The Equalizer (2014)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: The Equalizer is more stylishly violent than meaningful, but with Antoine Fuqua behind the cameras and Denzel Washington dispensing justice, it delivers.
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Cast
as Robert McCall
as Teddy
as Teri
as Masters
as Brian Plummer
as Susan Plummer
as Mandy
as Slavi
as Ralphie
as Tevi
as Vladimir Pushkin
as Lead Investigator
as Pederson
as Remar
as Jenny
as Marcus
as Jay
as HM Brian
as Marat
as Little John Looney
as Andri
as Detective Gilly
as Detective Gilly
as Detective Harris
as Counterman
as Thief
as Ralphie's Mom
as Agent Mosley
as P&E Worker
as Homeowner
as Laborer
as Reporter
as Bank Officer
as Teddy's Guy
as Teddy's Guy
as Teddy's Guy
as Teddy's Guy
as Teddy's Guy
as Teddy's Guy
News & Interviews for The Equalizer
Critic Reviews for The Equalizer
All Critics (189) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (113) | Rotten (76) | DVD (2)
The movie's all about reading, especially with a critical eye, but when you take too close a look at its disparate parts, they neither add up nor have anything constructive to teach.
The director, Antoine Fuqua, relies on small details, which anchor the vigilante-as-saint myth in at least a minimal degree of reality.
Fuqua infuses The Equalizer with a low-key energy and is in no hurry to rush into things.
When was the last time you saw a lone hero stride toward the climactic killing ground in slow motion? Yesterday? An hour ago?
It gets sillier as it goes along, but it's never not entertaining.
I could have done without the barbed-wire noose and glass-shard fight on shattered mirrors. But I couldn't have done without Washington, who, like Liam Neeson, has reached a new cruising altitude as a leading man.
Audience Reviews for The Equalizer
Squadrons of foreign baddies are coldly dispensed with using extreme prejudice, left and right, up and down, our hero a cynical garbage collector and no more. As cookie cutter as they come, this genre apparently a cash cow for all of Hollywood.
Super Reviewer
A vigilante action thriller that gets going very slowly and easily could have clocked in under two hours, but can rely on a charismatic leading man. Especially during the showdown the violence is surprisingly brutal, but there is little excitement building up, because our hero is so godamn cool and competent in each of its slow-motions, that you never doubt he could succeed. That's rather entertaining but could have been much cooler with more interesting minor characters and a little more threat.
Super Reviewer
Antoine Fuqua's The Equalizer takes a trip through Home Mart. A lengthy and cautiously paced introduction set things into motion. A lot is shrouded in mystery in the early going, but it all does its job when the story gets going. The atmosphere and mood of this action thriller proves to be the key to this picture. Then there's the action. The action is stylized; however, it does contain a sense of realism to it all. The mature violence also fits well with the story concept. DIY. To the film's advantage, Denzel Washington ends up with a likable character with an equal adversary, Marton Csokas, roaming the aisles. Chloe Grace Moretz has her moments early on. Despite a 2+ hour tedious pace, The Equalizer manages to become a rewarding thriller.
Super Reviewer
The Equalizer Quotes
| Teri: | What's your book about? |
| Robert McCall: | It's about a guy who is a knight in shining armour, except he lives in a world where knights don't exist anymore. |
| Susan Plummer: | He didn't come for help. He came for permission. |
| Brian Plummer: | Can you help him? |
| Susan Plummer: | He didn't come for help. He came for permission. |
| Robert McCall: | You ask me what do I see when I look at you. What do you see when you look at me? |