Even though I saw it at home, in the opening scenes, The Equalizer managed to capture my complete attention. I turned off my phone and my computer. I shut off the lights. I turned myself to completely face the tv screen and shut the door. First, it looks amazing. I kept wondering if Ben Affleck or Martin Scorsese directed The Equalizer because so many pivotal scenes are set in iconic Massachusetts sites. Only a regular MBTA customer who rides commuter rails (Boston Sand & Gravel) and buses could appreciate these iconic scenes. It may seem like a small detail, but when so many movies and tv shows are shot in one location while claiming to be in another, I appreciate Antoine Fuqua’s authenticity. Second, I never saw the show, but I thought that The Equalizer was a solid, entertaining action movie. The Equalizer is Batman with a budget, no costume and Bengay. I like that The Equalizer had one overarching vengeance story that fit a trope, but the smaller stories cropped up in clever, unpredictable ways and were presented in different ways. Sometimes we saw Washington take action, and sometimes it was implied. I enjoyed that in the first half of The Equalizer, the audience could see things the way that he does, and we got to know him before things amped up. The second half of The Equalizer is primarily about how others see him. Fuqua must share my subconscious view of construction tools because every scenario that I have imagined was in this film. Third, it wasn’t too heavy-handed, but there was a consistent central premise: who are you? For years, I have joked that everyone thinks that Samuel L. Jackson is a badass, and he is, but to me, he is also an old guy who probably likes to golf. I like that the story acknowledged that Washington is a (fine) old man and used Chantal Akerman’s techniques to establish his routine then showed the cracks in his routine to reveal who he really was. I enjoyed the music blaring over the speakers during the denouement, which alluded to an earlier conversation that Washington had with his younger co-workers. Fourth, I love when films pick up on a problem that is unfolding at the time of release. There are multiple scenes where Washington chides corrupt police officers for dishonoring the badge. For those living under a rock, Washington is a black man with no obvious authority, and every time this scene unfolds, it alludes to the fact that the corrupt officer could do anything to him with no consequences so when he turns the tables, it is like Buffy, the petite blonde teenage girl getting the jump on the big bad monsters-unexpected and thrilling. Of course, as The Equalizer unfolds, we discover that at some point in time, Washington’s character probably outranked these officers literally and figuratively. The Equalizer is a must see film unless you cannot tolerate violence. Who cares? Home Depot should have taken the product placement.