal Italian town of Altamonte, a place where comes to feel he may find peace of mind. Two things happen while he is mending: he sends some intel he discovered during the op anonymously to his old organisation, and he realises that a group of mafia lowlifes are making things bad for local residents. These two threads intertwine.

Denzel Washington's 3rd outing as McCall takes us to more exotic locations, gives another nasty slow build but, fear not, we get a fair amount of action norwithstanding our protagonist being out of commission for much of the action.

I really like McCall. There is something very satisfying in seeing an enormously sympathetic and likeable character who is capable of turning on a sixpence, and doing what they do to violent, repellent people, only doing it better. And with a cold, matter-of-fact lack of emotion.

There were a lot of moments I lked here, chief among them a shockingly well realised explosion, and an ending setting up McCall, recent victim of a severe woung, outnumbered against a powerful, well armed and organised foe. And a brief callback to the two previous films caught me by surprise.

A movie stuck in 2nd Act

[ItsRobinTV · 7/10 · 31 August 2023]

Don't get me wrong the movie was great! Even though Denzel Washington isn't the youngest any more his action scenes are brutal and just awesome to watch.

The problem is that the movie has very few action scenes with Denzel and literally 20 minutes after his first real Purge against the bad guys we get to the final showdown, which doesn't feel like one, and then we are left feeling like we are still in the 2nd Act because a lot is still very unclear especially concerning the mafia.

To see such a week ending/3rd Act after the amazing ending/3rd Act of the 2nd one is pretty disappointing, however balances the best opening from this trilogy which results in a good but nothing more movie.

Denzel drinks tea and dines in Amalfi coast - kills a few bad guys

[filmtravel101 · 4/10 · 13 September 2023]

This is by far the worst script of the trilogy.

The story is 80% denzel on holiday in Amalfi coastal village where he sips tea, watches locals and dines out all day. And then at the end kills a few bad guys - but at some point in 3rd act he offers himself up but bad mafia guys decide not to end his life in front of the village people and end this miserable excuse of a movie. You almost wish they shot him to make it a tiny bit realistic and challenging.

Oh and during his holiday which makes no sense at all and drags on like a slow Condé Nast tourist trip - it finally explains its lame story started because of some pensioner got hacked so he flew to recup 360k in cash and admits he does not even know the guy - huh?? Which feels more hollow than the shallow story - but let's not digress because the big reveal moment is the thinly written part of Dakota Fanning who asks did you pick me- duh - because she is daughter of his old boss. Really?

This could have been revealed in 2nd act and made for a great story plot instead of 2 dimensional thin character that just acts like a teenager on holiday and definitely not CIA material - bad casting as Dakota best part is getting almost blown up. Good riddance but she survives.

The entire film feels like a bad Charles Bronson movie from 70s and even the bad guys are pathetic characterization of the Italian Camora aka mafia.

No idea how this film got such high ratings but by far the worst of the series and Denzel must have a Villa in Amalfi coast or family wanted a sweet holiday. Go in with super low expectations and you might enjoy the Italian scenery because there is not much equalizing - but loads of social dining. Maybe next film will include a Greek wedding

4 stars to the food,fish, and tea - and Amalfi villages.

The worst of the trilogy.

[Youfassa · 6/10 · 12 September 2023]

I never obsessed over The Equalizer films, I always thought they were decent action movies but I really liked the first one, it was great. I always preferred the john wick franchise over it.

This one was not necessarily bad, it was alright but it feels off for some reason and it felt kinda boring, a lot of elements were missing from the previous ones such as the iconic scanning and going into Robert's head and the time counting.

This one also felt long as it didn't feel like a three act film but a film with just one long act that takes the span of 2 hours.

The story was kinda decent and the fight scenes were still great but I wanted to see more, the only thing that held this film apart was the scenes with Denzel, I legit didn't care about the side characters and other stuff.

I still recommend watching it though.

The end is not exciting!

[jdticktalk · 6/10 · 5 September 2023]

Unfortunately.....this is not a continuation of the Equalizer series.....it's an excuse for the ending of it! The movie bogs down into a simple story of a small town.....terrorized by the mafia......and Denzel comes to the rescue. Some scenes make no sense.....the movie is 15-20 minutes too short....because the action scenes are too short. Seems instead of killing off a lead character.....they decided to retire the character into a small village situation with idyllic surroundings. That's fine......good for the retired......but not good for those looking for action and adventure.....little of which you get here!

Washington continues to excel and astound in his signature role for a well executed franchise.

[george.schmidt · 8/10 · 3 September 2023]

THE EQUALIZER (2023) *** Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Eugenio Mastrandrea, David Denman, Gaia Scodellaro, Remo Girone, Andrea Scarduzio, Andrea Dodero. The final chapter in the trilogy of the adaptation of the '80s tv series with Washington's Robert McCall attempting retirement in a Sicilian sleepy village where he finds the locals under the threat of the drug cartel led by Scarduzio which leads to a personal vendetta with copious bloodshed and retribution. Nice to see the MAN ON FIRE reunion of Washington and Fanning as a fed helping to snub out the gangsters. Washington is in fine form as the stil-waters-run-deep assassin whose dexterity never continues to surprise nor its ingenious gory outcomes. A fitting last dance (for now) directed with brio by Antoine Fuqua who helmed the series with aplomb.

Definitely the weakest film in the trilogy but it's watchable and still has some good action scenes

[mrdanielkanewilliams · 6/10 · 30 January 2024]

The film starts off with a good action scene where Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) dispatches some dangerous drug dealers. This ends in a bit where Robert is held at gunpoint which is intense but unfortunately leads to Robert getting injured. Then this results in the next hour being slow whilst Robert's wounds heal.

But this slow hour did keep me entertained by introducing the next group of bad guys in a brutal way. From watching the first two movies I also knew there was a big fight coming, but if I hadn't seen the first two movies I might have been tempted to turn the film off during this hour.

When this fight starts I was kept very entertained especially when Robert fights off one of the main bad guys in a bar. The last fight scene involves some good stealth action because Robert has to sneak into a bad guy's mansion and kill some henchmen, but during this scene I would have liked to have seen some more hand to hand combat.

The end of this scene also drags on for a bit as well, but overall I had fun with this film and I might watch it again... If I can't find anything else on TV/Netflix.

A surprisingly solid final entry in The Equalizer trilogy

[nicolasroop · 8/10 · 3 September 2023]

It's not very often you see a second sequel in a film franchise and it actually turns out to be a very good movie. In fact, most of the time, they end up being some of the worst. Thankfully, this new entry by series director Antoine Fuqua and star Denzel Washington is a fantastic example of how to do a sequel right.

I will say the film is not perfect. There are a few storylines that don't quite add up to anything, like Denzel's character having flashbacks of his murders and how bereft and awful it makes him feel. Something thay could have and maybe should have been explored just a bit more. However, that is ok because the film swiftly picks itself up and in the days where most films like this are over 2 hours long, this one keeps it's pace and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Good choice on the writers and directors part.

The acting throughout the film ranged from good to fantastic. It seemed everyone was pretty much on point here as far as what their characters needed and how to display that to the audience. It was also lovely to see Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington back together. I would love to see them work together in other films because they have fantastic on-screen chemistry.

Overall, one of the best sequels to a film I've seen in a long time. Although, not an entirely necessary one, but the story and acting is good enough to justify it's existence. Plus, can you really go wrong with Denzel?

4 italian mobsters out of 5.

Good, but not better than the first two.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 7/10 · 2 September 2023]

All this third and final installment was, the same old story but in a different setting, with much less action, and a pointless walking cane that saw zero action. Washington carries the film and is impressive as always, but the writing was way more formulaic, cheesy, with lots of plot holes and ridiculous sub plots riddled with cliches. To make matters worse, Fuqua's choice to have the film set in beautiful Italy failed when most of the film needed English subtitles that took away from appreciating the Italian settings and landscapes, and the subtitles weren't on the screen long enough (not everyone is a speed reader) to make out what dialogue was being spoken in Italian. Technically, this was an Italian film with maybe 10% spoken English, and spending so much time reading subtitles took away from the entertainment value. Nevertheless, Denzel did what Denzel does and did it very well, and is the only reason to see this film.

Gonna miss you my friend

[ronnienahem · 9/10 · 9 January 2024]

Thank you Antoine fuqua for directing this exceptional trilogy. Every single is the perfect mix of emotion friendship evil and emotion. Equalizer 3 brings everything together seamlessly with absolute perfect ending. I literally had tears in my eyes. It was perfect. Thank you Denzel Washington as always you were perfect in every way possible. It's the perfect most extraordinary mix of good vs evil of any movie and trilogy I've ever seen. The violence is hardcore and bloody but the villains in this case the Camorra or Italian mafia are perfect bad guys for Robert McCall, the Equalizer. The location and cinematography are absolutely fantastic. The story is incredibly realistic. The supporting actors are great but at the end of the day it's all about Denzel and Antoine Bravo gentlemen for a sensational trilogy and for bringing bringing me personally such satisfaction.

"I understand pain, death."

[yasinhussain-14721 · 6/10 · 30 August 2023]

If you're an absolute action fanatic, and you're hoping to see plenty of it in this, lower those expectations now. While there are some fantastic action scenes at the beginning and end, the middle is where things really slow down. Literally like half of this movie is just showing McCall's ordinary day-to-day life in Sicily, which was to me, a very surprising decision by Antoine Fuqua, since anybody with a brain would know that an overwhelming majority of the moviegoers for this are gonna be die-hard action fans, yet this film possibly has the least of that out of the whole trilogy. But what annoys me the most is the fact that our protagonist, our *main* character, barely even has a role in the plot that unfolds. He starts and finishes the story, but other than that, he's almost entirely unnecessary! It's actually Dakota Fanning's character that keeps the story ticking along, and then every now and then Denzel Washington's character drops in a bit of key information to make it *seem* like he's majorly involved. And linking to this, where on Earth does he even get this information from? This was actually a recurring theme throughout the series (so not just in this sequel), but still, certain things just don't have any clear explanation, like for example, how did he figure out the bad guys' location? It doesn't at all make sense. All they had to do was show us how he managed to find out these elusive details and the movie would have flowed along nicely. But as a result of not doing this, it feels like the film untimely jumps straight into the action.

But anyway, I'm talking way too negatively about a picture that I actually had a lot of fun with. Even though it does just mainly depict an old man going about his day in a friendly, sociable area of Italy, I strangely didn't get bored in the slightest, even though I could easily describe it as boring (if you can somehow understand what I mean). And the action sequences were epic, just as they were in the prequels to this. Not one bit dragged for me.

In conclusion, whilst I'm ever so slightly disappointed that they didn't end on a big one, I am still very satisfied with my cinema trip, as it was a great feature to kick back to and take in.

Not much Equalizing

[alfredvankuik · 4/10 · 5 September 2023]

It's been a while since I watched the first two Equalizers, but I remember them quite fondly as fun movies that found a nice balance between a simple yet effective story and brutal, well-made action scenes. So when I discovered that a third installmant was arriving soon, I was excited.

Today, that excitement was shattered upon actually seeing the movie. The Equalizer 3 stars Denzel Washington, of course. And he is once again brilliant. The story here is that Denzel runs into an international drug trafficking ring by accident while trying to steal back his Uber driver's pension fund. The opening is amazing, showing off beautiful cinematography and a creative action sequence in true Equalizer style. Enjoy it while it lasts, because that's the last you'll see of that.

After killing off a few mobsters, Denzel passes out by the side of the road and gets picked up by a random guy who just happens to be the son of a doctor who in turn just happens to like caring for random people with bullet wounds. Of course he is also called Enzo and he is an almost offensively stereotypical Italian. For the next hour or so, prepare to watch Denzel Washington drink tea. This movie contains more shots of Denzel drinking tea than it does of him firing a gun. In this little Italian town everyone loves Denzel for no apparent reason, to the point where random kids and grandmas walk up to him and give him gifts without even knowing him. There's a woman who basically throws herself at Washington from the second she sees him. Within a week, the people call him "one of them" and will literally die for him. It's just because he's American it seems, because he doesn't do much else. He watches the mafia terrorize the town and the people he apparently loves so much, but he doesn't actually get involved for weeks, not even when his favorite shop is burned to the ground.

Meanwhile, there's a hesitant subplot where a CIA agent is investigating the drug trafficking ring. She comes to Italy but doesn't seem too bothered with investigating the actual criminals. She just hangs around harrassing Denzel, who is not even trying to hide that he's guilty of many murders at this point. She acts like she's this accomplished agent, but literally all she does is repeat Denzel's findings to her superiors and take the credit for them. She explodes somewhere halfway through the movie and they basically give her a promotion and a medal of honor for it.

The mafia itself starts out quite menacing. They are well cast and very violent, but by the time Denzel finally starts killing them (over an hour into the movie) he immediately kills off all the good mobsters in an underwhelming 30 second shot. That's that then. Now all we have left is Victor, a stereotypical mob boss with not much character to him. He's just evil and he likes money and Ferraris. He is now real angry at Denzel for killing his brother and they have a standoff in the town square. It's quite cool and I was getting ready for an amazing shootout, but instead Victor just leaves to go eat spaghetti with his friends. I'm not kidding. This mob boss, apparently the head of five huge crime families, then goes to take a nap with only a few bodyguards around even though he knows this masterful assassin is hunting him down.

The final action scene mostly just killed my last bit of hope for this movie. The kills are dull and are just Denzel picking off guards with a knife one by one in pitch dark rooms. Victor barely puts up a fight and basically dies by getting hit by a Fiat Punto. That was it. The final Equalizer movie is now over and it contained maybe three minutes of actual Equalizing, most of which was incredibly boring. The cinematography is quite beautiful at times, the acting is great across the board, the Italian vibes are amazing and there's a few good and/or funny lines. But overall this movie was just an incredible letdown. I don't mind a slow buildup, but this doesn't build up to anything. The first half could've been great if the second half had a proper payoff, but all Denzel does is drink more tea and kill maybe five people to bring down the entire Italian mafia. The romantic subplot that is set up gets no real conclusion, the ending suddenly introduces a weird plot point that was never mentioned before and then it ends abruptly.

Not every action movie has to be John Wick with non-stop firepower, but I do expect there to be some actual action. The Equalizer 3 never really delivers. It's a very pretty display of the Amalfi coast and Denzel's acting, but that's about it. It's a shame.

Denzel can only do so much

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 8 January 2024]

This sequel is the third and least of the series and marks a big drop in quality from the level of the first two. Those ones were action-packed rivals to JOHN WICK, while this is much lower budgeted and feels somewhat half-hearted given what's come before. Denzel Washington is feeling his age for the first time, routinely doubled in the film's few action sequences, and barely showing up at all for the disappointing climax. The first half is all slow build and quite engaging with it, the gangster threat nicely menacing. But the second promises so much and disappoints with a lazy and generic showdown. Denzel can only do so much, after all.

Denzel is amazing, the simplicity and adequacy of the script surprised me.

[olcare · 7/10 · 10 October 2023]

Denzel Washington makes it feel like he was born for this role, even elevating a simple movie.

The film is primarily straightforward, easy to understand, and doesn't promise an exceptional script, but it does tie the series together well and doesn't diminish the entertainment.

Of course, there are clichés, whether it's the peaceful town or the mafia, they're all clichés, but what stuck in my mind in the end wasn't the clichés.

One of the simplest reasons I'd give this movie a 7 is the makeup. The makeup for the deceased and the CGI in the explosion scene was unexpectedly good; I genuinely applaud the entire team for this aspect.

What I really wished for was a more complex storyline, a story that would grip us more, but I didn't feel too bad about how it ended. Thank you, Denzel, for being here.