The Equalizer 2 (2018) User Reviews

Revenge isn't as Sweet

[ThomasDrufke · 6/10 · 2 August 2018]

If there's anyone in Hollywood that I would believe is actually a real life bada**, it's probably Denzel Washington. The first Equalizer was a surprisingly brutal and visceral action film that gave Liam Neeson movies a run for its money. While the sequel is full of just as many, if not more, incredible kill sequences by Denzel's character, I think there's a lack of connection I felt this time around. I wasn't nearly as connected to the story, and perhaps that's because the revenge didn't feel as sweet this time around. The ending of the film is a great sequence on its own and there are certain scenes I will certainly revisit, but I'm not sure the film as a whole works quite as well.

6.6/10

Denzel Washington is The Equalizer as much as Keanu Reeves is John Wick

[Aktham_Tashtush · 7/10 · 13 November 2018]

Yes ,, maybe the plot was a bit predictable but in no way it was slow ,, in fact i can't believe how fast it went in few parts ,, and Denzel did just a mesmerizing job ,, and his speech with the kid "Miles" after he found him with the gang !! Oh man !! it was powerful ... Acting level infinity.

Before watching the movie i knew "Chloë Grace Moretz" won't be in it ,, so i went wondering like how it'll work ,, and my thoughts went to the "Kingsman" movies .. but after watching the first movie again and then this one ,, i realized that this movie is all about Denzel Washington and boy i liked it this way.

back to the story itself ,, it was good ,,as some of the reviews will probably say a bit expected,, but in my opinion,, it was just perfect,, singled out The Equalizer and put him on another category.

final thought ,, watching the first movie might not be of necessity but i did it either way .. As for this one it is without a doubt so recommended.

Solid sequel to the original.

[Vivekmaru45 · 8/10 · 20 November 2018]

I was well entertained on Sunday when I watched the film. Denzel Washington is a favorite actor of mine. I have seen such good films of his in the past: Philadelphia(1993), The Pelican Bried(1993), Crimson Tide(1995), Virtuosity(1995), Fallen(1998), The Bone Collector(1999), The Hurricane(1999),Training Day(2001), John Q(2002) and many more...

I am also a great fan of director Antoine Fuqua and I love his style of direction. The movie continues from the previous one, Robert McCall(Washington) now lives in a diverse apartment complex in urban Massachusetts. He is working as a Lyft driver and assists the less fortunate with the help of his friend, Susan Plummer. One day, Susan and DIA operative Dave York, McCall's former teammate, are called to investigate an apparent murder-suicide of an agent and his wife in Brussels. When the two separate after reaching their hotel, Susan is murdered in an apparent robbery. When he receives the news, McCall begins to investigate both her death and the case she was investigating.

The action sequences in the film, background sound-effects and cinematography are extremely well executed. Antoine is a director with great vision and you can see that in all his movies. Denzel gives another excellent performance and his acting is very convincing. I give the film a rating of 8/10 because the film is a solid entertainer and held my attention the whole time.

Denzel Delivers A Solid, If Unspectacular, Follow-Up

[bastille-852-731547 · 7/10 · 19 July 2018]

I'm a fan of Denzel Washington and enjoyed the first "Equalizer" movie. That said, "The Equalizer" was not a film I was necessarily clamoring for a sequel to--although I still was looking forward to it since Denzel Washington and the action scenes in the trailer would be worthwhile. After seeing "The Equalizer 2" at an advance screening, I can say that while the film is not perfect, it's an entertaining ride for adult action junkies that is on par with the first movie in terms of quality.

Denzel returns as Robert McCall, a vigilante-type figure and former special forces operative who begins the movie on a mission in Turkey. After such prologue, the film centers in on its primary narrative thread: a woman who he worked with on multiple missions has been killed by thugs in Brussels. The rest of the film primarily concerns McCall's attempt to bring the perpetrators of such heinous crime to justice, although the film also contains multiple sub-plots--including a new, older adolescent-age character who could theoretically become somewhat of a protégé to McCall in a possible third movie in the franchise.

The action scenes in "The Equalizer 2" are thrilling and intense. Sometimes the intersection of Fuqua's cinematography choices and sound edits can feel and appear a bit choppy at times, but the film certainly brings the white-knuckle goods. The film's action-packed finale scene, a climatic showdown in the midst of an incredibly rough hurricane, is thoroughly effective and satisfying. Just like the first movie, the violence in "The Equalizer 2" certainly earns its R rating. Denzel Washington is great as McCall, blending a unique mix of charisma and ferocity. Just like in the first movie, he is able to carry the film on all of its levels from beginning to end. That said, the film does have one large flaw--that of which the story is highly predictable. If you've seen any other "vigilante"-style action movie before, you'll be able to guess the key plot elements well before they unfold, and the film's sole attempt at a plot twist can be guessed within the first 20 minutes of the movie.

Fans of the first movie and Denzel Washington should be able to look past such banality and enjoy the action-packed ride, and I do recommend the film to them. 7/10

Predictable from beginning to the end

[jon-22643 · 7/10 · 31 October 2018]

Nothing special here, very predictable plot, which is just an excuse to let the equalizer kick some bad guys ass. Anyways, it's so enjoyable to see good old Denzel being that superhero, you just feel bad for all those bad guys who dare to fight him.. This movie is a bit slow, with some scenes that stretch too much, could have been done better but I'm a big fan of Denzel, who is an amazing actor and I enjoy seeing any movie he plays in especially action movies. Looking forward to another sequel, this can be a long franchise hopefully with better plots and story.

Slow, overprecious, silly

[eurobalauru · 6/10 · 3 August 2018]

One good actor can not produce a movie, when nothing else is there to add. Small talks may not always contribute to the atmosphere, expressly when randomly thrown into the soup. And a crude story remains just a sketch, whatever you try to do with it. And this is the case with this movie. A huge potential wasted in a mediocre script, with barely convincing characters and a totally flat course. No music, nor the hurricane, could add to the lack of vibration in this scenario. This is a "Gran Torino" with a silly fake action movie beside. Denzel, who is a great actor and is playing excellent here too, becomes almost ridiculous trying to give some substance to nothing. Total disappointment, and an unreal over-rating...

Unnecessary follow up to a solid original

[andrewshaw-58330 · 6/10 · 20 July 2018]

This is a film that spends most of its time in a haze. A bunch of unrelated set pieces loosely being woven together by such a small string. There aren't really any stakes for Denzel's character. I love this director, but I don't understand how he read this script and signed on. The only thing great in this movie is Denzel's performance.

More but not just the same

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 13 November 2018]

Now depending on how you will see things, you may like the way this goes story-wise or you may hate it. First of all it's not just a rehash of what we saw in the first movie. It also tries to combine a few storylines, that tie together more or less. You have an elderly, a young student sort of thing, a mentor thing and what the Equalizer is good at of course.

Now some may feel that it all is a bit convoluted. Others may cherish that it tries so many things and steers things away from what the first one achieved (being straight forward and all). I liked the sequel even though I didn't expect it to go that way at all. Still it has some really good stunts and there is obviously violence too. With the charisma of Denzel you can never really go wrong character wise either of course. Strong sequel overall

I just want to mention one part

[esferdez · 9/10 · 21 July 2018]

The movie is good. Im a Denzel fan, and a Fuqua fan, so naturally i enjoyed it. I would like to draw attention to one part specifically - when Denzel has the serious talk with the young gentleman after they get off the elevator about halfway through. In my humble opinion, acting doesn't get any better than that. It is the cream resting at the top of his consistently excellent work. A remarkable example of the power of film.

Almost boring

[FrenchEddieFelson · 6/10 · 16 March 2019]

If in the first opus, Robert McCall annihilates the Russian underworld of Boston, on the other hand, in the second opus, he ... helps. He just helps, nothing more. By being slightly in bad faith: he helps an elderly brother to find his sister, he helps a young woman abused by 3/4 men, he helps a student with his art studies, he helps a mother to find her young daughter gone on the wrong train, ...

In the third opus (if any), he will probably be a nursery school supervisor and we'll see him reduced to dealing with conflicts between these kids.

The second opus is significantly less exciting than the previous one. Still efficient but disappointing.

"Same mud, same blood"

[randlxsr · 8/10 · 4 November 2018]

Preserves the spirit of the first one while telling its own story. This is a good new chapter and all I was hoping for.

solid action thriller

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 9 November 2018]

Ex-intelligence operative Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) works as a mobile app driver. He enjoys his customers while delivering vigilante justice to those deserving it. He helps his neighbors and mentors local young man Miles. His friend and former operative Susan is killed in a presumed robbery but his investigation uncovers a murderous conspiracy.

Director Antoine Fuqua and star Denzel Washington reunite for the sequel. Like the TV show, there's a new victim every week and Chloë Grace Moretz does not return for this one. I would have liked more time with Susan who is the victim of the week. The opening train sequence is unnecessary. It would have been better to have Robert fighting the rich sleazes in the high-rise or the staged suicide-murder. That suicide-murder is really frightening and would set off the tension very well instead of the disconnected Robert train incident. With more time with Dave and Susan, the personal stakes become much higher and the intensity is raised. I do like Robert's mentoring of Miles and I wouldn't mind if Miles returns for another sequel. This is a solid action thriller even if the villains' one-henchman-at-a-time tactics is silly old timey.

Very slow and predictable

[darkwizard404 · 5/10 · 3 August 2018]

I had my expectations high because I was very impressed with the first one. Unfortunately this one is a bit of a disappointment owing to the pacing and predictability of the story. It was slower and boring. If they decide to make a third one then they should make it a bit more fast paced.

A Little Less Action, A Little More Substance

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 29 July 2018]

The Equalizer 2 had less action and less fighting than the first but it was no less good. It had a more serious and somber tone and it was definitely more cerebral. Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) was on the trail of those responsible for his friend's death. He had to use some shrewd investigative skills to discover whether or not her death was intentional and who the killers were. But, while Robert was dealing with that he still had time to do some clean up in his hometown of Boston--and I mean clean up in every sense of the words.

I liked the different characters in this movie and I particularly liked Robert's interaction with Miles (Ashton Sanders), the young African American male headed down the wrong path. The high-energy, pulse-racing fights weren't aplenty like the first installment but in their place was a little more substance. It was a fine trade off.

A thriller with soul

[jasonam · 7/10 · 20 July 2018]

Building off of the mystique of the first film by widening its scope, The Equalizer 2 also manages to balance heart with its inherent brutality. Although the pacing is jumbled and plot somewhat generic, the punches still land and drive towards a fulfilling conclusion. Plus, with Denzel as your leading man it's hard to go wrong.

A Superhero in human form?

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 20 September 2023]

The first movie had me enthralled and captivated, this second one, I just couldn't get into it in quite the same way, it was definitely action packed, and Washington delivers yet another knockout performance, but I just found the story a little lacklustre, and the characters just hard to like, empathise or engage with.

In the first movie, Robert had one single purpose, he wanted revenge, nothing and nobody was going to stand in his way, he presented a relentless force, here the same can't be said, he seemed to be going through the motions for the sake of it.

At times they were guilty of making Robert into a sort of superhero, no bullets, killers, not even the elements can barm him, he's like superman without a cape.

On the plus side it's sharp looking, it's well paced, and it really is entertaining, if non stop gun action is your thing that is. I enjoyed the story of Robert getting to know Miles and trying to shape his path, but the actual body of the story was disappointing.

I disagree with those that say this was slow, it's far from that, at times it was pretty frantic.

I'm looking forward to seeing the third very soon, but this second movie was average at best.

6/10.

Very overrated

[sumtim3s00n · 27 July 2018]

What is happening here. Reading these reviews here one would think this is oscar worthy. Its not. Corny Denzel walking around too cool for school with his stupid one-liners and his stop-time watch for his value system while killing people left and right EVERYWHERE and nobody notices. Not to mention he is sooo mysterious with his secret past and he is so cool and tortured at the same time, his young protegee just cannot get a grip on his character. Mind you, I love simple action movies, from Crank type to oldschool Van Damme or even almighty Chuck Norris. But there is a difference between a quality B movie and a totally uninspired,lame,ridiculous story wanna be blockbuster. Seriously, the story here is so incredibly dull and one dimensional that it is baffling it was approved. Actually to think of it, there is no story really. Consider it, what is actually the plot?, who the real bad guy and motivation? Its just some folks trying to kill eachother basically. Porn flicks have a more complex story. And then at the end , force some dramatic BS and feel good stuff to try to even it all out. Nah,doesnt work that way- This is a pure greed and money grab by the studio, nothing more, nothing less. Do not waste you time for this POS.

Quite Entertaining

[stevendbeard · 7/10 · 21 July 2018]

I saw "The Equalizer 2", starring Denzel Washington-The Magnificent Seven_2016, Man On Fire; Pedro Pascal-Kingsman:The Golden Circle, Game of Thrones_tv; Ashton Sanders-Moonlight, Straight Outta Compton and Orson Bean-Being John Malkovich, Innerspace. This is a sequel to the 2014 movie that is based on the 1980's tv series. It's also the first time that Denzel has done a sequel. Denzel returns as Robert McCall, the retired spy/assassin that now spends his days just helping ordinary people in need. He drives an Uber, where he meets most of his future clients. In the first movie, he had one person in particular that he wanted to help-Chloe Grace Moretz-from a life of prostitution. This time it's Ashton, a young kid in his apartment building, that is tempted to join a street gang and needs Denzel to put him on the right path. There is also some mercs that kill a good friend of Denzel's-Melissa Leo from the first movie-which is not a smart move, on the bad guys part. And, I'm not giving anything away here, it is shown in the trailers. FYI: Melissa and her husband, Bill Pullman, are the only original cast members making a return for this movie. Of course, Denzel has to give the bad guys some payback, teaching them that it's not a smart idea to mess with the Equalizer. Pedro plays Denzel's old partner, back when he worked for the government, and Orson is another side story person in need of help. There is not much new here-story wise-but it is still quite entertaining. The fights are brutal and most of them are hand to hand, with Denzel setting his watch to time himself, on those special occasions. He also uses knives a lot-I only recall him shooting a gun a few times. It's rated "R" for brutal violence, gore, language and drug use and has a running time of 2 hours & 1 minute. I really enjoyed it and would buy it on DVD.

Enjoyable action thriller and Denzel Washington is awesome to watch

[Cinemaniac1984 · 7/10 · 19 July 2018]

Following the blockbusting success of The Equalizer back in 2014, we see the return of Denzel Washington as Robert McCall in The Equalizer II. Antoine Fuqua also returns to the director's chair as well. Denzel Washington has enjoyed a stellar career (Training Day is my personal favourite movie of his) and The Equalizer II has the distinction of being the first sequel that Denzel has appeared in. While I had an enjoyable time in the cinema, the first movie is definitely superior.

Retired CIA Agent Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) continues to live the quiet life as a Lyft driver in Boston but also works secretly as a vigilante by setting out to right the wrongs in society by unleashing swift justice to the perpetrators and protecting the victims. Robert McCall finds himself returning to his old life when his best friend Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) is murdered by thugs under mysterious circumstances after she starts to uncover a secret conspiracy involving the deaths of other agents at the hands of highly trained assassins. McCall also reunites with a former friend Dave York (Pedro Pascal) with whom he worked with years ago.

Watching Denzel Washington return to his role as Robert McCall was definitely the main reason why I enjoyed the movie. In the first movie, you saw an everyday man go about his business and there was an air of mystery about his lethal skills and abilities. I also found myself quietly cheering during the climatic action scenes. The storyline was cleverly done and it was still great fun to see McCall take down the bad guys. One slight disappointment was that I felt like some of the action scenes were a bit overblown which slightly tarnished the movie. That aside, I was glued to my seat throughout the whole movie and there was no way that I was going to dismiss this as just another sequel. The ending also opens the door for a third movie.

If you are a fan of Denzel Washington and you liked the first movie, sit back and have a great time watching Denzel in action.

7/10.

took long enough!

[kowgirltina · 9/10 · 20 July 2018]

I was really excited when I started seeing the commercials for EQ2. I read they wanted to make a sequel for years, but nothing really came about. I really enjoy action/adventure movies, so this was right up my alley.

The story line was similar to the first one- Denzel helping those who have been wronged, but there is a new location, new job, and new characters.

There is enough action and suspense, and not a ton of CGI like other movies, which in my opinion, makes this a little more believable. You get a couple of twists and turns here and there and Denzel's acting really fits the role.

I judge a movie on whether it's good enough to see again, and I would definitely see it again!

Denzel is so good

[bkbarnett · 7/10 · 24 July 2018]

Although Denzel plays this character brilliantly , the plot was transparent , early in the movie. Suspenseful, well shot and overall coherent, it still lacked that itch.

Worth the Wait

[the_remixer08 · 10/10 · 22 July 2018]

It's hard to say which one I loved more, but if I think hard enough, I'll give EQ2 a couple of more points over EQ1 but I can't wait to add part two to my collection. I was so emotionally invested in the sequel, but I think that's what makes it so good simply because the stories are more on a personal level and it allows you to see another side of McCall that you could have possibly missed in the first one now that we already know who he is. The action sequences were very well balanced out and kept you on edge. It didn't even feel like I was in there two hours I was so caught up in the journey. Great work. Plan on seeing it again before it leaves theaters

When the going gets tough...

[Zenblonde · 7/10 · 22 July 2018]

Spoiler Alert: Denzel Washington acts very convincing in this movie, playing multiple characters. Also the co stars are doing a great job, acting very convincingly. "EQ2" is very graphic, which is why I did not give the film a ten star rating. You will be at the edge of your seat watching this film and there are some great messages for the movie goer. Such as "It takes talent to make money, but it takes brains to keep it". Or "Always be nice to anybody with access to your toothbrush". If you want to see an interesting very graphic crime story unfold and get drawn into terror in Europe as well as natural disasters captured on film, this is the film for you.

Not as Fast paced as the first one

[paniwala · 5/10 · 4 August 2018]

We expected this to be as fast paced as the first one. Very slow narration and at times dragging with too many slow side stories. Action not as fast paced and impactful as the first one. Can wait for it on HBO. Cant believe the director Antoine Fuqua is the same on this one ! Denzel Washington is good but not at his best.

My favorite movie.

[abdulrhmanwe · 19 July 2018]

I really enjoyed with "The Equalizer" and I wished to make "The Equalizer 2" I watched this movie 3 times, was amazing!