How many of you remember the 1980’s television program “The Equalizer” starring the late Edward Woodward? If you watched this show, then Denzel Washington’s film of the same name will bring a smile to your faces. While the movie will be exciting for you, the score will be as well. Conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams—known for his work in “Smilla’s Sense of Snow” (1997), “Enemy of the State” and “Antz”—this score is the perfect fit for the updated television favorite.

Just like the original “Equalizer”, this score contains music that’s completely fitting to the premise of the film. Considering that the film has some dark undertones, the tracks “Alone”, “McCall’s Decision”, “A Quiet Voice”, “Corrupt Cops” and “Make an Exception” fit the bill perfectly. With the soft strings, thunderous drums and a techno beat, these tracks add to the excitement and action of the film.

Not only does the film seem to have a dark theme, it’s also one that also details the lead character’s desire to right a wrong. “Torturing Frank”, “Concerned Citizen”, “It’s All a Lie”, “On a Mission”, “Change Your World” and the final and titular track “The Equalizer” are truly perfect tracks to represent a hero. “Change Your World” is an especially touching and heartbreaking song. The addition of such a sad tune seems out of place in an action packed score, but it fits well with the story of the Equalizer.

While Gregson-Williams’ work is remarkable and certainly worth every second, I am surprised that the theme song from the original “Equalizer” was not included or remade for this generation of fans. Often when a film is remade—or in this case, a television series being made into a film adaptation—some of the original music is included. The original “Equalizer” theme would have made the perfect addition to this brilliant film score. That aside, the score was amazing. “Equalizer” fans will love the remake of their favorite series and they will also love the music that goes along with it. They will truly have the same appreciation for the film as they did for the series.

Final Grade: A

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

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