The Equalizer 3 review: 8 / 10 : The Russian mafia, American mercenaries and now the Italian mafia. The equalizer 3 urges our retired government assassin Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) in the beautiful waters of southern Italy. For what we don’t know exactly, but as one encounter builds into the next, we’re promised another raw and action-packed premise as the film progresses. But how does it compare to its predecessors? Let’s dive in.
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead.
We open in a villa in Sicily, the suspected owner and boss of the drug empire moves into the building with his child. As we glimpse the carnage that has occurred, the kingpin orders the child to stay in the car (which is never a good sign). As he and a dude make their way through a maze of gory bodies, we see more and more of the carnage that has taken place. Director Antoine Fuquas camera work slowly pushes us into the residence, carefully focusing on each victim in a horror-like manner that leaves us wondering who exactly the culprit is.
If you guess right, it’s Robert McCall. As the tour pulls up, we see McCall sitting comfortably on a chair held at gunpoint by some surviving goons. McCall is so casual as he carefully grooms his obsessive-compulsive tendencies and folds a napkin in front of the mafiosos. It confuses them (and us) even more about what brought them here, knowing McCall: Did he save a few men on purpose just to get what he wanted? Probably.
It turns out he is in Italy to find a set of keys. We do not yet know what the keys are for and what their meaning is. But as usual, McCall gives them a time limit for their deaths, kills them in quick succession, and retrieves the keys from the former boss.
You probably won’t guess where the story continues, but the movie seems to have two main plots instead of one. McCall soon finds himself on the peaceful (it seems) Amalfi Coast. As he comes to terms with who he used to be and falls in love with his new surroundings, McCall discovers that the town has fallen victim to a local Mafia family seeking control over them. In true Western fashion, Robert McCall is no stranger to taking action to help those in need, no matter how many bodies are left behind.
That’s what separates The equalizer 3 from the first two. Robert no longer has anyone of importance in his life, nor does he know what his purpose is or where he belongs. But between the nice people of town and the deadly forces threatening the town, the former government asset realizes he’s exactly where he needs to be. This is where Washington and Fuqua shine together; they both create an essence of horror mixed with the typical western/action styles, and for the most part it sticks.
The verdict: The Equalizer 3 review
The equalizer draws a fitting conclusion from Robert McCall’s story. While the surface is different from its predecessors, the themes and the actions to support them create a safe ending to the franchise. Although it doesn’t shy away too much from what the public expects from it.
Judgement: 8/10
