For anyone that remembers the original Equalizer TV show from the mid to late eighties, you might be surprised to hear that it’s on its was back with a movie adaptation starring Denzel Washington in the lead role. With similarities to both Taken and Man On Fire, it’s an action thriller that taps into our deep seated need for retribution for wrongdoings and with Washington in the lead role, reuniting with director Antoine Fuqua following their work together on Training Day, it looks set to string the concept together well.
The Equalizer (2014) is scheduled for a US and UK release date of the 26th September 2014, and it’s got classic 2D viewing written all over it, although it will be available on IMAX too for a supersized viewing of the film. The world premier of the film will take place at the Toronto International Film Festival at the Roy Thomson Hall on the 7th September 2014, giving film journalists a chance to view the film prior to its official release date.
Similar to the original TV series, the story for the 2014 movie sees former special operations commando Robert McCall (Washington) lending a protective helping hand to people in trouble. In this case it’s an escort by the name of Teri, who pierces McCall’s reclusive and formulaic retirement with the brutality of her boss and Russian crime boss Teddy weighing heavily on her very existence.
Robert McCall finds himself impossibly wrapped up in the devastation of the situation as he’s incapable of standing by in the face of injustice, but things aren’t quite as easy as his first do-good efforts to return a ring to a colleague who was robbed at gunpoint by a petty thief. As you can see in the trailer below, Teddy tends not to pull any punches in his iron fist control over Teri, but McCall has a few high-impact tricks up his relatively nondescript sleeves and the stage is set for an epic showdown between the former spec-ops agent and his new-found Russian mafia enemies.
Denzel Washington is joined by a cast that includes Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick Ass 2) as Teri, building on her Hit Girl action credentials with more of a serious role, and Marton Csokas (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For) as her tormentor Teddy. The movie also stars Bill Pullman (The Unbelievers), Melissa Leo (Red State) and David Harbour (The Green Hornet).
The Equalizer (2014) looks set to be an impressive reboot of the 80s TV show, with Denzel Washington filling the pretty hefty boots of Edward Woodward (Wicker Man). By all accounts this probably won’t be the last time we see Washington in the role either, as there’s already talk of a sequel in the offing, so it’s possible that we could see the movie turn into a series over the coming years.
The Equalizer (2014) movie poster:
 movie details and trailer from the film section of Tuppence Magazine, including story, release date and cast information for the reboot.){kind=link}