Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Olympus Has Fallen; The Magnificent Seven; Training Day; The Equalizer) and starring Denzel Washington (Training Day; Fences; Flight; The Equalizer; Malcolm X; Cry Freedom; The Book of Eli), Pedro Pascal (Kingsman: The Golden Circle; The Adjustment Bureau), Ashton Sanders (Moonlight; Straight Outta Compton).

Action thriller; 121 mins; 16+

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) lives in an unassuming and simple apartment in Boston, Massachusetts (USA), and works as a taxi driver on hours that suit him. However, his background is a decorated member of the security forces. He is now retired but, since the death of his wife, he dishes out justice in support of those he believes have been wronged.

The second in the series - surely there will be more? - The Equalizer was originally a successful tv series starring Edward Woodward. Arguably Denzel Washington does a better job. He doesn't say much, doesn't draw attention to himself, but he takes in what's happening around him.

Here, he beats up / kills (?) those who have exploited a young woman, as well as righting other wrongs. While some are tied up immediately, others are left to the final scenes of the film; however, these all serve as sub-plots to the main storyline.

He befriends Miles Whittaker (Ashton Sanders), a schoolkid who aims to be an artist but is being drawn into a life of crime by neighbourhood thugs. Skip over to Brussels where an American couple are killed. Former colleagues of Robert McCall are called in to investigate the killings, but one of them also sees an untimely death. This is when Robert McCall takes a personal interest and runs into a group of killers led by Dave York (Pedro Pascal). In the finale, set in an evacuated coastal town as a storm blows in, Miles Whittaker is unwittingly involved.

A gripping, action-packed thriller that sees superb acting from Denzel Washington and Ashton Sanders, in particular, but which also contains some slower, more poignant moments. A cracking soundtrack helps setting the scenes and the mood throughout.

Arguably better than the first, which was released all of four years ago. Hopefully we won't have to wait another four years for the third one...