The Equalizer 2

The cracking pre-credits opening to the sequel of the hit revamp of the old US TV show finds Denzel Washington's do-gooding ex-government spook Robert McCall in the middle of a train-bound mission (à la James Bond) in Turkey. Once that's completed, it's back to Boston where our taciturn hero has turned cab driver - the perfect way to overhear people's problems. Comeuppance for a bunch of yuppie scumbags is just the entrée, however, as McCall's past returns to haunt him after a close friend falls victim to ruthless mystery men. Director Antoine Fuqua marshals the staccato bursts of mayhem with aplomb - the scrap in a cab is a doozy - but it's Washington's cool class and charisma that adds dramatic heft to the violent action, whether dispatching his pursuers during a hurricane or extricating a young neighbour from the gangsta life.