We love seeing Denzel Washington getting his bad ass action star routine on and it looks like The Equalizer is going to give us just that opportunity. Based on the television series which ran between 1985 and 1989, the film adaption of The Equalizer promises to show Denzel at his fastest, finest (in every sense of the word) and most furious, as he takes on the Russian mafia to help a young hooker, played by Chloe Grace Moretz.  The role was originally thought to go to Russell Crowe, although he was replaced by Washington.

The Equalizer
Denzel Washington seems to be on top form in his upcoming movie The Equalizer

Washington’s character, Robert McCall, is an ex-intelligence officer with a Guy-Richie-Sherlock-Holmes-style ability to pre-plan an attack in his mind and carry it out with precision and (near) perfect timing. The Equalizer looks jam-packed full of action and a brooding Denzel, who just doesn’t seem to age.

MORE: Denzel Washington pays tribute to Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter

Although action appears to be Washington’s favourite genre, he’s also mixed in a few great character studies over the years. He’s also managed to merge the two on occasion and it looks as though The Equalizer will have a nice balance of action and character development. Washington’s last movie, 2013’s 2 Guns, was met with mixed reviews. Corey Hall of the Metro Times described it as “Generic, by-the-numbers buddy-action,” and a “forgettable project.”

However, his project prior to 2 Guns, Flight, was widely praised and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Appearing as Whip Whitaker, an old school airline pilot with a drinking problem, who manages to miraculously save his plane from crashing, Washington’s performance was unanimously praised. The praise he received for the role echoed the acclaim he received for his Oscar-winning performance as Rubin Carter in 1999’s The Hurricane.

While Flight was successful, Washington’s 2010 project Book of Eli received mixed reviews. While the late, great Roger Ebert gave the film 3/4 stars and described it as “very watchable,” adding “You won’t be sorry you went,” reviews on the whole were poor.

Denzel Washington The EqualizerDenzel Washington's performance in Flight earned him an Academy Award nomination

Washington has certainly brought out a mixed bag of movies over the past few years, but we have high hopes for The Equalizer and it looks as though he’s back on top form. As James Plath wrote in his review for Washington’s 2010 action movie Unstoppable, “Washington has these films down to a science by now, and it’s fun to watch a consummate professional do his thing.”

MORE: Sequel to new Denzel Washington movie The Equalizer in development

Click here to watch the trailer for Denzel Washington's movie Flight.