The Equalizer 3 Is a Lot of Fun, Even if You’ve Never Equalized Before: Review
God help you if you’re an Italian gangster in Denzel Washington’s way
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Sonia Ammar, Remo Girone
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Liz Shannon Miller
August 29, 2023
The Pitch: So there’s this guy, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), and he has a very particular set of skills… sorry, wrong franchise. But also, our friend Robert, the titular Equalizer, would probably get along pretty well with Liam Neeson in action mode, as the two share an affinity for killing those that need killing as effectively as possible.
When The Equalizer 3 begins, Robert’s just handled a pretty nasty bit of business on a remote Italian island, but after getting injured in the aftermath, finds himself recovering in a small coastal town — the kind of place where a stranger’s a friend you haven’t met yet, a place filled with good people just trying to get by. Unfortunately for the town, it’s become a target for the literal mafia, with business-minded Vincent (Andrea Scarduzio) not at all shy about using ruthless force to bring the town under his control. Unfortunately for Vincent and every single one of his goons, Robert’s gotten fond of the town — and he’s now feeling up to equalizing this situation.
No “Previously On” Necessary: The Equalizer franchise, such as it is, is a curious one in the year 2023, compared to some of the wildly complex story universes out there. Currently consisting of the original 1980s CBS series, a currently-running CBS reboot starring Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, and three Denzel Washington-starring/Antoine Fuqua-directed films, it’s limited in scope, with individual installments proving to be largely self-contained.
Put it another way: If you’re intrigued by the idea of watching Denzel Washington straight-up murder a crap-ton of bad guys this weekend, but have never Equalized before now, don’t worry about being lost. While there are elements that tie into the previous films, The Equalizer 3 is exceptionally accessible for newcomers.
Part of that is the familiarity of the story, embracing the tropes of classic Westerns (many of which, appropriately enough, were also shot in Italy): The weary gunslinger in search of peace, the townfolk who offer him a haven, and the ruthless outsiders from whom the townfolk need saving. Yet there’s also a sense that the movie knows how exhausting it can be sometimes, to try to keep up with complex backstories and interconnected narratives. Sometimes, it’s just fun to watch Denzel Washington jam a gun into a guy’s eye and then shoot another guy with that same gun, through the first guy’s head.
On the violence spectrum, Fuqua earns that R rating without question, but while there are some visceral moments to inspire wincing, it’s not quite as intense as, say, the John Wick series. But it also lacks the same sense of choreography that those films feature, which adds an extra patina of brutality to the action. Behind the camera is Quentin Tarantino’s go-to cinematographer Robert Richardson, ensuring this movie looks far better than strictly necessary, while also capturing all of the violence with nice clean shots that leave no confusion as to who got got.
The Equalizer 3 (Columbia)
Denzel? Good Actor! The last time a Denzel Washington got a wide release was 2018’s The Equalizer 2, which means it’s been a long time since one of our finest actors has been on the big screen. Frankly, too long, because in his absence, it’s been easy to forget (and this is going to sound a little strange, admittedly) that he’s an amazing actor with his mouth. That’s not a reference to the dialogue of Richard Wenk’s script, which is more than serviceable. It’s that Washington has such control over his instrument as an actor that he’s able to find fascinating ways of shifting his chin and lips that add extra meaning to every scene.
In a cute/oh-god-what-is-time-even touch, The Equalizer 3 reunites Washington with Dakota Fanning, who plays a CIA agent McCall tips off to some international crimes he doesn’t feel like equalizing himself. Previously, the two starred together in 2004’s Man on Fire… when Fanning was 10 years old (again, what is time). As an on-screen duo, they still have great chemistry together, with some of the film’s most amusing moments coming from their back-and-forth.
Unfortunately, as the main villain, Andrea Scarduzio never makes Vincent all that interesting; there aren’t too many shades of grey to be found in someone who commits the many evil acts he does, and the character suffers as a result. Bringing slightly more spark is Andrea Dodero as Vincent’s younger brother and lackey, but neither of them are up to the challenge of standing up to McCall as a character or Washington as an actor. Scenes focusing on them drag in comparison to any moment when Washington is on screen. It’s really not a fair contest, though — this is Denzel Washington, one of the most magnetic movie stars of all time.
The Verdict: Like a bullet fired by the Equalizer himself, this third film is efficient, effective, and entertaining, with a narrative that eschews twists on top of twists in favor of drawing the viewer into this small town where Robert’s found refuge. (Yep, it’s also travel porn, as if CNN uncanceled Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and gave him a bunch of weapons with which to kill the gomorrah.) While the plot might be a little light, it’s an overall satisfying experience. So many people get Equalized. And they all deserve it.
Where to Watch: The Equalizer 3 equalizes its way into theaters on Friday, September 1st.