The Equalizer Blood & Wine: A Review of a Perfect Equalizer Tv Movie.

I know what you’re thinking: Was there really an Original Equalizer movie? Yes, there was, only it wasn’t on the big screen like the two Denzel films, this one was in the form of a two part episode that plays like one big, exciting movie. Written by the incomparable Coleman Luck and boasting an amazing cast with Edward Woodward, Telly Savalas, William Atherton, Keith Szarabajka, Tom Atkins and Robert Lansing, this was The Equalizer on a much larger scale.

William Atherton as Alpha- Image Source: ultimateactionmovies.com

Synopsis:

McCall (Edward Woodward) hunts down a killer for hire, with a fetish for the sacrilegious, named Alpha (William Atherton) As the plot of the movie continues we are introduced to Brother Joseph Heiden (played by action movie legend Telly Savalas) who was once a former freelance terrorist and one time adversary of McCall’s. He teams up with McCall and the authorities to hunt this mad dog down.

The Cast:

Telly Savalas and Edward Woodward- Image Source: themindreels.com

What an amazing troupe of actors these episodes put together with Edward Woodward, Telly Savalas, William Atherton, Tom Atkins and Keith Szarabajka all pulling off amazing performances with supreme skill and talent. The acting in these episodes were nothing less than stellar and helped made them such powerful two hours of television.

The Story:

The serial killer plot has been used a billion times throughout television and film, but The Equalizer managed to give this specific story a fresh and exciting take with a very unique type of serial killer and a very unique way of executing the plot throughout the two hours. Up to this point McCall hasn’t met a challenge quite like this which makes these episodes very compelling to watch.

The Action:

Image Source: Ultimate Action Movie Club

The big stunts and gun fights were all so cinematic they should’ve come with a big ol’ box of popcorn and charge us ticket money. Very exciting stuff that gave the episodes much more pizazz.

Image Source: Kool TV

Favorite Scene:

Image Source: MeTV

The strongest scene in the entire thing wasn’t filled with amazing action stunts and gunplay. It was the amazing and incredibly deep conversation between Robert McCall and Telly Savalas’ Joseph Heiden where the two men discuss redemption. The acting by both men was extraordinary and blew me away when I first saw it. That’s what happens when you have two powerhouse actors in a scene together duking it out.

In Closing:

As much as I love Denzel’s Equalizer movies, this one gives any of them a run for their money. I do wish that the original series got its turn on the big screen back in the 80’s. With this two hour premiere episode basically serving as a film with a stellar cast, amazing action and powerful story I feel that this was as close as we ever got to a film for this series. It’s definitely worth a watch.

Till next time, folks!