The Equalizer provides an abject lesson in how not to adapt something.
Based on the hit 1980s Edward Woodward TV series, it strives to do justice to its memory. Proving Hollywood’s obsession with plundering classic TV shows can sometimes go awry, this version is best avoided. Contorting its premise to deliver an ultra-violent Death Wish-style vigilante fantasy, The Equalizer is more akin to Rambo than the TV version’s restraint.
Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is a man with a mysterious past and deadly weaponry skills. They come in handy when meeting Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz). Trapped in the vice-like grip of Russian gangsters, she needs all the help McCall can deliver. Taking arms and eager to fight for justice, McCall shows why his new moniker of The Equalizer should be feared by evil-doers crossing his path.
Laced with grisly violence, one dimensional characters and Antoine Fuqua’s heavy handed direction, The Equalizer is a disappointment. Fans of the TV series would be aghast at the changes made. High among them is Washington’s mono-sibylic performance as a man initially wanting a clean slate. Fuqua’s decision to make McCall almost superhuman destroys any semblance of the TV series’ gritty reality.
As each fanciful action sequence appears, the less credibility The Equalizer has. You may as well watch a Superman movie given how ridiculously indestructible McCall becomes. The villains he faces are of the usual clichéd variety further highlighting the scripts’ far-fetched elements. Nothing is believable with the mean-spirited violence offering uncomfortable viewing.
The Equalizer is a mediocre vehicle for Washington and Fuqua, who have both done better. Whilst certain scenes stand out, this overlong ode to brutality proves it takes a certain skill to adapt a property – something The Equalizer’s filmmakers clearly lack.
Reviewed by Patrick Moore
Twitter: @PatrickMoore14
Rating out of 10: 4
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