The first trailer for the upcoming film version of the classic 80s series has hit.
I hate to say this but it’s nothing special. It could be the new Die Hard or a million and one other similar films. It’s a different time now than it was in the 80s when the series ran. Setting the film in Boston is another mistake. The city doesn’t feel gritty enough. Set it in Detroit or New Orleans then it maybe more believable.
What’s wrong with using the classic street hoods, or pimps, motif that we saw in the era when the TV series was showing. We now have to bring in the, new default baddies. Russian Gangsters!
It does seem that these darn Ruskies get everywhere. Taking crime away from the Irish Mafia!
On the other hand, it has Denzel Washington and the girl from Kick Ass – Chloë Grace Moretz.
The synopsis is oozing with clichés of the genre. Just try and read it without giggling. I didn’t and I’ve read thousands of film synopses over the years. It’s the lines that say:
…the odds are stacked against them. or …nowhere else to turn..
There are more in there. It seems like, almost, every sentence seems to be cliché ridden!
Need I need to carry on? You can spot the same sort of thing in the below trailer. It seems the editor has dug out an old, dog eared, copy of “How to edit an 80s thriller trailer“.
In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a former black ops commando who has faked his death to live a quiet life in Boston. When he comes out of his self-imposed retirement to rescue a young girl, Teri, he finds himself face to face with ultra-violent Russian gangsters. As he serves vengeance against those who brutalize the helpless, McCall’s desire for justice is reawakened. If someone has a problem, the odds are stacked against them, and they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
Fighting for justice in UK cinemas from September 26, 2014
