First off, if you haven't seen the first, I recommend doing so. Not so much because it ties in directly with this film, more so you can see the journey that Denzel's character (McCall) goes on. And this is a journey, an old school movie, journey of growth, of challenge, of telling a story. With so many revenge action hero movies being more about the action (John Wick) then the story, this one was less about the action and more about the people. Don't get me wrong, there are some intense high action scenes. Action scenes aren't the heart of this movie. McCall is, rather his motives, his style, his past.
There are some damn funny lines, some heartwarming moments and one scene, where he's trying to save a young man from himself that is just... the whole audience went DEAD QUIET for that scene. It was really really intense.
I'd say, of the last few years, this is one of the slower, most mature and adult films (not XXX type shuuush) I've seen. Very well done. Yes, the end fight set piece is a bit over the top, this it nominally an action film, and the setting more than anything else is the only low point in the film. I got the point, they needed an excuse to have no around and they created the reason, but it was a little silly, at least from an old meteorologists pov
4.5 out 5 stars, hands down and one of the best Denzel Washington movies yet.