The Equalizer 3 is Denzel Washington in full flight

There has long been a debate in Hollywood – what is the difference between a great actor and a great movie star?

A great actor is someone who elevates the material, and a great movie star has a star quality that doesn’t allow you to take your eye off them.

In The Equalizer 3, Denzel Washington provides an answer to the debate.

In a fairly typical and by-the-numbers script, Denzel Washington gives it a sense of gravitas and dignity it otherwise wouldn’t have.

The third entry of the Equalizer franchise sees our hero face off against the Italian mafia, and if you want the brief version of the review, the film delivers on the promise of seeing the legendary Oscar-winning actor go to town on some mafia members.

What is most surprising about The Equalizer 3 is that it feels more like a classic Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, and for the first hour or so of the movie, our hero is limited to just one action sequence as he enjoys his life in a small Italian town, gets to know the locals and understands the problems the townspeople have.

It’s a very nuts-and-bolts story set-up; we are introduced to the hero, we meet the townsfolk, the problem is established, and the hero takes care of the criminal menace infecting the town.

All of this would be generic straight-to-streaming slop were it not for our leading man.

Director Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington have a storied partnership, with their most successful collaboration being the Oscar-winning drama Training Day, and with their partnership hitting the 20-year-plus mark the duo know how to get the best out of each other.

Fuqua knows we’re here to see one of our great movie stars go to town on some bad people, and he delivers it with some panache.

The violence on display in The Equalizer 3 feels almost Tarantino-esque or Italian neo-realist in parts, and this may be due to the influence of cinematographer Robert Richardson.

Richardson has served as cinematographer on classic films such as JFK, The Aviator and indeed Tarantino’s own Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, and the film makes the most out of his talents.

Some stunning Italian locales are juxtaposed with some truly nasty set pieces that add a dash of red to the colour palette.

The violence is very much separated from the nearly Buster Keaton-style violence of the John Wick films or the balletic nature of last year’s RRR, and feels impactful and weighty. 

A third-act set piece plays out more akin to a Halloween movie than a typical action set piece, and there is just enough imagination on display to recommend the film to action fans.

The Equalizer movies were never wall-to-wall action, so when the bullets start flying and the blood is spilt, it has some actual weight and meaning behind it.

The spirit of Tony Scott has hung over Denzel Washington’s career, with their 2004 film Man On Fire serving as perhaps the best version of that partnership, and the film attempts to invoke the cult classic by drafting in his old co-star Dakota Fanning.

When the pair share scenes together, it feels like an episode of Fraiser when someone from Cheers pops in to say hello, and the character pairing merely exists to serve a B-plot that barely services the main plot.

Washington and Fanning share roughly 4 scenes together, and in those scenes, it commits the ultimate sin of filmmaking: it reminds you of a better film you want to watch.

While the film does have those substantial issues, The Equalizer 3 is still a mighty enjoyable time at the cinema and another great addition to the genre of movies you watch 20 minutes of in a hotel room while channel hopping.

In a summer defined by bloated budgets and huge effects-driven spectacles, it’s the more restrained, yet effective action of The Equalizer 3 that has the last laugh.