In a secluded winery in Sicily, a crime enforcer faces down with retired US Marine and DIA operative Robert McCall (Denzel Washington). After being injured, McCall is rescued by a local police officer who takes him to a remote coastal Italian town to be nursed back to health. Soon McCall recuperates, falls in love with the town, and meets the local mafia.

Liam Neeson’s Taken revitalised the older gent revenge action thriller genre that started with 1970s Death Wish; a lone urban samurai/cowboy figure righting the wrongs for those who can’t fight for themselves. The Equalizer (1985), like The Incredible Hulk (1978) and The Fugitive (1963), used its episodic structure for its protagonist to assist others using a particular set of skills acquired from a shady past.

This chapter aims to wrap up the cinematic franchise after John Wick’s fourth entry; a series that evolved to the point that it would be unfathomable to go any further in terms of character, plot, and action set pieces. After the excellent Part 2, this chapter wisely calls it a day, finding a place for Robert to finally call home.

While the vigilante action sequences are pared back, Robert is played more sadistically, perhaps to add more shades to a cypher character. Dakota Fanning’s presence as a CIA officer is puzzling, but comes together by the closing act.

Verdict: A sound ending to the franchise which does not measure up to the emotional, thriller, or action heights of its predecessor. 3 stars.

Luke McWilliams, www.themovielcub.net.

Viewed at Dendy Cinemas.