(SPOILER WARNING!!! This article does contain spoilers, if you haven’t seen the movie, just see the first paragraph to be informed without spoilers!!!)

The Equalizer is probably one of Denzel Washington’s best acting performance since Training Day, a well put together movie that had some good action, maybe a little to Bourne-ish on the fight scenes, but entertaining movie for the Denzel fans. Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

There are two things that a movie may have where I will be first in line. Any movie with Denzel Washington, and movies filmed in Boston. Denzel Washington is the one actor that I have to see when he is in a movie. He is definitely one of my favorite actors in my lifetime, because he brings intensity and coolness in every role he does. Some of my favorite movies with him are Training Day, John Q, Remember the Titans, and He Got Game. His worst movies were are mediocre to me at best but to me most of his movies are memorable, and deserves more than just two Oscars. I also love movies filmed in my hometown, Boston. I just love seeing landmarks of my old stomping grounds in movies. Even if the movie is horrible, I still will enjoy the scenery of my old city. Some good movies I love that are filmed in Boston are The Departed, The Boondock Saints, Gone Baby Gone, and Mystic River. They filmed Ted 2 a few blocks away from where I live. With The Equalizer I have two of my favorite things, Denzel Washington filming in Boston. It was filmed in the cities of Chelsea, Somerville, and East Boston. (One of the trailers for that movie while filming, backed up into my cousin in law sister’s car.) I knew I was in for treat, and it was a big treat for me. I will start with what I like, to the so so.

What I like, after all the love I gave Denzel, he had made some mediocre movies lately. His acting was always good, but some of his movies were subpar for his standards. However, this movie his acting to me was his best since his Oscar winning role in Training Day (Yes, that included American Gangster and Flight). To me he brought up the intensity to another level as Robert McCall. McCall is a former CIA field agent that retired to live a normal life working at House Mart, a Home Depot pretty much. You relate to him early, because all he is doing is helping people to reach their goals and potentials. Like helping a guy lose weight to pass the security guard test, and pushing him to his potential. He makes it seem that he is a nice guy, and every night he goes to a diner to read his books. There he befriends a prostitute named Teri, played by Chloe Grace Moretz. When he realizes that she is being abused by her pimps and was put to the hospital, he decides to take it in his own hands and punish the abusers. Little did he know that he opened a can of worms by going against the Russian mob. What I liked about McCall is that he is very intelligent when it comes to him punishing the bad guys which he can get very ruthless when he does. Everytimethe bad guys, which includes the mob, crooked cops, and petty thieves, think they have an advantage, McCall is always a step ahead.The main villain of the movie is a Russian mob main investigator, enforcer, and killer, Terry, played by Martin Csokas. He is just like McCall, only he is intelligent and brutal for the wrong reasons. The movie shows how evil his is by the tattoos of devils and demons all around his body. I like how these two really try to one up each other in their cat and mouse game. One of my favorite parts is when Terry sends out a hit man to kill McCall, and as soon as he leaves, McCall comes back with his bloody glasses. That scene shows that they have tremendous respect for each other, but they know only one if them comes out alive. A great good vs evil when it comes to killing, and the story reminds me a lot of one of my favorite Marvel Comics character in The Punisher. Antoine Fuqua directed this movie very well. He pretty much put together a good psychological action movie that can blow your mind, and appreciate the craft of making McCall intense but likable at the same time. I also love how he puts the scenery of the slums of Boston that really goes well with the movie. Chelsea and East Boston are really tough neighborhoods in otherwise a beautiful city in Boston. The tone shows that Boston does have a dark side to a city where it is not always a happy life, but a life as a struggle and hustle to make your ends meet.

The so so, the action was enjoyable for the action junkies, but to me it was a little too Jason Bourne-ish kind of action with the shaky cameras, the close quarter combat, and slow motion. I like how brutal and bone crushing they make the misers to people which really brings it down to Earth. I mean Home Mart (or Home Depot) really is a store full of weapons. The final scene action I have a love/hate relationship. I hate it when it is too dark, but it was made in good taste. The fighting scene with the broken mirrors was ok for me, it almost looked like a UFC grappling fight with glass shards and knives. I really like the final part of that with the fire showers on and McCall finally killing Terry. It was some cool water dripping shots, but I was hoping for a more creative death than Terry getting shot. The last scene where McCall went to Moscow to kill the main Russian mob boss was completely unnesscessary. I mean it was cool how he killed him, but that villain was very underdeveloped in character to care, and brings questions on how McCall gets there and what not. The way the movie ended created a way to make sequels, and they could’ve saved that for the sequel. Also, if you’re watching for Chloe Grace Moretz, you will be disappointed cuz she is only there for one third of the movie.

Overall, I never watched the original 80’s show where this movie is based on, but I believe this movie did that show justice. This movie brings Denzel Washington at his prime best, and shows a different part of my hometown, Boston, which is very satisfying for me. This could be a start of a hero or antihero type of movie franchise, and I am all in!!! Final Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars.