Badmovies.org Forum

(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/trekgeezer/theequalizer.jpg)

...The Equalizer.

This is one of my favorite shows from the 80's and thanks to the new Sleuth channel it's once again living in reruns. There's also a movie in the planning stages at the Weinstein Company with Mace Neufeld (Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games & many others) producing and Paul McGuigan (Lucky Number Sleven) as the director. Supposedly they would like to develop it into a franchise.

My only problem is who could they get to play Robert McCall? Edward Woodward did such an outstanding job as a middle aged guy who could stare down just about the toughest street thug and kick their ass or take them out when necessary. The way he could have such a calm demeanor and turn dark and menacing in a heartbeat would be hard to replicate. The man was nominated for an Emmy 5 times and won a Golden Globe after being nominated twice for the role.

I think whoever they get will have to be at  least 50 for part ( Woodward was 55 when the series began. I just can't see a young buff Equalizer. The movie would also have to be set in New York and feature McCall's usual helpers Micky, Jimmy, and Sterno.

I'm afraid this is another case where it will be hard for them to replicate the feel of the source material because of the fine job all the original players did.

I wonder if they could get Peter Woodward to do it? He certainly has the intensity and he's the right age (he's also a stunt fight coordinator).

As with most things recently, what's big at the moment is the origins story: Bond getting his 00 prefix, Batman and Superman just starting out again, Dumb and Dumberer [to another extreme] and so on.  I've found that it's a good, but annoying way, of injecting new life into a franchise.  Good, because it lets you make a fresh start and take it in interesting new directions etc, but annoying because that can also work very very badly.  

I can totally see someone thinking, "ok, so he was old in the TV series, so we're going to have to make him younger... how about him starting out in his early thug-beating days," and then thinking it's a great idea, but let's face it, it wouldn't just feel the same.

I just wouldn't be surprised if that's how it turned out.  Not that it would, of course, I'm still naive enough to think that those guys at Wienstien still know what they're doing!

The original story was his retirement from the professional spy game.  He didn't have younger 'thug busting' days...

My vote would be for Liam Cunningham to play the role.

A more groan-worthy approach would be to have him roughing up senior citizens for their perscription drugs... I get an image of him "running" over somebody with their own walker. "Have you fallen and you can't get up? Call the Equalizer!" (My god, I'm channeling Seth Green...)

Trek,

Wow, haven't thought about The Equalizer in years.  I'll have to check the listings and see when it's on.