Equilibrium

Rating:
Summary: The Sci-Fi genre needs more films like this!
Review: To be honest, I never even heard of this movie until on two separate occasions I heard people mention "grammaton cleric". At that point, I knew I was missing out on something big and decided to watch it. I'm sure glad that I did.

All good movies need plenty emotion and this one gives you just that. For the first hour there is so much tension that you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat. Not that it will make you cry or anything, but it will definitely shock you as things happen suddenly and the outcome is unpredictable. What's more, the soundtrack absolutely matches what John Preston (Christian Bale) is feeling at the moment. That in of itself is crucial to the story, as you will find out. My only complaint is the ending, which felt, for a lack of a better word, "staged", but that really didn't matter in the long run.

I'm inclined to give any movie with Emily Watson 5 stars; however this one deserves them on its own. It has great action, an interesting story, superb acting, and, unlike "Matrix: Reloaded", is fortified with enough drama to keep you interested all along the way.

Rating:
Summary: Mindblowing Action but mediocre plot
Review: equilibrium is about a dystopian earth that lingers on ideas of social systems.

this movie kicks the ... out of many action sequences done today, comparing it to the matrix seems inevitable because its a dark film with scifi with great visuals but comparing it is not good.

the premise is After World War III (a war caused by man's "emotional" unbalance), a new society arises from the ashes. It is a world where emotion (or "sense violations") are outlawed and punishable by immediate execution.

To keep everything in check, residents within the walled city are given five daily doses(interesting paralell to Moslem's 5 prayers a day in Mecca, a walled city ), or intervals, of an emotion-blocking drug called Prozium.

Sense violations, which occur primarily outside the city walls, are enforced by Clerics of the Tetragrammatron, aka "Fathers." these clerics are a new policing religious order that are judge jury and executioner to whoever commits the crime of having feelings. when they are fighting and holed in somewhere,They've figured out the mathematical possibility of combat, and they put themselves in the least statistically possible place to be hit at each moment of a fight,. and boy do they fight

Christian Bale plays John Preston, the highest-ranking Cleric who is both a brutal executioner and practitioner of Gun Kata (more on that below). Preston misses a dose one morning and his chemically-muted reality starts to crumble.

As more and more of his manufactured reality comes apart, Preston eventually finds the "underground" where he is recruited to help bring down the system. As his partner Brandt (Taye Diggs) becomes more and more suspicious, Preston must deal with his flood of emotions, the death of his wife, and the imminent execution of a sense offender named Mary (Emily Watson) whom he arrested before.

if the following below does not sound cool to action fans then action movies should not be made

Gun Kata : a form of martial arts created by filmmaker Kurt Wimmer. (first time i think a martial arts has been created for a film) In Gun Kata, the practitioner of the art uses guns as an extension of controlled bursts of acrobatics. The theory being that each gun-battle only has limited outcomes and by applying a series of angles and probability factors to potential foes, one can win any shootout. The sequences are excellently conceived and very exciting to watch. now doesnt this alone sound cool enough?

the movie's budget was 20 mil, and it shows in some sequences but they make the best of wht they have... good production design, unoriginal philosophical concepts borrowed from 1984, ray bradbury's fahrenheit 51,looks like a "B" film at times.. etc

this movie oozes style and christian bale is a damn good action hero who has acting chops and coolness to boot

The director of this film Kurt Wimmer is worth keeping an eye on for the future.

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable Sleeper
Review: This film went mostly unnoticed during its release but those who've seen it mostly likely didn't regret it. On the surface it resembles The Matrix but it actually has a soul of its own. The fights are as good if not better than those in The Matrix and the climactic fight is worth the price alone. It even has some nice surprises.

Rating:
Summary: ACTION-PACKED and THOUGHT PROVOKING
Review: I found this movie to be very intertaining. To say it is action-packed is an understatement. The action scenes are done brilliantly and very tasteful in their manner. I don't beleive there is a single curse word in the entire movie. There's a reason for that. After watching it, I also found 'Equilibrium' to be very thought provoking. It made me ask myself...is this where we're heading as a nation? It sometimes feels like it. I highly recommend this movie to any sci-fi and/or action-film fan. It's a good one!

Rating:
Summary: Best Movie I've Ever Seen In My Life!
Review: It's definetly and infintely excellent movie and must play now a days in theater because it get me interetsed in this movie that I can't reveal my words for it. It's just amazing and best movie forever, that's all I can say!

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I thought this movie was absoulutely great. I can't believe the critics were as harsh on it as they were. And anyways, why let what someone else says influence your movie viewing choices? Anyways, I thought this movie had a brilliant script, and the acting was superb. The thing that set this movie apart from others is that it had a very intense emotional overtone to it, coupled with great action scenes. I thought this movie rivaled the Matrix, and even surpassed it in terms of moral overtones in an action movie. I feel it shouldn't have been compared to The Matrix as much as it was. Great movie, and sets it apart in its own action-oriented genre through extreme emotional overtones. One of my fave movies.

Rating:
Summary: Stands on its own as a film. So-So DVD
Review: The theater going audience is pretty fickle (although not discriminating) these days and it is easy to see why this movie was ignored in limited release. It was not made for mass appeal. People who love action and understand suspension of belief will enjoy this film. This is no Charlie's Angels pile of garbage. The distributors made a poor decision in comparing it to the Matrix. As a relatively low budget sci fi film, it stands on its own. This movie is great entertainment but the audience must understand two things. First, the director himself said that the society was not truly emotionless as emotion is an essential part of being human. The drug in the film merely removed the highs and lows. Maintaining "equilibrium" is a matter of societal influence and the Clerics. Second, all movies build on previous films. Whether it be production techniques, actors, or stories, without the foundation of previous work, we wouldn't have movies like Charlie's Angels II. Just kidding. Some great movies, like Jurassic Park, are based upon books. Why can't movies do the same thing for each other?

Rating:
Summary: Equilibrium
Review: This movie was so sweet. The fight scenes will blow your mind. Even though I hate how action movies always compare themselves to the matrix this one was better than the matrix

Rating:
Summary: Seen This Before, But Film Is Very Underrated
Review: Take these films...Logan's Run (for the hero's ennui), 1984 and Farenheit - 451 (so very very heavy on the F-451), Matrix (for the special effects), and Dark City (for the cinetography), and you have `Equilibrium'.

Christian Bale, is a Cleric. A Cleric arrests and kills people who have emotional responses (a la Logan's Run's Sandmen, they even have the same uniforms...). Bale is an excellent mix of Neo (Matrix) and Tom Cruise (he even has the Cruise look) from Minority Report.

While the premise is rather weak i.e. emotions and creativity being illegal, punishable by death, citizens are forced to take Prozium, an emmotion suppressant. Any who feel, are exterminated by SWAT-style teams. .

The movie is filmed in `blackened color', almost black and white, a la Dark City and Minority Report. Anything in `color' is destroyed (tres symbolic). The first 10 minutes are straight out of Logan's Run but updated (hero kills best friend in line of duty). The populous is surrounded by audio propaganda a la 1984.

There is a sad depth when the hero's wife is arrested for `sense offense' because she actually LOVES him, and the portrayal of his emotionless children as products of the state, is absolutely chilling. Death is not remorse, or caring. It is a fast creamation, and a forgotten victim.

The best scene, is when Bale realizes his windows are covered with a chromatic, light reducing film. and thears it off to reviel a full color city below him. Very blatantly symbolic, but effective. From there, it is Cruise in Minority report. But much better done. The action sequences are a notch above Matrix. The lighting effects are superb.

If you are a fan of any of the films I mentioned, you have to see this movie. The ONLY reason I didn't give it 5 stars?- no DTS. And the sound effects would have been much better on my 7.1 system as DTS, than 5.1 Dolby. I didn't buy my Cambridge speakers to be limited to 5.1...

Rating:
Summary: Hey You!Get off the 'Prozium' WAKE UP and watch this Movie!!
Review: Disappointed with "The Matrix Reloaded"? Felt let down? ACHIEVE "Equlibrium" by watching this GREAT movie.
WOW!!!...Taking a breather after finishing this incredible film had to sit down and throw in my two cents.
First of all, this is another much needed and sorely missed breath of fresh air that we've seen so rarely come down the pike from the cookie-cutter that is Hollywood. This movie made me feel the same way after viewing such films as "Dark City", "The Matrix", "The Blair Witch Project", "Memento", "Donnie Darko", "Brotherhood of the Wolf", as well as The films of Wes and Paul Thomas Anderson, Spike Jonze, Guy Ritchie, and Doug Liman--which is completly surprised, and pleased with the blend of intelligence with action and an ever increasing difficulty level of taking elements of genres and giving them a unique new twist (true originality is all but dead).
Granted this movie uses elements of stories we've seen before whether it be the oppressive dystopias of movies like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, A Brave New World, THX 1138, Metropolis, Brazil, Gattaca, Logan's Run, Rollerball (the original), or "The Handmaid's Tale".
It's interesting to note that Libria's citizens are encouraged to "rat" each other out. It brings to mind Mao or McCarthy although not to such hysterical fever pitches...that would be a "sense offense". Instead of books, or political idealogies, emotions themselves are outlawed. Instead of "A Brave New World's" ~soma~ the good citizen's of Libria have the opiate for the masses "Prozium". This is Libria's cure to end war (unlike Rollerball's "game").

Not that ALL emotions are eradicated , as director Kurt Wimmer shares, rather prozium eliminates mankind's tempestous highs and lows. And those emotions, ambition, jealousy, that might further Libria's cause of promoting "Non-feeling" are allowed such as Taye Diggs character's motivation to bring John Preston (Christian Bale) down. It's also interesting to note that the director meant this as a parable, a cautionary tale of socio-politcal ideology gone wrong, rather than a literal story.
The Grammaton Clerics similarity to the sandmen in "Logan's Run" ("Minority Report" has similarities to "LR" as well) was interesting--two partner cops hunting down "offenders" whether they be "runners", "Pre-criminals", or in this case "sense offenders". One has to pursue and kill a partner then have his conscience / soul pricked to have an epiphany and find they are questioned or pursued themselves.
I can't say enough about the performances other than agreeing with the director he batted a thousand with his casting. Everybody was superb, Christian Bale is a delight to watch grow with each new performance (Damn why can't Hollywood wise up to this proven action star with acting chops to boot-- like the late Brandon Lee, Christian Bale packs a deadly combo of ripped physicallity with a deep emotional wellspring to draw on). Sean Bean continues to blow me away with performances of his "flawed= REAL" characters, whether in "Goldeneye", "Patriot Games", "Ronin", or "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" Bean wrenches a very soulful, human performance out of what little screen time he's given.
The action of this movie is a much needed shot in the arm for HARD CORE ACTION JUNKIES. The impressive "Gun Kata" invented by the director is a fresh, inventive next-step in the evolution of the cinematic gun battle. Hong Kong innovators such as John Woo / Chow Yun Fat ushered in the Balletic "Gun Fu" (as coined by writer Ric Meyers). This film unlike "The Matrix" and it's sequels does not rely on "wire-fu" stunts-- (the flip by Cleric Preston was accomplished by a diving champion stunt double) --refreshing after being bombarded by the likes of the 2 "Charlie's Angels" entries, augmentation of recent Jackie Chan (The Tuxedo), Jet Li (Pick one), and Chow Yun Fat (Bullet-proof Monk) movies. Don't get me wrong wire work is a great tool in use of projects involving super-human ability (such as Jet Li's multiverse titan in "The One") any number of recent Superhero movies (Blade 2, Daredevil, Spiderman, X-men), or the Swordplay classic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".
The action sequences resonate with the speed and beauty of the best of Jet Li's Hong Kong work, married with the swordplay scenes with Preston's use of the "Zatoichi" underhand swordhold style. The opening introduction to the prowess of the Grammaton Cleric's "Gun-Kata", the numerous confrontations between Preston and the many "sweepers", the Kendo bokken match between Preston and Brandt, and the climactic Hallway "weeble wobble-clip" gun battle, Preston and Brandt's "Face-off", and the final confrontation between Dupont (Angus MacFadyen / Braveheart) which innovatively uses the hand locking styles reminiscent of Wing Chun's 'chi sau'/'lok sau', or Tai Chi Chuan's 'toi sau' only with guns!
In the Director's commentary Kurt Wimmer hints at a fighting technique not used in this movie that he's saving for a future project...I can't wait!
I find as with the umpteen reviewers before me the "Matrix" comparison on the box a bit of a misnomer and rather tedious. As for the swipes at Preston's clothes copying Neo, other than they are sleek tight fitting and black I don't see the comparison (I mean Neo was wearing a trenchcoat!) I also remind all that "Equilibrium" predates "Matrix re-loaded" in which the tables are turned Neo's "uber-mensch/superman" persona has on the "GOD Smock". I find that I, as a political cartoonist in a daily competition with other artists to put a humorous spin on current events notice on occasion that 2 or more creative people will come up with the same idea independently from one another. So I agree with director Kurt Wimmer that the bros. Wachowski were giving Neo religious garb to outwardly represent his 'deity' which coincidently took on the 19th century deacon smock motif.
In the interest of observation, viewers may find Jim Jarmusch's "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" (2000) interesting in that the Hit-man character played by Forest Whitacker adheres to Modern Bushido as he swings his pistols around like swords...something to check out-you just might LIKE it!