Equilibrium (2002)

A broad science fiction thriller in a classic vein, Equilibrium takes a respectable stab at a Fahrenheit 451-like cautionary fable. The story finds Earth's post-World War III humankind in a state of severe emotional repression: If no one feels anything, no one will be inspired by dark passions to attack their neighbors. Writer-director Kurt Wimmer's monochromatic, Metropolis-influenced cityscape provides an excellent backdrop to the heavy-handed mission of John Preston (Christian Bale), a top cop who busts "sense offenders" and crushes sentimental, sensual, and artistic relics from a bygone era. Predictably, Preston becomes intrigued by his victims and that which they die to cherish; he stops taking his mandatory, mood-flattening drug and is even aroused by a doomed prisoner (Emily Watson). Wimmer's wrongheaded martial arts/dueling guns motif is sheer silliness (a battle over a puppy doesn't help), but Equilibrium should be seen for Bale's moving performance as a man shocked back to human feeling. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

Not as Bad as I Thought It Would Be ... Not as Good as It Could Have Been

My teenage son brought this movie from the library.

Judging from the cover, I was concerned that this would be a low-budget rip-off of the Matrix. (As an aside, some reviewers have protested the comparisons to Matrix. Please. Just compare the jacket covers.)

It wasn't a blatant rip-off. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But it wasn't nearly as good as it could have been.

To his credit, Christian Bale had some interesting scenes. IMHO, Sean Bean was wasted in this movie. The 'Gun Kata' was, as several other reviewers have pointed out, simply silly. Intriguing notion, but silly execution (if one will pardon the pun).

I found myself in agreement with most of the other two star reviews, especially Gautner's.

This is a B-level movie that had potential. Unfortunately, it missed.

Tim Warneka, author

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Awesome!!!!

I was skeptical at first when someone suggested this movie and I was hooked after watching the opening fight/gun scene. I liked it better than The Matrix as there are no crazy special effects and people floating in mid-air, etc. Another Christian Bale DVD added to the collection. Taye Diggs is a bit of a tool in this movie but did a swell job in a supporting role. Shipping was superfast btw, especially me being overseas an all....kudos to Amazon!!! :D November 17, 2008

Atmospheric Movie..

This movie features a bleak, emotionless future to resolve human conflicts such as war, interesting as it is, instead of just putting the 'sense offenders' back on medication, they choose to kill them. I did not understand the meaning behind that, and how any society would ever find that to be a solution, however for the sake of moviemaker plot line, it was a pretty surrealist look into a world ironically not too different from ours... in some parts of the world anyway.

Christian Bale did an amazing job, as he normally does, playing a top level agent that seeks out the 'sense offenders' and destroys them. When he finds he has missed a dose of Prozaim, the 'it' drug of the times.... He starts to feel, as he begins to process emotions for the first time, he discovers there are 'feelers' all around him, he joins the resistance and now has to fight 'Father' the leader of this non-feeling movement.

It is a great story to remind us all why being human is important and special... though I cannot understand how Taye Diggs was supposed to be considered on those drugs.... he may have needed a stronger dose, since all I got out of him was emotion... more so even when Bale's character is supposed to be off the drugs...

Anyway it is definitely a great movie, I gave it 5 stars, merely because anything that allows me to watch Christian Bale for an hour and a half has to be good :) November 13, 2008

A favorite flick - highly recommended

I don't remember ever seeing any press on this movie, and I only picked it up after watching just about every other sci-fi ever made. I was very surprised to find that this is a movie I could watch over and over.

One thing I found impressive was the creation of a very different vision of the future. The sets and costumes along with the culture combined to create a believable world. The story grabbed me in and kept me interested. I found myself really caring about what happened to the main characters. As the story unfolded I found the action sequences to be incredibly choreographed with a form of battle combining guns and movement that I've never seen anywhere else. It was a combination of really exciting action and good story telling.

This is a movie that's easy to overlook, but I recommend it to any real sci-fi fan. September 27, 2008

Top notch future cop shooter slasher flick

The violence and cinematography in this film are first class. There's plenty of action and a good presentation of a dark, sinister future.

Bale is on good form and the whole film delivers very, very well indeed. September 22, 2008

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