Watch the First Trailer for 'The Equalizer'

Fans of '80s spy shows likely rejoiced — or, experienced some serious Star Wars fan-style dread — upon hearing news of the Denzel Washington-helmed film The Equalizer , an adaptation of the TV series centered on Robert McCall, an ex-government agent trying to make good on his shadowy past by helping those in need. The show, which ran from 1985-89 and starred Edward Woodward (AKA, the star of the original, pre-Cage Wicker Man ), is one of the few iconic late-80s cop dramas yet to receive a film reboot, à la Miami Vice or Starsky & Hutch. ( Magnum P.I. , though still in limbo, will likely follow in the not-too-distant future.)

So far, the film looks to be pretty standard as cooler-than-thou action hero flicks go — plenty of sleek, stylized violence and ogling of gadgetry, ominous voiceovers galore. Slate even pointed out its apparent beat-for-beat similarity, re: "Denzel Washington uses badass expertise to rescue young girl," to the actor's 2004 film Man on Fire.

Indeed, speaking of said girl, there is the matter of an all-grown-up (or, relatively so) Chloë Moretz playing the young prostitute that The Equalizer feels compelled to save, reminiscent of Jodi Foster's breakout role in Taxi Driver. Perhaps her performance will be a reason to tune in beyond some fairly predictable gunslinging and Russian mob-ery.

Check out the trailer, below, and see what you think:

Image: Sony