Denzel Washington stars as a former CIA operative (and needless to say, a human killing machine) who singlehandedly takes on the entire Russian mafia. This violent action thriller is based on the 80s TV series with Edward Woodward, though director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) also borrows heavily from David Fincher, aping the arty grunge of Fight Club, the preternatural lighting of Zodiac, and the claustrophobic interiors of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Fuqua isn’t the only one desperate to elevate the routine material; screenwriter David Wenk shoehorns in a needless subplot in which the hero mentors a young loser at the local Home Depot, and Washington grandstands his way through several heated soliloquys. With Chloe Grace Moretz and Marton Csokas.
The Equalizer
R • 2 hours 12 min • 2014
