It’s always a hard sell when TV shows make the transition to the big screen, but when the Training Day team of Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua re-teamed for the 2014 adaptation of The Equalizer they knocked it out of the park. Ever since I have been eagerly waiting for a follow up and thankfully these two have teamed up once again for the first sequel either of them have done with The Equalizer 2 co-starring Pedro Pascal, Bill Pullman, and Melissa Leo. Could this next chapter capture the same violent magic of the first or will it fail to complete in the allotted time?

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The Equalizer 2 follows Robert McCall who serves as an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, but how far will he go when that is someone he loves? I love the first film and Washington rarely disappoints so I was eager to see this film and was not disappointed. This time around McCall has settled into a new life, but not more like the Equalizer we are used to solving varying situations like only he can. This offers up numerous one off style action sequences that are all excellently executed and placed. At the same time they have not felt the need to force action down our throats at every turn and allow us to see him help others in non-violent ways as well.

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There might be some that are not all that happy with the substories here as they do move pretty slow at times, but in a way that is character development that all serve to evolve the character and his place in this universe. Washington is excellent in this role and returning for his first ever sequel was well thought out to deliver a film that is on par with the original with some thinking it even better. I found the action here to be way more aggressive at times than the first film which is saying a lot, but there is some personal elements involved that make it all the more effective.

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I really enjoyed this entry and not only does it serve as a good finish to the story of McCall, but also still leaves it wide open should they want to to more chapters. I hope Washington decides to revisit this character again, but either way we still got this nice aggressively violent entry that lived up to what the original established.

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This release not only includes the film but bonus content including deleted & extended scenes, featurettes and more. Join McCall on his mission with The Equalizer 2 available now on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD from Sony Home Entertainment.