The Equalizer 2 (4 Stars)

The first Equalizer film starring Denzel Washington was a masterpiece, so the second film had a lot to live up to. Would it live up to the original? That's the question I was asking myself when I sat down in the cinema tonight.

The answer is a qualified Yes. Denzel Washington was born for the role of Robert McCall, the retired secret intelligence agent. He's so adept at playing a hard-hitting action hero that he should have been playing roles like this for the last 20 years.

The film's final showdown in the abandoned town is breath-taking. It's one of the best shoot-outs I've ever seen.

The only criticisms I have are of the plot, which I found confusing. It must have been even more difficult to understand for viewers who hadn't seen the first film (or at least the television series). There's no recap of the fact that Robert McCall has retired from active duty and now does favours for those he meets, giving them justice when the legal system lets them down.

In the first film Robert McCall worked in a hardware store. Now he's a taxi driver. That's a good choice of career, because he's confronted with a lot of personal tragedies that he can put right. However, the film's main story is about the murder of a couple in Brussels that has been set up to look like a murder-suicide. The man was a secret agent, a former colleague of McCall's. The reason for the murder was unnecessarily complicated, even though it was explained at the end.

I still think this was a good film, but I think it could have been better. The next film should have a simpler, more linear plot.