THE EQUALIZER 2 Trailer

I didn't enjoy the first and that trailer seemed to go on forever..........but it's going to make a fortune.

Which reminds me.......my man.......stop it now.

THIS

I was entertained enough by the first film (although having seen it the same day as the underrated A Walk Among the Tombstones, I kinda wish he and Neeson had traded projects), but watching this trailer made me wish that Washington would work with Refn. Just a violent blood opera, utterly unflinching and unfriendly.

With cinematography from Mihai Malaimare, Jr., who should work on a proper noir someday.

For what it was I liked the first one just fine and I think it has Denzel best performance in an action movie in over 10 years (or maybe just behind Pelham 123 where he's terrific), so let's hope this one is at least as good and that it makes a bunch of money, especially after Denzel first flop in forever.

Hope a serious film project will comes soon tho.

A dire 2nd trailer .........Denzel Washington has gone into his 60s in great form and done some of his best work ever in film and theater - he's had an impressive last decade or so.

But there will always be this schizophrenic path to his career - and this makes up a lot of his filmography - of this weird heavy handed solemnity schtick or much worse than that, a too cool for school Joe Cool D*ckhead-era formula product and (sadly) here it is again. There are certain actors everyone likes in everything and he's one of them but I never liked this Denzel Washington at all.

I know people will tell me to lighten up but I'd say rather toughen up. This is his crap, this is his "consistency" and the only reason people let it slide is the same reason they let it slide for Liam Neeson's cash grab flicks............they make money.

Not a good enough reason ......

Looks fine. I was pretty meh on the first one. Like it’s well-made and Denzel is reliable as usual but it just got kinda boring seeing him effortlessly beat up people for 2 hours. Like, the action probably would’ve been more exciting if there was even a tiny bit of difficulty dispatching anybody. So this looks like more of the same: Denzel beating up guys with ease for a couple hours. It will probably please fans of the first film, but I’m not sure this’ll be the film for me.

Yeah, y'all need to chill

This so-called "Joe Cool" (very IMDB era term.lol!) schtick (ie Denzel in action star mode) is part of what makes him not only arguably the greatest American actor of all time, but also arguably the greatest American movie star ever as well. Very few actors ever did both as seamlessly as Washington (Brando had the actor and movie star bit covered, but could be inconsistent or lazy in both departments). And he sometimes combines both to incredible effect in things like The Book Of Eli, where he's both an action star and playing a clearly defined, very specific character role. People like him in  this mode, because it works. He doesn't come off as an embarrasment or a try-hard (see Sean Penn in The Gunman. He so wanted to have his Denzel/Bourne action franchise, but found out it's  harder than it looks). Trust me, plenty of Great Actors are jealous as fuck that Washington has the talent and magnetism to pull this career double-act off, without losing an iota of acting kudos. It's one of the great magic acts in the career of a major actor, and almost no one else pulls it off like him. 

Pacino tried. His "Joe Cool" movie star schtick, particularly as he went past middle age was just embarrassing. Screaming at the top of his lungs, wearing a leather jacket and goatee and waving a gun in things like The Recruit, 88 Minutes and Two for The Money. It just didn't work and he tarnished his brand by seeming like a caricature. 

All consistently working movie stars have a default mode, particularly when the roles are less defined or complex. Washington's default mode just happens to be one that people find entertaining, iconic and not embarrassing. All movie stars should be so lucky. Frankly, it's the difference between Washington and Pacino/DeNiro (who both have default modes that  are either way too over-the-top, or in DeNiro's case, sleep inducing).

Liam Neeson doesn't really get a pass for anything either. His action films stopped making big money years ago (his last action flick, The Commuter did 36 million domestic). Unlike Denzel, Neeson has tarnished his brand by milking the corpse to death, while Washington mixes it up and frankly, gives stronger performances in his action movies, and regularly gives non-action film performances. Neeson had a moment of praise for his action-hero resurgance, but these days he's sort of written off as a B-lister who pumps out these things too much (ie he's become Charles Bronson, and it often gets overlooked that he used to be a prestige actor. Neeson doesn't have half the acting kudos that he once did). Washington paces himself and doesn't hurt his brand.

 Except you are literally the only person on this thread even crapping on the trailer. It's a bizarre complaint. This thread isn't even "the public". It's your fellow film nerd brethren, and they mostly even just think it's looks like a highly entertaining action film. You've never needed much of an excuse to downplay Washington's increasinagly rock solid GOAT claim, but this is weak sauce even by your usual standards. He can't make Roman J Israel, Esq every day (Oh, I forgot, you thought that one sucked too ). Action mode Denzel or socially awkward Oscarworthy Denzel.....you've kinda bitched about both back to back. But hey, at least you made time for his play.

Pac, I've known you too long to bullshit you about this. You look for reasons to downgrade Washington. You just do. It's a thing for you. He's always been the guy most likely to supercede the legacy of the guys you most worship or respect (ie Pacino and to  a lesser extent DeNiro), and frankly, I think he's pretty already much done it. You give the guy some credit (it'd be pretty hard not to, considering all he's achieved), but there's a strong element of resistance.

It's  not Washington's fault he's passed Pacino Oscar record. It's not Washington's fault that people consider him a credible aging action star, which never happened for Pacino in his chintzy leather jacket run.

So now Washington can't do anymore action roles, cuz....? Yeah buddy, those 8 Oscar nods, 2 wins, Tony nods are really going to lose all meaning because Denzel succesfully guns down people in another movie that makes 100+ million.  It's asinine as fuck. 1/3rd of his movies are movies that movie stars make to entertain the public and remain bankable so they can also do more artistic shit and broadway plays. What a novel concept. He's America's greatest living actor, with nothing left to prove to anyone. He can do what the hell he wants. And thanks to things like The Equalizer 2, Washington has the career leverage to bring all 10 of August Wilson's plays to the screen in an HBO deal. The type of artistic cashing-in of his chips that few will ever match.

Just being honest my friend. You give your 2 cents in pretty much every Washington related topic, so I feel I can keep it 100 with you.

None of what I said ( all of which I stand by) makes you a bad person or unknowledgeable about film, acting, the industry etc. I have a lot of respect for your overall knowledge, even when we often disagree. It just makes you human.

Do I think you are often insincere and cynically motivated when assessing Washington's merits? Hell yes. But I've said this to you many times in the past, so I'm not sure why you think this is a new or controversial thing for me to state.

I don't think you love that part of his filmography, but you fully well understand why it exists and how it feasibly allows him to sustain his many incredible artistic endeavours. You are not dumb. No Equalizer= No Fences.You used to call it good'career management'. Now it's "crap" (mainly because he gets almost no blowback for it, and his reputation is getting more unassailable by the minute).

People understand why Pacino makes things like 88 Minutes, Two For The Money, Misconduct, Hangman, and Righteous Kill etc. To sustain his bankability/marketability to allow him to do more artistically challenging projects. The problem is, few people think the films are "good" or that Pacino is particularly "good" in them, and that's why he gets hammered for them. Pacino doesn't get hammered for them because they aren't "high art". Wheras the opposite is the case for Washington and his programmmers. People generally think most of them are good (or at least entertaining) and that he's always good (sometimes great) in them. From your perspective, I can see how unfair it might look. That Washington gets away/thrives with choices someone like Pacino routinely gets murdered for. Both guys are extremely talented, but Washington just has more of a talent to make that thing work for him. And it allows him to make more of them than someone like Pacino (who likely would make more, if they had the success and acclaim of Washington's programmers). Such is life.

Again, none of this makes you a bad person or insincere in every other respect. And I generally enjoy our back and forths, so don't take it personally.