Warning: Major spoilers for The Equalizer 3 below!
Summary
- The Equalizer 3 lacks the unique and well-crafted action scenes seen in the previous movies, resulting in a disappointing and unexciting finale.
- Unlike the first two films, the third movie has a less physically active main character, with no major fight scenes. The final showdown lacks tension and stakes, as it’s clear from the start that McCall is far superior to his opponent.
- The absence of a killer closing sequence is a strange choice, considering the tradition of the series. The finale feels more like a numbingly violent scene from a slasher film, rather than a satisfying conclusion to the action trilogy.
The Equalizer 3 lacks one essential ingredient that made the previous movies so much fun. The Equalizer is a unique series of action movies, in that the main character McCall (Denzel Washington) often tries to avoid violence instead of charging into it. He’s willing to settle disputes with a conversation, but if need be, he can turn items like a corkscrew or a tea kettle into deadly objects. McCall also tends to refrain from killing where possible, though the finales of all three movies show he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.
The trilogy is custom-built around Washington as a performer, and it’s often just as entertaining to watch him perform as it is seeing him take down a room full of thugs. Surprisingly, the third outing strips away familiar tropes from The Equalizer movies of old, such as McCall timing fights with his watch. Needless to say, the film ends with a violent showdown between McCall and mafia chief Vincent (Andrea Scarduzio), but unlike the first two entries, this finale lacks a certain wow factor.
The Equalizer 3 Lacks A Great Final Setpiece Like The First 2 Movies
The Equalizer closes with an elaborate setpiece where McCall lured his foes into the “Home Mart” hardware store he worked in, and killed them one by one with some nasty traps. Arguably the best sequence of the trilogy was the second film’s finale, where McCall faces off against mercenaries in an abandoned town during a hurricane. This finale was tense and exciting, but in contrast, The Equalizer 3’s big showdown is kind of lame.
In general, McCall is less physically active than in prior movies, and the third film lacks any major fight scenes with the character. The third entry’s ending swaps the creative setpieces of past films for a home invasion, where McCall silently dispatches Vincent’s guards, before knocking out the villain and forcing him to overdose on the “Jihad drug” the mafia was selling. While certainly a violent sequence, there are no particular stakes or tension to it either, and it’s clear from the beginning that Vincent is no match for McCall.
Why The Equalizer 3’s Final Fight Is So Disappointing
It became a tradition of The Equalizer series to close on unique, well-crafted action scenes where McCall used the environment around him. Equalizer 3 just settles for a numbingly violent finale that almost feels like something from a slasher film, where McCall easily dispatches his enemies and is never in any real danger. It’s a strange choice, though perhaps director Antoine Fuqua wanted to craft a more personal, smaller-scale final mission for McCall. Either way, the sequel really could have used a killer closing sequence to wrap up this action trilogy.