Clearly, the French is neither complicated nor vast, and obviously equalizes while Caro-Kann and Pirc obviously do not. You can "offer" to equalize on move 2 in e4 e5 by playing the Petroff if you'd like.
I'm not sure most players under 1800 actually understand what "equalize" even means.
Caro- Kann is not dull. It is very solid. Once you can move out your Queenside bishop outside of pawn chain, it is multiple times better than French. Caro- Kann also create imbanalced pawn chain. Queen side 3 pawn vs 4 pawns ( double edge risk for endgame). Here is a sample of bullet game I played on yesterday.
Clearly, the French is neither complicated nor vast, and obviously equalizes while Caro-Kann and Pirc obviously do not. You can "offer" to equalize on move 2 in e4 e5 by playing the Petroff if you'd like.
I'm not sure most players under 1800 actually understand what "equalize" even means.
Naturally, I am speaking from my own standpoint. I am not a GM if I were then I would def play sicilian or e5. I am speaking of players against whom I play.
There are also problems with Caro Kan. This is the game I played agaist Latest series of Leela T60 in the training run( 3+3 min blitz). No doubt I lose against machine. ( The problem is at move 15. I have to do e5 or c5 break. Some positional blunder happens around move 20 and I lost.
The problem for me with the french def always was the exchange variation which gives both sides a dull insipid game. Now I don't mind it. First of all it liberates my bad bishop secondly it gives me an equal share of the center. I have tried various defenses against 1.e4 including Sicilian, 1..e5, caro kann and pirc but I did not like any of them. sicilian and e5 are just too vast and complicated, and the others don't equalize at all. Of course if there were a defense that gives rise to sharp double edged play always I wouldn't mind it but since Black's options are limited I think that offering to equalzie on move 3 is not bad.