After a rewatch ofThe Equalizertrilogy, I can see why Denzel Washington broke his no sequels rule to flesh out McCall.The Equalizermoviesgave Washington his very first franchise, with the star having avoided sequels throughout his career. In the past, there had been sequel plans for Spike Lee’sInside Manor Washington’s sleek neo-noirDevil in a Blue Dress, but nothing came of them.The Equalizersare the most popular ofWashington and director Antoine Fuqua’s movies, with each entry finding the title character (AKA Robert McCall) righting various wrongs.
Considering Washington’s shift towards the action genre during the 2000s (as seen in the likes ofMan on FireorThe Book of Eli), it made sense for him to find a series he could return to every few years.DespiteThe Equalizer 3’sendingteasing the end of the series, I’m glad Washington has signed on for two more entries(viaEsquire). Each new movie reveals more layers to McCall as a character too, so unlike most of Washington’s movies, there were clearly more stories to tell about him.
Rewatching The Equalizer, It’s Clear Robert McCall Needed More Than 1 Movie To Explore Fully
McCall’s story was just beginning in The Equalizer
The Equalizeris a serialized story by its very nature. It was based on the hit 1980s series of the same name, where each episode saw Edward Woodward’s McCall helping out a new group of innocents. The 2014 film presented a new take on McCall, who is a widowed former government agent who, having faked his death, is living a quiet, somewhat solitary life. He clearly has a big heart, but keeps a certain distance from the people in his life, andit’s clear McCall has lost a sense of purpose following his wife’s passing.
In theJohn Wickmovies, it’s clear that Wick is so desperate for action after his own wife’s death that he uses the murder of his dog as an excuse to kill some people. He’s lost his purpose, but whereas Wick’s outlet for his pent-up anger and grief is shooting people in the face, McCall is very different.McCall uses violence as a last resort, almost always giving evildoers the chance to stop and walk awaybefore he equalizes the situation.
McCall avoids using guns (whenever possible) and is a master at using improvised objects to fight his way out of trouble.The Equalizer’shero could have been a two-dimensional badass, but Washington has no interest in playing that. I love thatMcCall IS a badass, but he doesn’t flaunt itand prefers a good conversation over a fight. The movies give a lot of texture to McCall too, paying attention to his OCD and how the loss of his wife has affected his emotions.
Given how much potential McCall had as a character and the way audiences responded to him, it would have been a genuine shame had anEqualizersequel not happened.
The Equalizercloses with McCall at the beginning of his vigilante career, so it was already primed for sequels. Given how much potential McCall had as a character and the way audiences responded to him, it would have been a genuine shame had a follow-up not happened.
Robert McCall’s Finding Purpose In The Equalizer Was The Whole Point
The Equalizer 3 saw McCall give up his McCalling
The Equalizer 2saw McCall fully embracing his alter ego, which included helping good people sort out ugly issues with their lives and finding the people who killed his former partner. What I find really interesting about the third movie is how it opens, which shows the toll the violence has taken on him over the years. He’s seen brutally gunning down a gangster and his henchmen, and the former warmth of the character appears to have been stomped out.
Before Denzel Washington signed on, hisAmerican Gangsterco-star Russell Crowe was in line to playThe Equalizer.
It’s only after being nursed back to health in a small Italian village that he finds his humanity again - and the place that will be his new home.Having made peace with his past and scoring a second chance to be happy,The Equalizer 3pays off McCall’s whole arcthroughout the franchise. The only downside to a fourth film happening for me is that this happy ending will need to be undone. Even so, as somebody who can’t turn away from injustice, McCall’s return to equalizing feels inevitable.
Source:Esquire
The Equalizer
The Equalizer is a crime-focused action-thriller franchise initially created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. The franchise began with the 1985 series that followed Robert McCall, a retired intelligence agent who uses his deadly and varied skillset to help those that society cannot save. The film franchise has stood out as the most iconic, with Denzel Washington in the role of the new Robert McCall, with a reboot television series starring Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall.
Cast
The Equalizer is an action thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua starring Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a former intelligence operative who lives a quiet life in Boston. When he encounters a young girl named Teri, played by Chloë Grace Moretz, threatened by violent Russian gangsters, McCall comes out of retirement to use his skills to restore justice. The film reimagines the 1980s TV series of the same name.
