After two successful movies in the vigilante thriller genre, Denzel Washington reprises his role as Robert McCall for the final time in The Equalizer 3 to wrap up the trilogy that began in 2014.
Based on the popular 1985 TV series which lasted four seasons, Washington has since put his own stamp on the character: a former US marine and intelligence operative who becomes a ruthless vigilante when confronted with injustice.
In the third and purportedly final instalment, McCall is injured badly after letting his guard down during a mission to retrieve stolen money from a cyber-crime in Italy.
Far from home and on the brink of death, he is rescued by an unassuming local from a little coastal town and nursed by the resident doctor there.
He initially has to spend quite some time to fully recover and, in the process, rediscovers his humanity and begins to bond with the unpretentious community and their bucolic lifestyle.
Unfortunately, the idyllic atmosphere doesn't last long when he comes to realise that the local Mafia is eyeing the location for prime real estate redevelopment.
Putting his very specific skills of solving really deadly problems by utilising simple yet extremely lethal measures, McCall springs into action to save the day.
The movie rides on Washington's magnetic screen presence and ability to portray a conflicted personality with depth in McCall who emotes mostly with his eyes, body language and easy-going charm.
He's a joy to watch on the big screen as he presents a character that viewers can easily root, from having casual conversations with various people to being decisively precise in ruthlessly despatching the outmatched baddies.
Fans of Washington shouldn't miss this but the movie itself stands on its own and those who have not seen the previous two editions will have no problem in enjoying the ride that McCall goes through here as he dispenses his calculated brand of hard justice.
It's interesting that he can be, on one hand, very personable and confident with regular folk despite his idiosyncrasies.
And on the other hand, he can easily switch to become an unstoppable force of nature in a bogeyman-like fashion typically found in horror-slasher movie franchises.
The pacing of the movie is decidedly slow during the first half as it takes its time to introduce the various townsfolk and make viewers care about them.
As things progress, the tension builds before it picks up to elevate the impact when McCall goes all nuclear on the villains.
The exotic setting and beautiful cinematography also add to the charm of the movie as the location becomes character of sorts, making it an even more enjoyable watch.
It's a good revenge movie with a badass anti-hero and a worthy send off to the character that has been dishing up uncompromising street justice for the little people who are trampled on by the bigger powers.
Although it might be a tad formulaic and straightforward, the simple efficiency in its delivery coupled with Washington's unbridled charisma is enough to make this a satisfying escapist endeavour for the duration of its runtime that never outstays its welcome.
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THE EQUALIZER 3
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
Starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Sonia Ammar, Remo Girone
Duration 109 mins
Rating 16