The Equalizer 2 (2018)
There is no equal.
Picking up where we kind off left of forever ago so that we can check out something newer next week, we’ll jump right into a movie that I’m pretty sure every person watching tonight has watched already. To be real, movies have started blending together for me and making it hard to remember just what I have and haven’t watched until I’ve gotten a chunk of the way in. This isn’t the first time it’s happened either - Netflix once changed the “box art” to a movie whose description and name I didn’t remember until I got about 10 minutes in and remembered exactly what was going to happen because I had seen it before. This one - pretty much the same thing really, but we started it and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t bad - so let’s balance those scales with The Equalizer 2.
Our boy is back to doing good deeds for people while being a Lyft driver taxi-ing people about. This plays out for a little while after our initial introduction of him saving a kid from a foreign place, and pretty much entirely just cements the character’s morals and well, character. When his old friend gets murdered though, it’s time for some gold old revenge - while also straightening out one of the local youths to again reinforce his good character. Turns out there’s some people about that seem to be taking out assets, and our leads friend was on the list - but things really start to unravel for the murder crew and action starts ramping up when they extend the hit to trying to take out our lead.
Actors do a good job here. We expect it from a bunch of them, true, and you’ll surely recognize at least two of the actors in here if not more. They do a good job with line deliveries, but the body game is on point as well, with plenty of scenes not even needing the dialogue when you catch the glance that’s being thrown about. Side characters that come and go might not be quite as impressive a job as the mains, but considering a lot of the sides aren’t on screen for more than ten minutes it’d be pretty nuts if they could leave a huge impression of massive unbearable talent in such a time. That said, nobody here is bad at their job, and if I had to pull a weakest link it’d probably be the two kids of the agent - which also have an incredibly light amount of time so even then it’s less they are horrible and more me just having to pick someone.
Characters are there, and certainly they aren’t all unique to a T. The movie really doesn’t require it though, as it still gets across the stuff it wants to and gives us a good time. Our main villain has reasoning for their actions, even if you won’t like him for it or it’s not some mind blowing epiphany or anything. Our lead is a stand up guy, has history, and plenty of quirks to keep you interested and make him feel more alive. Most the time you’ll be with him as he tries to improve the folks around him and work at that infectious level of hope and goodness - but when he turns on that switch for being menacing you don’t doubt this guy was trained to do some damage at some point. Even our trouble youth gets enough little story bits to his character to let him feel like he’s progressing and allow you to root for him as the movie goes.
Nice neighborhood for a nice guy.
The setting is modern, so there’s only so far you can go with costumes. Our lead has a bit of a disguise on at the start of the movie, which does look believable and pretty good - but from there it’s almost entirely modern day attire, particularly dress and dress casual. You’ll get a little bit of the ethnic or urban dress as well - but none of it stands out because it’s doing a wonderful job of being a believable and modern look, which is the biggest downside to believable modern costume. The military gear we see looks pretty good though, so no problems there. Most the scenery falls into everything being normal as well - with probably the biggest stand out being the storm-slammed town at the end of the movie, as the weather enhances the mood of everything going on greatly when we get to it.
Action exists in here, what with it being an action movie. There’s some chop to the fights as it cuts around, but it’s not normally enough to feel jarring as much as it feels like they just didn’t fit everything they wanted to show in one angle of the shot. Given that most the fights aren’t high-flying spin maneuvers probably helps the cuts feel less jarring - kind of keeps it easier to feel the flow as new threats and elements are introduced by shifting the camera with a cut than doing it so often it feels like it’s just covering up for something. Most the violence isn’t that bad - lots of breaks and some cuts, nothing overly grotesque - but there are a few brutal spots in there, especially towards the end when consequence has come knocking.
Audio is well balanced. My system was doing a good job of making everything quiet for some reason tonight, so I did have to turn up the volume - but that’s not the movies fault. The subtitles could have been a bit better if I’m being honest - whether it’s the movie or Hulu to blame. Plenty of times something is spoken in a different language and the subtitles will just throw in a stop-gap “speaking in X” that doesn’t help to inform someone who doesn’t know that language what is being said. I guess in the end it really doesn’t hurt the movie at all, but it’s a nice touch when closed captions or subtitles will help you understand audio instead of just pointing out that there is audio. Course, there’s some stuff in there for the thinking folk - beyond the initial whose the bad guy thoughts. You get the commentary on choice and troubled youth in urban settings, that line of consequences for your actions, being a better man, and overall just right from wrong. It’s not all super nuanced, and some of it is more layered and thought out then others - but there’s plenty to chase after if you want more than just a static mind of enjoyment.
Pascal could totally be a convincing K-mart Nathan Fillion
It’s a good flick. Re-watching it has done a good job of getting me ready for the next one - as far as excitement goes anyways, as I don’t know if there’s any carry through from this or the first. Actors do a good job, and you’ll recognize more than you might have remembered being in there. Action is decent and not overbearing, but also still a bit of a product of it’s time with how it’s shot (which isn’t entirely a negative thing). The movie works well as a stand alone without knowing the first, but the first certainly doesn’t hinder anything by having seen it before this one - I can only assume the third will follow suit. Either way, you got a few to kill this fella will keep you entertained for a while and get some of those ooo’s and ouches in!