Washington kicks butt in The Equalizer

   Denzel Washington is back in his best movie since THE BOOK OF ELI with THE EQUALIZER, based on the 80's TV series about a mysterious man who goes around helping people who are victimized by criminals and don't have a fighting chance on their own.
  That is all I will say about the plot and that's all you really need to know going into the film. But please recognize that the film is rated R for strong language and violence.
 Here's the thing that works about THE EQUALIZER besides the performance of Washington and the directing by Antoine Fuqua (who directed Washington to an Academy Award in TRAINING DAY)-you like Robert McCall (Washington) because he's a good person and he goes out of his way to help people-way out of his way. That's something I look for in a movie. A likable or relate-able character. It also helps that McCall can kick some serious butt. When he goes after the scumbags in this movie, you're behind him all the way.
  It also help that the movie has one of the best villains of the year. Martin Csokas plays Teddy, a Russian assassin who is the polar opposite of Robert McCall. Let's just say that he's very mean and very nasty.
  Antoine Fuqua keeps the pace slow, focusing on character development and letting the suspense build. Some might get bored by the deliberate slow pacing, but I believe Fuqua puts it to wonderful use.
 Is there any redeeming social value to THE EQUALIZER? Yes. Always be nice to people. Help them when you can and don't get on Denzel Washington's bad side.
 This is the first review where I will be using the letter grade system, A to F. I believe with the letter grading system, you can see just where a movie stacks up in terms of being good or bad, versus using the four star system.
 I give THE EQUALIZER a B+.