The Equalizer 2

Having set himself up as a benevolent righter-of-wrongs on Craigslist, we join Denzel as he goes about his business.

Even as a fan of the first film, I am not sure there was much demand for a sequel. Perhaps they didn’t think Denzel would sign (he had never done a sequel), but he did, so here we are.

Some things that didn’t work in the first film get amplified in this one. The awkward dialogue gets worse as Denzel goes about what is starting to feel like community service rather than badassery. To add to the troubles, there are so many subplots that it becomes quite hard to keep up. It’s a wonder he has time to equalize anything at all.

Still it’s not as bad as it could have been. Denzel is still great in the role, the action is slick and inventive and the supporting cast is well stocked (Pedro Pascal, Melissa Leo…). It’s fun popcorn fodder backed by unusually good direction and performances.