After having watched all three Equalizer movies and the first three John Wick movies (still need to see the 4th), I must say they are all great action movies, with great stars and interesting plots and supporting characters.
Keannu has a very charismatic, likeable aura to him where he somehow manages to play a literal murderer (well, hitman/assassin) that your manage to root for with a tragic past.
Denzel on the other hand plays a very human former "operator" of the government who is trying to find his place in the world, and is doing a really good job being a positive presence while not resorting to full-blown vigilantism (well, he does...but still). He is kind to good people, and legitimately tries to give bad guys a chance to do the right thing, and is a full-blown terror when they fail to do the right thing.
They both play the "boogeyman to bad guys" role well, though I admire McCall's involvement in the ordinary person's life a lot from a story and narrative standpoint. Wick's detachment from the real world leaves a bit of a void in the world he inhabits, though admittedly his attachment to the "underworld" of the Wick films is a major draw for me (I love how they have their own shops, their own special hotels, their own currency, this interested network, etc).
Now, as for the question: who would win in a direct fight?
John Wick. No contest.
There is something borderline supernatural to John Wick. I believe he was described as, more or less, the physical manifestation of "pure ****ing willpower".
McCall would be a worthy adversary, but in the time he starts his timer and does his mental math and planning, Wick would have killed him three times.
I'm not saying McCall can't improvise, I just don't think McCall could really match Wick's proficiency at ranged and melee combat, his mental fortitude, and his physical endurance.
With that said, I think they are both great characters and I reckon their shared sense of honor and mutual respect would mean that a.) they wouldn't ever fight, and b.) if they did fight, they'd probably honor and respect eachother enough to not kill eachother. After all, Keannu let Common get away with his life.
@Macutchi said:
@mrbojangles25 love how this thread inspired you to do a equalizer marathon lol. glad you enjoyed them. i rewatched them all over xmas and absolutely loved the first. second and third good too.
@uninspiredcup having rewatched them in the right order this time instead of reverse and now understanding the backstory with susan, that scene in eq2 connected much better, definitely a great scene. but i'd take robert mccall in a vs battle. wick's too gung-ho, too conspicuous. he'd walk straight into a trap. lights out before he even suspected a thing.
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Haha yeah, I don't watch too many movies these days (too many games to play!) so when I finally do get motivated, it's reason to celebrate and why not celebrate with a marathon :D
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