Was Denzel Washington under-rated as an action hero?

[MarathonMike]

I always liked the hero roles he played in The Equalizer, Book of Eli, etc. He was more the intellectual calculating hero rather than the bulging eyeballs and dangling from a helicopter type. You always hear Arnold, Stallone and Tom Cruise but you never hear Denzel mentioned.

 

[Rocko]

Man on Fire was an underrated flick

 

[Yarddog]

I always liked the hero roles he played in The Equalizer, Book of Eli, etc. He was more the intellectual calculating hero rather than the bulging eyeballs and dangling from a helicopter type. You always hear Arnold, Stallone and Tom Cruise but you never hear Denzel mentioned.

I think he is one of the more talented actors for sure. Very skilled at selling his part.. just as skilled as those other guys for sure and I would put Arnold at the bottom of that list... though he created a special persona by his roles he's not really all that talented of an actor IMO... yet somehow at the same time he is very irr-replaceable. (Arnold S. )
Tom Cruise was the most versatile of the lot IMO.

 

[White 6]

I always liked the hero roles he played in The Equalizer, Book of Eli, etc. He was more the intellectual calculating hero rather than the bulging eyeballs and dangling from a helicopter type. You always hear Arnold, Stallone and Tom Cruise but you never hear Denzel mentioned.

You left out Deja Vu.
Yep. I like his style in just about anything he works on. But, although he does action, it is as you mentioned "the calculating hero" not, the Action for Action sake, badass stunt guy.