Chronicles in film

Justice knows no borders; Denzel Washingto knows the end of the road is nigh in The Equalizer 3.

For the third and final time, Antoine Fuqua and Washington work together on the movie version of the cult 1980s television series, which was essential Sunday viewing on ITV, with Robert Woodward, the man who gets justice for the oppressed. When Hollywood gets involved, we know that much-loved cult TV shows are going to be drastically different .

When the 2014 first outing was a solid, straightforward story, the 2018 version had a plot that was just a disappointment.  In 2023, the third film amps up the violence in a graphically entertaining action thriller that Charles Bronson would be proud of in his heyday. A 21st Century ‘Death Wish’? Maybe.

When we meet Robert, he’s been held captive in a vineyard in Sicily. Before we actually meet him, we get to see the ‘mess’ he’s left behind. After ‘justice’ has been served, Robert notices he’s been shot but finds a way to escape not just from the vineyard but also from the island onto the Italian mainland. He is found nearing death when a stranger (Eugenio Mastrandrea) takes him to the village of Altamonte to see the local doctor, Enzo Arisio (Remo Girone).

Slowly, Robert recovers and wanders around the quiet place where everyone knows each other. There is a community spirit Robert loves and even thrives on, and the locals start to accept him as one of their own. Has Robert finally found the one place he can retire to? That peace is broken when the local mafia (The Camorra) threatens the locals to turn Altamonte into a holiday resort for tourists, complete with hotels, casinos, and restaurants.

Despite the happiness Robert now has, the burning question is: will he stay in Italy or flee before trouble follows him to Altamonte? Something has followed him to the coastal village from Sicily. It comes in the shape of CIA Agent Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning), who is following a ‘tip’ from Robert.

The Equaliser 3 is my personal favourite of all the films. Probably because of my time living and working on the Amalfi Coast many years ago. I also felt that sense of community that Robert experienced and found it hard when I finally had to return home. The film at times is like a travelogue for the Amalfi Coast, with towns like Amalfi, Minori, and Maiori taking centre stage as much as Naples.

Denzel Washington is a delight to watch on screen, even just watching him use the napkins and spoon for his tea, interact with the locals, and even the local mobsters; he just has charisma. Systematic in everything he does and silence is deadly when it comes to Mr. McColl; when he tells you to do something, you should do it.

Things might be a little more dramatic in the previous two outings. We spend a lot of time seeing Robert recover from his wounds and reflecting. Richard Wenk has even written a script that tiptoes into The Godfather territory. This doesn’t mean the film is lacking action; far from it. Robert McColl is a killing machine, and when the action hits the screen, he’s brutal in his delivery. Nothing scares our vigilante maestro, not even Italy’s deadliest.

The side story with Agent Collins, played by Fanning, could have easily been cut from the film. However, it was a nice touch and a Man On Fire reunion, marking the first time both have worked together in twenty years. Right at the end there is a little ‘Easter Egg’ franchise fans will like with Collins.

The Equalizer 3 is its own self-contained story, and it might come with a sense of predictability, but that’s not a negative. It’s a send-off that only Robert McColl knows best—brutal, honest, and highly entertaining. Your redemption is over; go in peace.

★★★★

Action, Crime | USA, 2023 | 15 | Cinema | 30th August 2023 (UK) | Sony Pictures Releasing | Dir.Antoine Fuqua | Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Remo Girone

The above review was originally posted at The Peoples Movies on 4th September 2023 | original link