First Among Equals

What looks to be the closing note of Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua’s trilogy (a rare thing for both men, as these are the only sequels they’ve ever done), The Equalizer 3 is a much more contemplative form of an action movie... a character with a violent past that is trying to work through it as he enters the final chapters of his life. Opening with a lengthy single take that shows the destruction that Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) can cause, it is a cinematic gem of a piece set in a baddie’s lair in Sicily... a strikingly stylized moment that leaves our lead wounded in body and soul.

In the same vein as other recent one man versus the world action films like Taken, The Equalizer, John Wick, and Nobody, 2024's The Beekeeper, directed by David Ayer, captures the same formula of stylish action combating rampant corruption that should appease fans of this style of flick. Following quiet man Adam Clay (Jason Statham), the retired gent spends all of his time as an apiarist – that is, a beekeeper. Renting space in a rural barn from a former teacher and avid charity worker, Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad), she is the first person to really show compassion and care for the reclusive renter.

Arguably one of the more bizarre buddy cop action/comedy films ever made, 1988's Dead Heat, written by Terry Black (brother of buddy cop screenwriter extraordinaire Shane Black – think Lethal Weapon and The Nice Guys... who cameos as a Patrolman in this one), and directed by Mark Goldblatt, fuses the tried and true formula within a Los Angeles set zombie storyline. Meet Doug Bigelow (Joe Piscopo) – cousin to Deuce, and Roger Mortis (Treat Williams) – and I think he’s the brother of Rigor, two officers who drive around town in a red 1960 Chevrolet Impala convertible – very inconspicuous. The former’s goofball jokey, the latter’s the more refined sort, together, they’re chaos.

2023's Sisu, written and directed by Jalmari Helander, is a Finnish word that does not translate easily to the English language, perhaps best explained as a sort of persistent rational determination in the face of much adversity... the perfect explanation for this Finnish/American co-production. Thriving in a very old reverse-hybrid form of Nazisploitation combined with classic western motifs and more than a splash of modern John Wick flair, Sisu follows Aatami (Jorma Tommila), a grizzled gold miner in the decimated Finnish Lapland nearing the end of World War II. Finally striking it rich, he transports it back to civilization with his loyal dog at his side.

After all these years, it is almost hard to believe that the key to success in an intricate Mission: Impossible adventure would literally be... a key. Yes, that is the all important piece that must be gathered in the seventh feature of the long running franchise, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One... with the bookend making its way into theatres in approximately one year. Co-written and helmed once more by Christopher McQuarrie (this is his third straight effort), it is quite clear that he has the formula down to a tee. Deftly fusing high stakes action, sight-seeing adventure, perfect comedic timing, and enough drama to keep even the more serious viewers involved, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) finds himself in a, dare I say it, even more impossible situation than ever before.

Covering some new and old ground in the longest feature of the franchise (coming in at a whopping two hours and forty-nine minutes), John Wick: Chapter 4, directed by Chad Stahelski (who has helmed each of the four films), starts us off pretty much right after the previous picture. Flipping the script a bit from the last one, Wick (Keanu Reeves), now healed (boy, does he do that quickly – though it’s supposed to be a couple months later), must deal with the claustrophobic landscape that has enveloped him due to his unsatiated revenge-filled drive. Walking the perilous path of dealing with hitmen, as well as friends and enemies (who can often switch allegiances on a dime), the memorable faces of the underground web weaver – the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), New York powerhouse – Winston (Ian McShane), his trusty concierge – Charon (Lance Reddick, who sadly passed away on March 17th), and the head of the table – Elder (George Georgiou), will all make appearances again... though perhaps not in the ways we might expect.