Crash isn’t a movie I found all that great though my interest was mainly for some of the controversy and honestly as strange as the “plot” and characters were, it’s not that out of bounds at least nowadays.
The Equalizer 3
— Wal-Mart Exclusive Steelbook —
(1996)
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller, Action, Crime
Sony| R – 109 min. – $27.98 | November 14, 2023
Date Published: 12/04/2023 | Author: The Movieman
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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3½/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Since giving his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (DENZELWASHINGTON) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of a local crime boss (ANDREA SCARDUZIO). As events turn deadly, McCall knows that has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.
Quick Hit Review: The Equalizer franchise has been a lot of fun and although I honestly can’t remember a whole lot for the sequel, I have watched the first film a few times over the years and still holds up really well including a well done finale and a truly menacing villain. This third entry, released five years after the last, takes McCall overseas and in the beautiful setting in Italy. While there is a couple interesting shots from director Antoine Fuqua, this one didn’t have quite the same punch as its predecessors, at least in the action arena. However, Denzel Washington for his part is just as charming and engaging as he always is, and it was a lot of fun seeing Dakota Fanning in a nice Man on Fire reunion, even if her role as a CIA agent and that whole thing really had little bearing and could’ve been excised with no noticeable difference.
All in all, The Equalizer 3 is just a solid action-thriller propelled almost entirely on Denzel Washington’s great charisma and alongside a serviceable enough story, although the villain this go around pales in comparison to what Marton Csokas in the first film. Still, this is well worth watching and when comparing to a movie like John Wick: Chapter 4, it’s at least concise and a more reasonable running time. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3½/5 |
| This release, a Wal-Mart exclusive, comes housed in Steelbook packaging and comes with a Digital HD copy redemption code. Personally, I don’t care much for Steelbooks but I guess the artwork is cool, otherwise I’d just prefer the standard packaging.
Blood Brothers: The Collaboration of Denzel Washington & Antoine Fuqua (6:30) which is an interview between the two who have worked together many times over the years. Call to Action (6:03) is a featurette on the action sequences. Robert McCall: A Man of the People (6:33) is on the character progression of McCall. Denzel and Dakota: A Reunion (5:06) are interview clips with Washington and Fanning as they work together for the first time since 2005’s Man on Fire. Postcards from the Amalfi Coast (5:30) looks at the beautiful locations used in the production. Deleted Scenes (18:22) — Several scenes that were cut down or removed, likely for pacing or redundancy. Last is the Lyric Video (3:21) for Jacob Banks’ “Monster” song. |
VIDEO – 4½/5 |
| The Equalizer 3 comes to Blu-ray and is presented with a 2.39 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer. The picture is sharp and well defined and colors do tend to be darker even in the better lit scenes but still some flashes of color do prevail. |
AUDIO – 4¼/5 |
| The disc includes a standard DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which is perfectly fine though a 7.1 or Atmos track would’ve benefited with the action sequences (and from what I can tell, the 4K UHD did get one, so not entirely sure why Sony keeps doing this with their Blu-ray releases). Even so, dialogue comes across clearly and there is decent depth but nothing I’d call remarkable. |
OVERALL – 3½/5 |
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The Equalizer 3 isn’t a great movie by any stretch with a weak villain and side-plots that felt unnecessary even if offered a Man on Fire reunion, but it is entertaining and Denzel Washington, as always, is in his element. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.