The Equalizer - Season One
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Movie Reviews of The Equalizer - Season One
Movie Review: Quite Probably the Best Underrated 80s Series
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite all the buzz in those days, the 80s were not a particularly great time for TV. For every "St. Elsewhere," "Hill Street Blues," or "LA Law," there was a "Manimal, "Beverly Hills Buntz," or "Full House." If the 70s was mostly fluff like "Charlie's Angels," the 80s was that same fluff with a bloated budget and on coke.
Not "The Equalizer." Hard hitting and generally uncompromising in its approach -- in the pilot, hero Robert McCall promises a stalker in no uncertain terms he will kill him if the stalker does not leave his client alone -- it was an atmospheric, effective series about a conscience-addled spy trying to do right after a lifetime of dirty deeds. Britain's own Callan, Edward Woodward, is the embodiment of McCall, a flawed hero that is one part anger, one part class, and one part mercenary, but all guardian angel, only with his halo tarnished and very, very heavy.
The first season is the best, when Woodward, before suffering a heart attack, was a coiled, gray-haired avenger, capable of holding his own during the inevitable chase and fight scenes, despite having Michael Caine's gait, glasses, and accent. Where Woodward shines, however, is in any scene involving emotions, bursting and otherwise, and to watch his McCall explode into anger one moment but be reduced to absolute subtlety the next is to see an actor in his element. Indeed, though the scripts were often first-rate, Woodward could imbue them with more than the words themselves probably merited, which isn't to say that not unlike William Shatner, he didn't sometimes find himself being more theatrical than necessary.
"The Equalizer" was also shot mostly on location, with a cinematic camera style and muted cinematography that made New York even in summertime look as yellow and gritty as Normandy Beach would a decade later in Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan." Kudos especially to Richard Compton for the terrific directing. Stand out episodes include my personal favorite, China Rain, Lady Cop, Lock Box, Bump and Run, Reign of Terror, Desperately, Distant Fire, and Dead Drop (particularly the final scene with Saul Rubinek, the Yuppie boss putting the screws to McCall's friend, Control), but all are winners. The supporting cast, including Robert Lansing, Keith Szarabajka, Mark Margolis, and William Zabka, as McCall's estranged son, are great, and look for a host of notable guest stars -- I won't spoil it for you because you'll probably be amazed at how this show attracted top talent.
Stewart Copeland's score, which combines a drummy, electronic underpinning with an almost delightful Irish-sounding ditty that is The Equalizer's theme, is used to maximum effect, both in the suitably menacing credits sequence and as incidental music throughout the series. (The aforementioned China Rain makes maximum use of it during the climax.) And, finally, McCall had the best trappings -- clothes, apartment, and car, a sleek, black Jaguar with a mobile phone. In the decade before even five-year-olds had flip phones, that alone was a pretty good setup.
Movie Review: "Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer."
Summary: 5 Stars
The Equalizer, with its distinctive theme song, written by Stewart Copeland, founder and drummer of The Police, premiered in September of 1985. It was, almost certainly, one of the better shows to come out of the 1980s. The gritty, "street-smart" aura of the series, which ran for four seasons, in many ways encapsulated the "pulse" or the "feel" of life in New York City during this seminal decade. This said, those watching the show today will be impressed by how well it holds up and remains contemporary more than 20 years on.
Edward Woodward's "made-for-the role" presence as retired Cold War operative Robert McCall, "The Equalizer," infused a razor-sharp energy into the series, complemented by a regular supporting cast that included Robert Lansing as "Control," Keith Szarabajka as Mickey Kostmayer, Mark Margolis as Jimmy, William Zabka as son Scott McCall, and Richard Jordan as Harley Gage.
Many other well-known actors also made guest appearances on the show, including Jerry Stiller, Vincent D'Onofrio, Robert Mitchum, Adam Ant, Christian Slater, John Polito, Macauley Culkin, Melissa Sue Anderson, Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, John Goodman, Laurence Fishburne, David Alan Grier, Michael Moriarty, Tony Shalhoub, Roma Maffia, Telly Savalas, Steve Buscemi, Kim Delaney, Sylvia Sidney, Quentin Crisp, Anthony Zerbe, Joe Morton, Lori Petty, Luis Guzman, Robert Davi, William Atherton, Frances Fisher, Patricia Clarkson, Dann Florek, Laurie Metcalf, Bradley Whitford, Ray Sharkey, Dana Barron, Jasmine Guy, Austin Pendleton, Saul Rubinek, Joe Maruzzo, Robert Joy, Burt Young, Mark Linn-Baker, Lauren Tom, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Alex Winter, Meat Loaf, David Leisure, Christine Baranski, Charles Dutton, Dan Hedaya, Tovah Feldshuh, Marisa Berenson, Brad Dourif, Melissa Joan Hart, James Eckhouse and more.
The DVD set offers Season One's episodes, listed below, as well as commentary by the show's creator, Michael Sloan, and a bonus preview episode for Season Two entitled "Beyond Control."
1-01 Pilot Episode
1-02 China Rain
1-03 The Defector
1-04 The Lock Box
1-05 Lady Cop
1-06 The Confirmation Day
1-07 The Children's Song
1-08 The Distant Fire
1-09 Mama's Boy
1-10 Bump and Run
1-11 Desperately
1-12 Reign of Terror
1-13 Back Home
1-14 Out of the Past
1-15 Dead Drop
1-16 Wash Up
1-17 Torn
1-18 Unnatural Causes
1-19 Breakpoint
1-20 No Conscience
1-21 Unpunished Crimes
1-22 Pretenders
A new film re-make of "The Equalizer" is also being planned, with an anticipated release in 2009.
So.... "Got a problem? Odds against you? Call the Equalizer." Or, at least pop in a DVD, pull up a chair or flop on the couch and watch some great TV!
Movie Review: Television Milestone: Exceptional on many levels
Summary: 5 Stars
The importance of this show can't be exaggerated. The underlying message is hope; and who couldn't use some of that these days?
Woodward gives an excellent understated performance, the supporting cast is of a consistently high standard (including too many top guest actors to mention) and it still looks great 20 years on; rarely showing its age. It brilliantly captures the dirty edginess of 1980's New York in a way no other show managed.
A Thesis could easily be written on it, its commentary on life, moral ambiguity, redemption, good vs evil & society in general. It does all this within a highly entertaining format & sustains it for nearly 100 episodes.
It manages the above, but never takes itself too seriously. The writing was surprisingly intelligent for a 'prime time' show - and it at once appeals to a mass market audience and more discriminating viewers; an impressive achievement.
The fact Woodward's character McCall is a foreigner (half British, half American) - an outsider who has lead a transitory life - is a crucial element at the show's heart. That contributes to the layers of separation between McCall & 'mere mortals' (ie everybody else).
This gives the McCall character an almost God like 'otherworldliness', making the viewer believe he is capable of anything. Maintaining these layers of separation will be crucial to the success of the forthcoming movie.
We can forgive it a little cheese and the odd slightly OTT gun fight; in fact The Equalizer would be all the poorer without them; they only add to its Cult appeal & remind us of a simpler world.
It was decades ahead of its time & it just works; lets hope the film lives up to the original...
Movie Review: The Equalizer, the Ultimate Victim Advocate
Summary: 5 Stars
Every night after work I would rush home to make sure that I did not miss the Equalizer during its first run episodes. After purchasing a VCR I then made sure that I recorded every episode that I could when it played on the USA Network.
The Equalizer was my favorite show on television. It dug deep into the soul of Robert McCall, a former CIA operative. The show was thought provoking, historical, Cold War-ish, and had excellent plots and fantastic endings. I have yet to find a television series with endings as well done 20 years later.
McCall, Control, Mickey and the gang were fun to watch. They were good at their craft and did what was right. Sometimes, as in Control, he would ultimately do what was right. It showed a lot of people some of the ins and outs of the intelligence field by displaying that there was not always a black and white to everything.
When the Equalizer movie planned for 2009 gets cast I can only hope that the role of the Equalizer is given to actor Michael Madsen. His starring role in the series Vengeance Unlimited was very similar to that of the charachter Robert McCall. He was Mr. Chappell, a mystery man with a very dark and unknown past. He fought for those that were treated poorly by the system. He sought justice. Vengeance Unlimited was cancelled way before its time. Imagine the plot stories that were discarded. I wanted so much to know more about what made Mr. Chappell become what he was. I do not remember the name of the lady in charge of ABC's network programming that year but she cancelled a lot of shows that I liked and then she lost her job. Please, someone get Vengeance Unlimited onto DVD release! It is a classic.
Movie Review: "My reasons are my own"....McCall
Summary: 5 Stars
Terrific news....The Equalizer is out on DVD!
This series was just terrific and touched a nerve when it originally ran. What isn't to like? An older gentleman trying to get his karma correct by offering to help those in society who can't seem to get the police to listen or fall through the cracks one way or another. Who hasn't needed a big brother to help us at one time in our life? The pilot suffers from less than stellar acting and production but by the time the actual episodes came out the acting was terrific , the production values great and the stories wonderful.
The DVD set review. First off...to those unhappy with the packaging I'd like to say that in the past Universal has demonstrated their ability to make sexy packages and terrible product so the reverse is welcome. The fairly nondescript package hold 5 single sided dual layer DVDs...and this is great news to all of us who know of Universals penchant for double sided flipper discs that freeze and skip! The episodes look great as well. This series seems to have been filmed rather than video taped which many of that era sadly were...so they look good. Did I mention that the show also featured some fun gunplay? Yeah...its all good
an interview with Edward Woodward would have been terrific but I'm just glad to have a solid DVD set of the first year and looking for more!
order without worries..
OOOPS..I almost forgot. This show also featured arguably one of the all time best opening sequences highlighted by the brilliant theme music composed by Stewart Copeland (The Police), guaranteed to be pulse quickkening!