10 Disappointing Action Movies You Should Die Before You See

5. The Equalizer (2014)

A movie about a mysterious vigilante who tangles with Russian mobsters really belongs in the 1980s, so it€™s no surprise that The Equalizer, which reteams Denzel Washington with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, is based on the TV show that aired on CBS from 1985-9. The trouble is, the film remains stuck there. Tired clichés are the order of the day, from slimy foreign gangsters to dirty cops, plus there€™s also dialogue of the €œf**k you, you mother**ker€ variety and Chloe Moretz as a teenage hooker (with a heart of gold, obviously) who has Taxi Driver written all over her. When she€™s hospitalized by thugs, Denzel wipes out those responsible, which leads to a cat-and-mouse game with mobster Teddy (Marton Csokas, also a slimy foreigner in XXX and The Bourne Supremacy). You know the drill: they talk in a restaurant, Denzel gives him the €œI€™ve done things I€™m not proud of€ speech, Teddy decides to €œsend him a message€ etc. The script is by Richard Wenk, who also co-wrote The Expendables 2 and The Mechanic, so if you thought those efforts were by the numbers and surprise-free, you needn€™t waste your time here. The Equalizer just wants to party like it€™s 1989 and ignore how familiar the material is.