Just A Quickie Please: The Equalizer (2014) Review

The director of Training Day brings us his second outing with Mr. Washington in this Millennial reboot of the popular 80's series.  And as with the litany of films miserably portraying most re-envisionings of fairly well-crafted television franchises I went into this with lowered expectations.  I am ecstatic to report that this is not one of those re-imaginings.  Washington delivers a subdued by stellar performance as the modern urban interpretation of the man with no name.   Mortez is convincing in her more minor role, providing a gritty, genuine, and at times playful, presentation.  And Csokas rounds out the cast as a delightfully cliched Russian troubleshooter who spews each deliciously ominous platitude with an inspired dedication and certainty.   The action is well choreographed and convincing, adding some unique twists to avoid becoming trite.  And unlike most cases anymore, the slow motion sequences are apropos and effective.  Although, many would consider many aspects predictable, the script provides enough surprises to keep it fresh and utterly entertaining.   It's nice to see a feature where we can root for the good guy again and not feel overindulged because of it.  3 out of 5 Kernels:  No one does understated bad arsery like Denzel.