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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    The Equalizer

    Featured In Issue 193, January 2015

    Picture5
    Sound5+
    WSR Score5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Sony Pic
    (Catalog Number):
    43982
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    (Retail Price):
    $
    (Disc Type):
    (Widescreen Edition):
    (Full Screen Edition):
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    131
    (Color Type):
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    (Closed Captioned):
    (Regional Coding):
    (Theatrical Year):
    (Theatrical Release):
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    (Disc Release Date):
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    (Director):
    Antoine Fuqua
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
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    In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by, he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is THE EQUALIZER.

    Special features include six featurettes: Home Mart: Taking Care Of Business One Bolt At A Time (HD 02:11), Children Of The Night (HD 05:23), Inside The Equalizer (HD 07:51), Denzel Washington: A Different Kind Of Superhero (HD 06:56), Equalizer Vision: Antoine Fuqua (HD 07:06), and One Man Army: Training And Fighting (HD 06:40); Vengeance Mode (an inside look during the major action sequences); a photo gallery; upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

    The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture is terrific. Digitally photographed with the Arri Alexa system, the imagery is pristine throughout. The color palette exhibits natural hues that are strongly saturated with a richness and warmth that is captivating. Fleshtones are healthily rendered with a natural presence. Contrast is excellent with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. To fully appreciate the richness of the imagery, a darkened environment is required and a display capable of deep black performance. Resolution also is excellent, with fine detail exhibited in facial features, clothing, hair, and object texture. This is an excitingly engaging picture that is reference quality.

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack is excellent with a fully engaging holistic® soundtrack that excites all eight channels. Dynamics are terrific, from nuanced, intimate soundscapes to bold, powerful action sequences. The strong deep bass foundation is formidable and enhances the well-recorded orchestral score. The music spans the frontal soundstage and aggressively wraps around to all the surround channels. The added two channels nicely enhance the sense of dimensional envelopment. Atmospherics and sound effects are precociously directionalized throughout and create a spatially dimensional soundfield. Deep bass is powerful and extends to sub-25 Hz frequencies in the .1 LFE channel. Be prepared for powerful SPL energy. Dialogue is impressively integrated spatially. This is a terrific dynamic and dimensional soundtrack that is reference quality throughout.

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    Mark A. Okrzesik
    26864 Mandelieu Drive, Murrieta, CA 92562 • Phone: 951 676 4914 • Fax: 951 693 2960
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