The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

For the first time in his career, Denzel Washington has shot a sequel, The Equalizer 2. After a four-year wait, fans finally get to see it. So, is Washington’s first sequel the hit that will open the door for more sequels to come, or will it  be his first, and last, sequel?

The Equalizer 2 sets up Robert McCall’s (Denzel Washington) new life. He lives in a dodgy old apartment, helps his neighbours, remains “dead” to everyone, except his only friend Susan (Melissa Leo), drives a Lyft and is now a vigilante on the down-low. From rescuing kidnapped little girls in Turkey to taking revenge for a female rape victim, McCall now answers only to his own conscious. But, when his only friend Susan is brutally murdered, McCall has to return to his old life, find out who is responsible for her death, and face the changes in the world he left behind.

Pretty standard plot; strong vigilante, it gets personal, he violently takes revenge on everyone involved. There were no surprises nor twists in the plot, and even the supposed surprises were heavily foreshadowed and derivative of other films that the audience could see them coming a mile away. Four years from its predecessor, The Equalizer 2 was expected to be much more thrilling than it actually is.

Not only is the plot riddled with clichés but, it tries to cram so many of them (clichés) together that none of them completely fit. The idea of McCall looking out for the kid in his building and taking him under his wing, is one of the many underdeveloped aspects that float around like unfinished thoughts throughout the movie.

As for the acting, Denzel Washington still nails the role of the skillful punisher he had portrayed in the first film. Many would think his age would make the whole “severely mutilating almost four people at once” a bit implausible, but his acting does not give away anything of the sort. Washington actually rounded up enough charisma, and has enough fans, to make this film work even if it really doesn’t. In her short role, Melissa Leo does well, showing how her character really cares about McCall, but she still needed more to have the audience truly sympathize with her and the loss she represents to McCall.

If you just want to see Denzel Washington kick some serious ass, then this is the movie for you. But, if the first one was not really your cup of tea, or you want an action feature with a fresh concept and plot, then maybe this is not for you.