Denzel Washington is back as The Equalizer. In the first sequel that the Award Winning actor has ever done he returns to the role of Robert McCall. Delivering vigilante justice throughout America, The Equalizer 2 follows the tone of it’s predecessor in expert fashion and delivers upon many levels.
Throughout this video I will be discussing the film’s ending as well as my thoughts on the movie. There will be heavy spoilers for the entire movie so if you haven’t seen it, I suggest you turn off now if you want to go into it unspoiled.
With that out the way, I’m Deffinition and I ruin the movie so you don’t have to.
Plot Synposis
Now working for Lyft, an on demand American taxi service, Robert McCall is able to interact with the general public and help out the unfortunate. With help from his friend Susan Plummer, he aids a holocaust survivor, a troubled youth named Miles Whittaker and more.
During the film, his ally Susan is called to investigate an apparent murder/suicide with her partner Dave York. However, this is a trap and she is killed in an ambush by assailants.
Robert attempts to get to the bottom of this and when he gives a ride to a man that he discovers is an assailant, he murders the man and takes his phone.
That’s bound to put a dent in your driver score.
Dave York
Tracking her death back to York himself he discovers his old friend has been betrayed by the people she trusted most. This sets off a chain of events that puts McCall and his ward Miles, in extreme danger. It is revealed that the because of McCall’s apparent death, the remaining members of the team had been fired, and were forced to find work as freelance assassins.
I don’t know why they didn’t just become Lyft drivers like everyone else.
Susan became a target because she would have suspected that the event in Brussels was from one of her own former colleagues and eventually traced it back to York.
The remaining team members capture Miles and hold him hostage at McCall’s seaside hometown. McCall dispatches them before working his way up to a snipers nest where York has been situated. Luckily, York has worse aim than a stormtrooper so is unable to kill McCall before he reaches him. In a THIS IS SPARTA moment, McCall stabs York and throws him over the edge where he plummets to his death.
Back in Massachusetts, Susan’s information on the painting helps McCall to reunite Sam with his long-lost-sister. Miles finishes the apartment complex restoration from the vandalism, returns to school, and focuses on his art. McCall, having moved back into his old house, then looks out towards the calm sea.
The Themes Of The Equalizer
The Equalizer as a franchise very clearly has a strong theme of family. Whilst McCall’s blood relatives are few and far between, in both film’s he takes a troubled youth under his wing and tries to guide them on the right path. He is a surrogate father in a way but one that is hoping to carry on his legacy of creating a person that looks out for those in need where the police and government have failed them. Miles is clearly his ‘Robin’ for lack of a better term and McCall takes great pride in watching him benefit society rather than be a detriment to it. It’s great to learn at the film’s end that he has discovered his sister once more and hopefully this will heal the character in some way for the inevitable third film.
Though it will probably be about his sister getting shot or something,
McCall is also a man that has gone through a journey of losing and finding a purpose. In the first film when he returned back to a mundane life he tried to convince himself that he was content before eventually giving in to his inner demons when realising that he was allowing evil to triumph when he failed to act. Not only does this tie into the famous Winston Churchill quote but it also is mirrored in the quote by Mark Twain which preceded the first film. That quote was:
The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.
This clearly highlights that McCall needed a reason to live and he is happy with having a job below his skillset as long as he is able to express himself in other means that serve a purpose.
It’s a fascinating look at the psychology of a hero and The Equalizer two carries on this aesthetic in a thrilling way. Whilst the plot’s outcome is rather predictable, Denzel still gives a subtle and charasmatic performance that feels fit for the franchise.
Though both film’s recieved mixed reviews, I’d urge any fans of the first to go and see it because not only does the action in this rival that film but it also carries on it’s strong sense of family and there is a heart to this film.
Your Thoughts
So what did you think of The Equalizer 2? Did you enjoy the film or do you agree with the critics giving it bad reviews? Comment below and let me know and if you enjoyed this video please like it and subscribe to my channel.
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