The Equalizer 3: A Spoiler-Filled Discussion
***As the title would suggest, full spoilers for The Equalizer 3 follow***
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mjY6q0GBpf3XzchRoLZht
In a weird way, all three of the movies in the trilogy for The Equalizer seem somewhat at odds with itself. There is a baseline story in all three entries that is interesting enough to keep the viewer engaged, however there are additional points where the films go a little off the rails.
What Worked
Denzel Washington, as usual, puts on a fantastic performance as Robert McCall. McCall is not your standard assassin; he is a finely tuned weapon that, when deployed, will not fail to accomplish his mission. This is kind of what sets the Equalizer movies apart from other movies in this genre as the action is not constant and all encompassing, the narrative becomes about what leads McCall to put himself in the situation in which he will need to use the full extent of his abilities. As a protagonist, he is engaging and develops well as he deals with his new normal living in this small town in Italy. The rest of the cast like Dakota Fanning and David Denman also do a solid job, even if they don't really fit with the rest of the movie.
The other thing that works well is the development of the town of Altamonte as a character in and of itself. Considering this is a relatively cliché story about a town that has been overrun by an organized crime family until the outsider comes in and drives them out, it is integral for this style narrative to have the entirety of the town function as a character beyond just the individuals that the hero befriends as he begins to acclimate to their lifestyle. As best the movie can considering some of the issues below and its short runtime, the town does feel like a character and feels like it shifts as the movie unfolds.
What Didn't Work
There is one glaring issue with the movie and it is the same issue that plagued the first two entries, there is a simple plot at the core of the movie that is emotional and character driven but it is pushed to the back burner at times for a needlessly complex plot that usually involves some global espionage narrative that does not need to be there at all. In this case, the story is that McCall travels to Italy to retrieve the stolen pension from the criminal who took it and while he is escaping he gets shot and has to recuperate in this small town overrun by criminals. The problem comes in where a not-unsubstantial amount of time is devoted to the fact that the guy who stole the money was also buying drugs from Middle Eastern terrorists who were also using the money to fund terrorist attacks in Rome so McCall has to call in the CIA to help with that problem.
On paper, this is not inherently a problem but the movie is under two hours which leaves very little time to develop out the key emotional moments of the narrative arc out of the gate, let alone when the movie has to show the initial action sequence and then also devote screen time to the CIA investigation that never really dovetails back into the main narrative. While moments like McCall facing down the head of the organized crime family do somewhat land, the emotion of the moment could have cut deeper as the town stands up for itself had there been more time with the town instead of the other subplots.
How You Should Watch This Movie
The Equalizer 3 is the perfect example of what constitutes a four-star entry. There is enough good in the movie to warrant seeing it in a theater and the action sequences do pop really well, however despite a tight runtime, there are still moments where the movie drags because of a subplot that never really amounts to anything major. There is a little something for everyone, even if someone is not a fan of the franchise already, but this is not a movie that would benefit from seeing it as quickly as possible or in the largest screen possible, even if it should be seen in a theater.
★★★★
