There’s a lot to criticize about American cinema these days. Comedies are vapid toilet humor. Dramas are the same three plot lines with different window dressing. Action and horror films forsake plot, suspense and choreography for loud sounds and shaky footage. There are exceptions, of course. While good movies are rare, when they show up they stand out.

“The Equalizer” is one of those movies. Denzel Washington plays Robert McCall and, as always, performs amazingly. His performance aside, “The Equalizer” stands on its own merit. It’s well written and suspenseful, with believable characters and engaging plot.

“The Equalizer” is not beyond criticism.  The cinematography can be overly dramatic. Robert McCall’s character development may be too subtle for most. Much of the movie’s best points evoke other, similar popular action movies (such as Sherlock Holmes).

“The Equalizer” is also brutal and bloody, not at all shy to show the nasty side of its dark world. However, none of these points detract from the engaging spectacle of Washington, Chloe Grace Moretz and Marton Csokas.

You may not recognize those last two names. Moretz is perhaps best known for her role as Hit Girl in the “Kick-Ass”, while Csokas is best known for his roles as Lord Celeborn in “Lord of the Rings” and for Jarda in “The Bourne Supremacy.” These are all films well worth seeing.

But first, pop the ten bucks to see “The Equalizer” in theatres – it’s an excellent way to spend a couple of hours.