"The Equalizer 3" (2023), directed by Antoine Fuqua, is the third installment in the action franchise, featuring Denzel Washington as Robert McCall. The film opens with a stomach-churning scene of violence in Sicily, where McCall dispatches an army of killers to retrieve a mundane package.

The film's distinguishing factor is its insatiable appetite for carnage. Fuqua and cinematographer Robert Richardson go to great lengths to showcase the gore, from ruptured arteries to knives sticking out of faces. Despite the brutality, the film struggles with its tone and narrative direction.

Washington's performance as McCall is commendable. He portrays a man who does bad things for good reasons, feeling guilty for his violent actions but compelled by a sense of justice. His character's conflicted relationship with violence adds depth to the film.

However, "The Equalizer 3" falls short in several areas. The film's plot feels anticlimactic and the violence often feels gratuitous. Moreover, the film's reliance on impractical effects and its ham-fisted McGuffin detract from the overall experience.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Equalizer 3" offers familiar set-pieces and audacious violence that fans of the franchise may appreciate. It also provides a fitting end to the series, with a wistful goodbye to its central vigilante.

In conclusion, while "The Equalizer 3" is a flawed film with an over-reliance on gore and a lack of narrative coherence, it still delivers on action and features a strong performance from Denzel Washington.