Denzel Washington puts his own spin on “The Equalizer”
Especially if you’re familiar with the 1980s television series “The Equalizer,” you know Denzel Washington is a far cry from Edward Woodward.
That late British actor gained some of his biggest fame as a former spy turned troubleshooter-for-hire by using his skills to help people “equalize” their problems.
Washington inherits that role, reconfigured considerably for him, in the first movie version of “The Equalizer” ... reuniting him with Antoine Fuqua, the director who steered him to a best-actor Oscar in “Training Day.” Starz Encore shows the 2014 “Equalizer” Thursday, Nov. 9.
Where the original TV “Equalizer” (Queen Latifah stars in CBS’ current reboot) dealt in subtlety and nuance, that’s not so much the case with the big-screen versions, the pattern having been set very successfully in the initial film. In fact, by having Washington’s McCall work in a big-box hardware store, many impromptu weapons are at his disposal. It’s a pretty good bet you’ll never look at a corkscrew in quite the same way after seeing this movie.
The Boston-based McCall actually would be happy not to go back to the tricks of his old trade, but he simply can’t ignore the assault of a young prostitute (Chloe Grace Moretz) whom he knows. The Russian underworld is involved in the attack – so when it becomes clear he’ll be dealing with some tough customers, McCall finds a new use for power saws, among other items.
Is “The Equalizer” grim going? You bet, especially with the visually downbeat motif that Fuqua uses. With its theme of brutal payback, could this have been a vehicle for Liam Neeson rather than for Washington? You bet, again. The basic structure of the TV series provides a convenient framework on which to hang a middle-aged-ex-spy scenario, and the success of many of Neeson’s films have verified that moviegoers will go with it.
The ace in “The Equalizer,” of course, is Washington. His often understated but plainly evident charisma is at work again here (as if it couldn’t be), and he’s always smart enough not to overplay, Though he never had done a sequel before, Washington reprised the McCall role in two “Equalizer” follow-ups, “The Equalizer 3” having been in theaters very recently (and about to be released on physical home media),
In a film that doesn’t have much joy to it, Washington’s mere presence definitely is the joy of “The Equalizer” ... just as its makers intended.