Equilibrium

Rating:
Summary: Inject your dose of 'Equilibrium'
Review: This move takes place in a post-World War III society (named Libria) where feelings and emotions are prohibited by law and its citizens are kept under control by state mandated drug use. John Preston (Christian Bale) is Libria's top enforcer and is ruthless in his enforcement of Libria's personal code of conduct until one day he forgets to take his required Librium dosage. Preston then develops feelings for a woman he arrests as well as begins to appreciate the arts, crafts and books that he had no regard for and then joins Libria's resistance. The action is almost non stop throughout the film while it addresses many philisophical issues as well regarding personal freedom and tolerance which have been seen and addressed in other movies before. This film has elements from movies like "Blade Runner", "Metropolis", "1984", "Fahrenheit 451", "THX-1138", "The Matrix" and packs a whallop action-wise. All of the elements work out as far as I am concerned. It all comes together and is done very well. You won't be disappointed with this film. I wasn't.

Rating:
Summary: Ultra Cool Gun Battles!
Review: This movie features not only the most impressive gunfight sequences in recent movie history but also some very stylish swordfighting scenes. An outstanding performance by Christian Bale (American Psycho, Reign of Fire) made it all the more enjoyable. His convincing portrayal of the highest ranking Grammaton Cleric, an unfeeling, unemotional, near superhuman killing machine, draws you into the post-apocalyptic, prozac nation of Libria very quickly.

Initially, the set designs took me aback; it wasn't as polished as the costume designs but that's quite understandable given the movie's budget. It's definitely no Minority Report nor The Matrix in terms of production quality but it succeeds in bringing its own memorable flavor. Despite the premise and some pretty weak moments along the way, I found myself being entertained by this little gem of a sci-fi action flick. Don't miss it!

Rating:
Summary: godbless
Review: this movie for not acting in the typical vein of a horrible hollywood action flick.

you know, there are actors (and actresses) like christian bale, emily watson, and taye diggs that always try to get involved with the best films (we can forgive taye for brown sugar, he of course has to pay his bills as well). the computer animation of the "metropolis" like city is quite nice... the cinemaphotography, plot, and setting are all very well done. the setting i think was done quite nicely.

i mean, when the scene comes down when christian is going to fight taye you think they are going to get into this huge fight... but he (christian/preston) just slices him into three peices. i just love that sort of thing... i'd rather see him cut him into three peices with one swift move than the typical ten minute hollywood fight where each one has the other at one anothers mercy about four different times and fails to kill the other.

take the concepts of gattaca, fairenheit451, the matrix, and dark city and you have this movie... and i know, for most people that would sound like a bad thing... but here it works quite well.

and if that doesn't intrigue you the action scenes are still pretty cool... but keep in mind that christian (preston) doesn't even come close to losing a fight even once... and sometimes his victims look like crash test dummys :P

Rating:
Summary: You have to see this movie!
Review: If you don't see Equilibrium, something is obviously wrong with you. Or you're opposed to violence in movies, which is a stupid position. Everyone should see this movei, the fight scenes are spectacular, and there's little better than one guy killing 6 futuristic SWAT troopers in a circle around him with only dual pistols. Also, while the fight scenes were my favorite part, the plot had no obvious holes and was not lacking in any way. When i saw it, Equilibrium immediately reminded me of "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, which is an excellent book. However, Equilibrium evolved to be more than just a book-burning film, and i must say, kicked booty.

Rating:
Summary: Where have I been?
Review: I can't believe I had never heard of this film.....must be losing my touch. On to the point.....this movie is awesome. If your slow of mind then this movie isn't for you......a little Blade Runner.......Matrix.......Anime........Blade.........I could go on forever. All of that.....plus it's a thinker. If you are a Sci-Fi....Fantasy....Action.....Nazi-esk movie lover then get this film. I would be willing to bet my movie collection that you'll love it....and if you don't you wouldn't want my movies anyway, lol.
Oh...by the way (i feel ashamed to have to explain this to people) when Taye Diggs show hints of emotion it was all part of the set up that brought us to the end of the film. Are the only ones who knew that he wasn't taking his drug (like the leader) the ones of us who enjoyed the film. I'm begining to see why U.S. releases of films are edited to make them easier for the American public to understand.

Rating:
Summary: The Matrix This Is Not
Review: Although the concluding final scene is pretty good, this movie was dry and the plot was not worthy of being compared to the Matrix or even Gattaca, another futuristic plot favorite of mine. Bale holds his own and Diggs is decent. The concept was original but just not enough. Ok movie but it's not the Matrix.

Rating:
Summary: An Under-rated sci-fi action/drama
Review: Christian Bale stars as a man that starts to have emotion and feeling in a world where it's a crime. The film starts out with him as a cop fighting and killing people who feel. A prisinor played Emily Watson makes him curious to what it would feel like to have emotion. He then realizes that the right to feel and have emotion is worth fighting for. He decides to fight and stand up to the system he once stood for. The action is fun if not a little too quick and often even silly. I mean Christian Bale fights a bunch of cops just to defend a puppy for god's sake.

Equilibrium has been called a Matrix rip-off among being called a rip-off of many other Sci-fi films. I think it stands on it's own though. It's a good movie if you look past the silly plot. The performances by Bale, Watson Sean Bean and Taye Diggs, the cool looking atmosphere and the action make it worth watching.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Premise and Martial Arts
Review: The film takes place in a futuristic version of Orwell's 1984. There wasn't even much an attempt to spin Orwell's classic tropes. World War III occurred and much of the world is nothing more than a dissolute bombed out urban landscape inhabited by prole-like hippy art collectors (I'm serious). Civil society dwells in a city that seems to be heavily influenced by old photographs of 1930's Manhattan. The supreme leader of the city has his face everywhere from the sides of buildings to low flying zeppelins. Father has replaced Big Brother. The telescreens and mechanisms of surveillance are ubiquitous. The denizens of the unnamed metropolis are constantly bombarded with propaganda. The children are trained to spy on their parents. Orwell's thought crime is now sense crime. A class of uber-warriors called “grammtron clerics” has replaced the thought police. The leaders of the city have decided that human feelings are origin of conflict. Consequently, everyone must self administer several doses of a Prozac-like drug to numb their emotions. Any caught skipping doses or entertaining feelings is subject to immediate incineration. The role of the clerics is to root out sense criminals.

Science fiction films often have slow starts due to the fact that the rules of the world in which it takes place must be explained (and often spoon fed) to the viewers. Equilibrium is no exception but cliché setting, while well worn and not original, serves as cinematic short hand to root the totalitarian premises.

The saving premise of the first half of the film is the totalitarian state's use of sedative pharmaceuticals to lubricate the population into docility and conformity. This is an excellent analogy to America's public school system and its Ritalin and Prozac popping youth. Beyond this, the rest of the Orwellian tropes are flat and have little symbolic purpose other than to contribute to the dystopian atmosphere. This is perhaps the films greatest weakness.

The well-choreographed martial and performed arts scenes alone justify the rental price. These center on the "gun kata" trained cleric, John Preston, played by Christian Bale of American Psycho fame. Think of Keanu Reeves performance in the Matrix, with all the pre-film martial arts training, balletic body control and acting intensity. However, Bale is extremely successful in his use of facial expressions to convey further meaning into the scene. (Reeves tends to lack this ability, and I consider it to be one of his role's main weaknesses.) The fighting is mostly guns and Japanese swords. Bale's proclivity for martial arts and cat-like grace is startling. If there was an Oscar for martial arts in a film I honestly believe that he deserves at least a nomination. It is a loss that Bale's kendo/kali hybrid sword fighting scenes weren't any longer.

Given Bale's fighting skills, the martial arts choreography and the Prozac as a modality of totalitarian political control premise it is easy to forgive the film its flaws.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie! Matrix meets Fahrenheit 451
Review: Equilibrium is an awesome movie that goes with the idea in Fahrenheit 451, where books, art, and music are outlawed. Emotions in general are not allowed in this post World War 3 era, because the new government thought feelings created war and hostility towards others. The leading role is a cop named John Preston (Christian Bale), who is a cleric in the new government. What begins as routine "feeling busting" turns into life changing set of events that puts Preston on the wrong side of the law, but the right side of human nature. With awesome scenery, great fight scenes, matrix-like choreography, and a good story, this film is definately a must see. How it didn't get big in th cinema is beyond me. I give it 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Underrated little gem
Review: Christian Bale gives an unbelieveably moving performance in this criminally underrated little gem where he plays a "Cleric" in a post World War III world. In this world, all of the population is devoid of any emotions for the sake of no war and human survival, and Cleric's are the ultimate fighting machines who keep the law while their own emotions are repressed as well. When John Preston (Bale), the best Cleric there is, accidently misses his dose of his emotion supressing drug, he begins to realize what it is to "feel", and when he does he knows that all along he has been leading the wrong path. Bale's moving performance is one of his best, along with his roles in American Psycho and Reign of Fire, but that is almost overshadowed by some of the best action/fight scenes to grace the screen since The Matrix. Using the "gun-kata" technique, writer/director Kurt Wimmer creates an almost over the top showcase for some ultraviolent fights mixed with incredible performances from Bale, Taye Diggs as Bale's new partner, Emily Watson as a doomed sense offender, and Sean Bean who, even in a limited role, plays a very pivotal part nonetheless. What I can't understand is why Equilibrium didn't see the release time it deserved. It was only released in limited theaters which I can't understand why. I found 2002's big "future shock" film Minority Report every bit as good as Equilibrium, albeit more fast paced, and I would have liked to see how it would have done had it gotten a bigger release. My only complaint is about the DVD itself, besides Wimmer's commentary, we get a five minute segment with some interviews and various trailers (including one for Quentin Tarantino's upcoming new film Kill Bill) and thats it. I would have liked to see a documentary on the gun-kata fighting technique used in the film, but oh well. All in all, Equilibrium is a more than solid sci-fi dystopia portrait, and it is criminally underrated and more than worth seeing.