The Equalizer (2014) review

Sherlock’s brain, Batman’s moral code, John Wick’s brutality, and John McClane’s DIY skills walk into a hardware store. At first, it is kind of slow, but it gets interesting once the story goes into Slavi’s lair. The direction creates a controlled and tense sense of anticipation, while the cinematography locks in with its cinematic yellow brown lighting and close up framing. I especially love Robert’s habit of planning everything within a split second before attacking, similar to RDJ’s style in Sherlock Holmes (2009) mentally calculating every movement before a fight. That Sherlock quality continues throughout the film whenever Robert quietly observes someone and tries to decode where they came from, what they are thinking, and what they are capable of, much like Sherlock again, but this time Benedict’s 2010 version. Then the violence ensues, and I love it! It feels like John Wick (2014) violence. The hunted suddenly becomes the hunter, and Robert transforms into this terrifying boogeyman who methodically eliminates everyone standing in his way. He is also just like Batman, a vigilante at night with a dual personality who seeks justice for people who cannot defend themselves. Teddy and Robert’s first encounter is brilliant because neither man openly reveals what he knows. They are quietly trying to outwit one another, gauging each other’s intelligence and searching for weaknesses they can exploit. Marton Csokas is a great villain. Stoic with intensity, if that even makes sense. The final set piece feels like John McClane in Die Hard (1988), picking them off one by one. The final standoff between Teddy and Robert is so cinematic and thematically satisfying.