Denzel Washington the Actor
Denzel Washington is a very talented, multiple award winning actor who has played a wide range of roles. His movies have ranged from action, to drama, to thriller, and historical. I have seen many of his movies, and am looking forward to seeing Fences. But I have to admit that his roles in the action/thriller movies are by far my favorite.
In Training Day, he was Alonzo, the corrupt cop I loved to hate. In the movies The Equalizer, Man on Fire, and The Bone Collector he portrays defective and damaged men who continue to care for others. His struggling heroes are believable characters that have stuck with me over time.
I am not at all ashamed to admit that I own these movies and have frequent weekend movie night "dates" with Denzel. That smile - no matter the role - makes me melt. And his acting skills in the following movies take me away to different worlds.
Denzel Washington's Four Best Action Movies
Training Day - In Training Day (2001), Alonso is a corrupt narcotics cop who is training his new rookie partner (Ethan Hawke). "There's some profoundly evil people walking the streets right now" is quite an understatement and quite telling as that statement comes out of Alonso's mouth. I find that Alonso is evil and this intense ride-along still startles me. I still hold my breath at certain parts and hope everything turns out okay.
The Equalizer - In The Equalizer (2014) Robert McCall "The old man met his greatest adversary just when he thought that part of his life was over" McCall says as he explains The Old Man and the Sea to Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz). And she responds with the question of the day "Why didn't he just let the fish go?" So why does this quiet widower who has quite completely left his past behind go after that big fish? Because "you've gotta be who you are in this world, right? No matter what."
Man on Fire - In Man of Fire (2004) John Creasy is an impaired man whose alcohol issues and mental health have impacted his functioning. A friend helps the former assassin to obtain work - as a family security guard (or is that babysitter?) for the precocious little Lupita (Dakota Fanning). At times it is not quite clear who is protecting whom through the movie and I still bawl my eyes out at the end. There is no love like a child's love. And John Creasy battles his demons just to try to do his job. Will he be the hero or be too late?
The Bone Collector - In The Bone Collector (1999) Lincoln Rhyme is a physically impaired man whose mind is as sharp as it ever was. As a very talented ex-homicide detective, he is pulled in recent events in an attempt to find a serial killer. Amelia (Angelina Jolie), a young patrol officer, becomes his partner after being in the right place at the wrong time and demonstrating her natural observational skills. This movie is tense and the crimes are what nightmares are made of. Can Lincoln's nurse (Queen Latifah) save him? Can Lincoln and Amelia save the next victim? The twists and turns leave you guessing and holding your breath.
Warning - Please be aware and fully informed that these are action movies and are rated "R" for violent content, language, grisly images, and so on. These movies are NOT for the faint of heart. I like "shoot 'em up" movies and some of these scenes near the line of "too much" even for me.
Related Movie Review Links -
For a WIDE variety of movie reviews from our contributors, be sure to check out the ReviewThis! Movie Reviews category. In that section you will find movie reviews by our contributors. Movies of every category; children's, drama, historic, black and white, classic, holiday, fantasy .... and the list goes on. Just click the link above and begin scrolling down.
And last but definitely not least, here are the links for the four best Denzel Washington action movies.
What a tantalizing synopsis of four of your favorite Denzel Washington movies, Dawn Rae. They are like little teasers combining to draw you into sitting down with one of his movies right now instead of your Monday morning work or chores. :) Thanks for your movie review(s) today. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteDenzel Washington is one of those actors that I feel like I grew up with. He is a wonderful actor who has spanned decades with his remarkable acting career. I would have told you before I read your article that I was definitely a Denzel fan, but you have recommended 4 movies that I have never seen. Now, that is wonderful for me because I am always looking for a great movie to watch. But, it also makes me wonder how in the world I missed those movies!
ReplyDeleteYou picked a real winner Dawn. He is one of the most accomplished actors in the business. I like Denzel Washington in whatever role he takes on. All of these movies are some of his best, Great review Thanks.
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness, this is my hubby's fave actor!! We've seen all his movies, or hubby has - we love The Equalizer (we've watched that one over and over - it's gory and I hide my head for those parts, but I love the good win in this movie - darn you're making me want to watch it now lol)
ReplyDeleteI don't watch a lot of movies and haven't seen these four, but I have had a bit of a crush on Denzel Washington since 'way back in 1993 when I first saw The Pelican Brief. Loved him in that and it's still one of my favorite movies. Guess I might consider catching up to the 21st century by adding these movies to my watch list!
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