The reviews are tepid at best -- and to be honest I was very underwhelmed by the original, which felt like a bit of Taken knock-off at best.
Much of the coverage surrounding this film is focused on the fact that its the first sequel in the 60-something actor's career, and I actually think that represents a distressing turning point. Denzel's name used to almost always suggest a certain level of quality, even if the movie he was in was imperfect.
A great example is last year's flop Roman J. Israel, Esq., which nabbed him a deserved Oscar nom for a very flawed film. It was a different kind of role for Denzel -- he played a wimp -- and clearly audiences didn't know what to make of it.
So now he's back in badass autopilot mode, even though he looks every bit his age and its impossible to believe this his doughy frame is capable of inflicting the kind of physical damage he's supposed to be in these revenge thrillers.
Sadly, his collaboration with director Antoine Fuqua, which was so potent in Training Day, appears to have grown stale (although I remember being pretty entertained by their reboot of The Magnificent Seven). Critics certainly think little of this Equalizer outing, but it also appears to be a solid hit -- meaning at this late stage of his career Denzel could be just another franchise guy, which is a bit of shame if you ask me.
Especially if you consider the fact that just two years ago he delivered one his career-best performances in his adaptation of the stage play Fences. While no blockbuster, the film was a solid success (winning Viola Davis her long overdue first Oscar), and it showed that Denzel was willing to challenge audiences by taking his trusted, beloved persona into darker territory.
He did the same thing very effectively in his other most recent critically acclaimed hit -- Flight -- where he played a alcoholic and drug addicted pilot.
These performances felt revelatory and showed that although Denzel Washington has become one of the most durable and iconic movie stars of the last 30 years, he has still got it as an actor.
And then there are the 'other' films -- tired genre movies that are watchable but also instantly forgettable and seem to be bogged down by self righteous religiosity and other heavy-handed themes.
I've seen this phenomenon before -- brilliant actors like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino eventually squandered their reputations on mediocre genre movies. Like a comedian who's lost a step, it's no fun seeing a once compelling actor slumming it in B-movies where they are trying to impersonate a tough guy but have grown far too old to sell it.
Sure, Liam Neeson did old man action well, but he always seemed to be in on the joke, and his self-awareness and commitment to playing his genre films to the hilt, helped them tremendously. Denzel doesn't seem to be doing anything inspired in most of his late career movies, and while he is still an Oscar mainstay for now he could tip dangerously into say, Bruce Willis territory, if he isn't careful.
Although Roman J. Israel, Esq. was a bomb -- one of the biggest of his career -- I do like that it was a riskier part for him -- and I'd love to see him do more. With the exception of Spike Lee, he hasn't worked with too many prestige auteurs, which is a big bummer. Can you imagine him being directed by a Christopher Nolan, Ava DuVernay or Paul Thomas Anderson?
I would like to see him make a comedy (for years he has been rumored to be considering an Uptown Saturday Night remake with Will Smith), I'd love to see him get to play sexy again (he hasn't had the opportunity since Out of Time). Don't get me wrong, I will always have love for Denzel, but there's something about The Equalizer 2, despite its success at the box office, that feels like a real regression.
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