The Equalizer (2014 film)
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The Equalizer is a 2014 action movie directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington, inspired by the TV series.
The protagonist, Robert McCall (Washington) is a retired CIA black ops agent who, after promising his dying wife to leave his former activities behind, now tries to discreetly help his coworkers in the hardware store he works now with their problems. This eventually leads him to trying to help a young prostitute that frequents the same 24/7 dinner than him escape from the grips of a Russian mob. When more diplomatics attempts to do so fail, McCall kills her pimp and his men. Soon the mafia tries to eliminate McCall, but those attemps fail, and eventually this escalate in an ever increasing war between McCall and both the mafia boss Vladimir Pushkin and his enforcer Nicolai Itchenko alias Teddy Rensen, a former member of the Russian secret police and Spetsnaz.
- The Atoner: Trying to make amends for his agency work.
- Boston: The city provides many iconic images.
- Chekhov's Gun: Security guard exercising by dragging heavy tires.
- Combat Pragmatist: Everything is lethal.
- Cultured Badass: McCall reads the '100 Books Everyone Should Read' and discusses philosophy.
- Damsel in Distress: young Russian prostitute
- Determinator: McCall in Home Mart conflict.
- Improvised Weapon: Anything is lethal, especially the local hardware store.
- The Irish Mob: The Irish mob is destroyed by the new Russian mob.
- One Riot, One Ranger: Major hostage situation but hero saves single-handed without back-up.
- Pay Evil Unto Evil: Take no prisoners
- Retired Badass: McCall faking own death to get out of black-ops.
- Ruthless Foreign Gangsters: Those Russian rascals.
- Tranquil Fury: Entering 'kill-zone' before engaging enemy.