Movie Review: The Equalizer 3 - A Story of the Risen Savior

If you enjoy action movies and cultural immersion, then Equalizer 3 is the movie to see. The director, Antoine Fuqua, takes the audience to Alamonte, Italy, and shows us the town's culture. With Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, we become heavily invested in this small town and its people. We start by seeing an aged McCall weakened by a recent attack of three or more men. His leg is severely wounded, and he attempts to retire in Italy, where he meets Enzo, a doctor. In Alamonte, McCall attempts to recover while staying with this doctor; however, trouble reaches its shores.

The mafia, big drug cartels, wealth, and gods. The mentality of the villains is crafty and malicious. The Quaranta brothers corrupt Alamonte and its government. Vincent Quaranta, the eldest, is the head of the operation, working as the brains. He is ruthless and only cares about controlling coastal Italy. He owns numerous hotels and businesses, which he obtained through unfair propositions and violence. While Marco Quaranta is as power-hungry as his brother, he mainly controls the streets of Almonte. He recruits young men to his gang and pressures small businesses to cough up their hard-earned money. When they do not comply, he punishes them by beating them or, worse, taking away their business. These businesses have been around for generations; they are shops passed down from grandfathers, mothers, and other family members. Knowing this information and seeing how close-knit the community is was heartbreaking. Vincent's attitude towards Italy and its people is uncaring. He perceives himself as a god, but the community's faith in the Christian God is too strong. All false gods crumble under their faith.

While trying to start retirement in Italy, the vigilante Robert McCall struggles to determine whether he is a good or bad man. As we wander Almonte searching for his truth, he is met with the Quaranta brothers. He looks at Christian symbols like the cross, Jesus, and Mary in many cinematic shots. McCall was seeking guidance on what to do and how to act now. He could not ignore the violence for long. He saw the people's kindness and love for each other, and there laid his answer. He became their savior and his own. He warned Marco Quaranta after seeing the extreme malice in his heart towards loving, honorable families. Marco, of course, did not think much of this warning and forced McCall's hand. He swiftly and quietly disposed of Marco and his most muscular men. Working closely with CIA agent Emma Collins, he exposed Vincent Quaranta's corruption over the police, government, and drug exports. Frantic after the death of his brother, Vincent heads to Almonte with his small militia, asking for the man responsible for his brother's death. Without an answer, he threatens to shoot and kill a police member who had been abused and threatened by Marco before his death. Robert McCall steps out of the shadows and turns himself in. He sets down his weapons and sacrifices himself for a town that is not his own and a people that are not his own, just as Jesus and other martyrs have done in Christianity. However, the difference between the day Jesus died and McCall's day of sacrifice is that the entire town was behind him. They fearlessly and fiercely protected their savior, allowing McCall time later that night to find and kill Vincent.

The want-to-be false god against the savior of Almonte; the savior is victorious. During this coming of the Grim Reaper, McCall stays in the shadows as he slaughters Vincent's men. Vincent awakes and finds his men all dead. Fearful, he cowers with a gun, shooting every which way. The Roman statues in Vincent's home look down upon him as he is on the floor, scared and flailing. McCall ties him up and fills him with the drugs Vincent previously distributed. He tortures him with an inch of his life to spare and then lets him go. McCall watches him try to escape his inevitable death, crawling on the ground. After Vincent draws his last breath, he walks off. All is revealed to the public the following day, and the CIA takes control. Rober McCall stays in the now peaceful Almonte and is accepted as one of them. The entire film comes full circle with Emma Collins and is concluded with good merit. Justice prevails.

Make sure to catch Equalizer 3 in theaters now! It is a thrilling movie that shouldn't be missed.

Rotten Tomatoes Current Score: 74%

THAheadline Score (THAscore): 8/10

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