All Robert McCall wanted was a nice, quiet retirement. McCall, played by the incredible Denzel Washington, goes on his latest revenge tour — this time with an Italian twist — in the newest entry to the Equalizer franchise with The Equalizer 3, out everywhere on September 1.
Washington teams up with director Antoine Fuqua again, as the duo has done all three Equalizer movies, plus Training Day and The Magnificent Seven. Their collaborations have spanned two decades, and Fuqua knows they have built a strong bond.
“It’s like a shorthand that we have,” Fuqua said of his relationship with Washington. “It makes my life easier.”
For three movies now, McCall has been trying to put his past of violence and enacting personal justice behind him. It just never seems to work out that way.
Things get off to a hot start as we meet McCall at an Italian villa, just having worked his way through a house full of petty thieves and mafia members. On his way out, our anti-hero runs into a child who then shoots him in the back.This sets the journey in motion as McCall ends up in a small coastal village under the care of the wonderful and kindly Enzo (Remo Girone) and helped by local detective and family man, Gio Bonucci (Eugenio Mastrandrea). For a very short amount of time, McCall gets to enjoy his recovery as he visits the local cafe, drinks his hot tea and makes friends with the locals.
Unsurprisingly, the respite doesn’t last as this quaint village is terrorized by mafia henchmen, including shakedown man Marco Quaranta (Andrea Dodero). It turns out Marco is the younger brother of the bigger, badder Vincent (Andrea Scarduzio), and he doesn’t particularly appreciate McCall butting in on his business.
Denzel Washington sends a painful message in this exclusive clip from #TheEqualizer3 – in theaters September 1.
Be sure to check in with @Fandango at 8am PT when director Antoine Fuqua breaks down the scene. pic.twitter.com/WGDCZ25Vfg
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) August 24, 2023
There’s also a reunion on-screen between Washington and actress Dakota Fanning, who plays Emma Collins, an agent helping unfurl the whole mystery. It’s the first time that the Man on Fire costars have been acting across from one another in 20 years, and the connection is evident.
“I loved to see it. I loved to see them on camera together,” stated Fuqua. “I also loved watching them when they weren’t on camera, just talking.”
The Equalizer 3 continues with all of the things you would expect from the series. It has a lot of very bad men doing very bad things and McCall coming in to rectify the situation for those who can’t save themselves. It’s brutal and violent, like its predecessors, but it’s also beautifully shot by Fuqua.
If you find yourself with a free afternoon or evening this fall, there are far worse ways to spend it than in a theater with popcorn watching Washington do his thing. He’s just as commanding on screen as he ever has been, and there’s a reason he’s still one of the best in the business.
But the question remains: will Robert McCall actually ever get that quiet retirement? Fuqua says don’t rule it out for The Equalizer 4.
“Roberto, on a yacht in the Mediterranean? Eating some sardines and pasta? I would do that.”
Check out The Equalizer 3, in theaters September 1.