Synopsis: A former black ops commando who faked his death for a quiet life in Boston comes out of his retirement to rescue a young girl and finds himself face to face with Russian gangsters

Release Date: September 26. 2014

Thoughts: Though he remains one of Hollywood’s most consistent actors, over the last decade Denzel Washington (Flight) seems to be making the same type of film with little to differentiate between the characters he’s playing. Now, mind you, Washington was never known for making light rom-coms in-between his hard-boiled work but I find myself wanting to tell the guy to lighten up a bit. He’s becoming the new Charles Bronson of flawed characters searching for redemption and it’s becoming a bit one-note for me. This big screen (and evidentially much grittier) adaptation of the 80s television series reunites Washington with his Training Day director Antoine Fuqua (Olympus Has Fallen). That collaboration brought Washington an Oscar (undeserved in my opinion) and while I think Oscar lightening won’t be striking twice, The Equalizer at least will fill Washington’s 2014 quota for dark drama.