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Delivering awesome high-tech action in the power-packed style of THE MATRIX and MINORITY REPORT, EQUILIBRIUM stars Christian Bale (REIGN OF FIRE) and Taye Diggs (CHICAGO) in a thrilling look at a future where the only crime is being human! In an attempt to end wars and maintain peace, humankind has outlawed the things that trigger emotion -- literature, music, and art. To uphold the law, a special breed of police is assigned to eliminate all transgressors. But when the top enforcer (Bale) misses a dose of an emotion-blocking drug, he begins to realize that things are not as they seem! Also starring Sean Bean (THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and Emily Watson (RED DRAGON).
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Last updated: October 16, 2009, 7:04 pm
Equilibrium Cusomter reviews:
Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 588
(Billy Goodheart, 2009-10-03) Great action film with a couple slices of humanity thrown in. Christian Bale gives a great performance as John Preston, a secret policeman working for a emotion-banning totalitarian government. His job is to kill anyone who skips their daily dose of fluid that takes away all sensation, emotional and physical; but when Preston neglects to take the sense eradicating medicine, he begins to experience feelings and sensations... and doesn't want to let them go. It is really heart warming to see Bale take his character from a calculated killer to a determined freedom fighter, especially during the puppy and sunrise scenes. His resolve to destroy the government that has denied everyone emotional freedom is powerful, and as a result the gunfight scenes are pretty satisfying. The only peeve I have with Equilibrium is it's rushed climax; the main bad guys are defeated far too easily. Also, the special effects look a little dated for 2002 standards, but Bale's acting and the fight scenes more than make up for it. Aside from that, this film is a solid action/thriller in the vein of 1984 and V for Vendetta. Rent it!
(Daniel Terracina, 2009-10-03) Several years ago I dated a girl who had an older brother with an expansive DVD collection. From time to time she would let me borrow some of his DVDs, and one time we watched a science fiction/action movie called Equilibrium. I so thoroughly enjoyed this movie that she bought me a copy of my own, and it quite possibly will go down as one of the crowning hallmarks of our relationship. Receiving a limited theatrical release on December 6, 2002, Equilibrium is the directorial debut of Kurt Wimmer. Wimmer also wrote the script, and even invented the incredibly unique fighting style on display throughout the movie known as the Gun Kata. Equilibrium is set in an Orwellian future where human emotion is outlawed. The film fills in the reasons for this drastic step for the audience over the opening credits, but basically after World War III ends humans realize that they cannot afford World War IV. As a means to an end, any sort of content that invokes emotion is outlawed, and the citizens of this new society take designer medication with robot-like precision several times a day to rid themselves of emotion. Music, movies, television, paintings, and essentially art of any sort are rated "EC-10" for emotional content (a subtle jab at the MPAA ratings system) and are to be destroyed on sight. In the first scene, police raid the home of a group of resistance fighters and find the original "Mona Lisa," which they proceed to incinerate with a flame-thrower. Christian Bale stars as John Preston, a member of the elite Grammaton Cleric. The Grammaton are practitioners of the aforementioned Gun Kata, and their job is to seek out and eradicate sense offenders, as they are called in the film. Bale really shines as he portrays a full range of emotions as Preston. He begins as a cold, emotionless (literally) servant of the state. As the movie progresses his human nature slowly takes over, and he manages to portray the onslaught of emotions quite well. A good example is the scene when Preston hears music for the first time. Wimmer chose the first movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony for this scene, and its powerful impact is readily apparent on Preston as well as the audience. The movie has merits other than Bale's performance. The cinematography and music all help to set the proper tone. Taye Diggs and Sean Bean do not disappoint in supporting roles. The action is very tightly knit and well choreographed. On-screen combat is filmed in such a way that viewers can actually see what is happening. Despite some elaborate fight scenes, no wires were used for any of the stunts. This gives the finished product a classic B-movie feel, but this is definitely a good thing in this case. One of the biggest problems with Equilibrium is a glaring example of unfinished visual effects late in the movie. I understand the movie was made on a budget, but such an oversight is just unacceptable in a major motion picture. There are a few minor plot holes towards the end as well, but these are definitely overshadowed by the technical flaw. The DVD includes very meager special features, but there are two entertaining commentaries that are full of interesting information. Kurt Wimmer really poured himself into both writing and directing this film, and his passion is apparent even in his commentary track. There is one behind-scenes-featurette that is fun but not outstanding. Equilibrium is a well-done sci-fi/action movie that is underappreciated. It has drawn comparisons to Gattaca and Blade Runner, but it is in no way a cheap derivative. The Gun Kata is a wholly original form of combat that will offer plenty of awe-inspiring moments. All things considered, this movie is definitely not offensive to the senses.
(Eric S. Kim, 2009-09-18) Can you imagine having your emotions banned from society? Well, if you can't, then you'll have to watch Equilibrium to see for yourself. Here, we see a Fascist regime that has banned all forms of human emotions. Christian Bale is John Preston, a man of the highest rank for this notorious empire. At first, he sees human emotions as a plague upon humanity, but after he doesn't take his medicine due to an accident, he beings to experience emotions. Here, we get to see the good things in life, like music and color. But that's not the only thing that makes this film so recognizable. We also have some tense action sequences. They may not be very realistic, but they're still so spectacular to look at. The cast is a great ensemble, though I did find Emily Watson to be a bit wooden at times (for a person who actually HAS emotion in this movie). Overall, I tried hard to love this movie, but I ended but only liking it. It is a very good film, but it's not one of my favorites (mostly due to the slow pace in the middle of the film, and some unnecessary choral music).
(D. Avila, 2009-09-12) A story,basically,about what happens after WWIII,and the establishment of a futuristic city where people are injected with a drug to stop them from feeling emotions(the leader believes that this was the cause of mans agression).Christian Bale plays a cop who hunts down,and mostly kills "sense offenders",but one day he accidentally breaks the vile of his dose of the drug,and he starts feeling emotions(he does a good job of showing emotion and what he tries to do to mask it from everyone).He joins the resistance-kills the leader of the city,and the resistance wins.Story in a nut shell. The fight scenes are really cool. I recommend this movie if you like Christian Bale(Sean Bean is featured in the first 10 or 15 minutes),and if you like a great scifi movie!!!
(Denzel Lockheart, 2009-09-07) Since this movie had so many rave reviews and quite a few friends of mine were telling me about how awesome it is, I decided to rent this movie because, for one, I love Christian Bale. I became a fan after seeing him in Newsies, which, while being a so-so movie at best, was worth it for Bale alone. Who thought he could sing very well? He was also in American Psycho, and a few other movies that I love. ALso, I love action movies, I'm a huge fan of dystopian stories and It seemed very matrix-ish. Let's get right down to the good: The action scenes are incredible. Some of the best I've seen in any movie. In fact, they alone save the movie from being downright awful. The action at the end was awesome too, and it was well shot and edited. No shaky camera, no rapid edits, the viewer can tell what's going on in the scenes. Also, no speed ups or slow motion, it's raw and down to earth. As for the visuals- the movie was shot on a very low budget, but even then they look great. The dystopian look really enhances the dark tones of the movie. Bale gives a great performance here, this is one of his better performances. However, that can't save the movie from being confusing and disjointed. The plot is really hard to follow. I had no idea what was going on, and at times it tried to echo The Matrix. Part of the reason The Matrix kicks serious ass is because the way it was done was incredible- when I watched the Matrix for the first time I was blown away, and I had not seen a movie like it. In fact, maybe had I not seen The Matrix before seeing Equilibrium, I might have liked Equilibrium more. Also, as much as I love the action scenes, at the same time I was wondering how it was possible that Bale's character had God like powers. The Matrix's scenes were more realistic in the sense that you knew why Neo had these godlike powers. Equilibrium offers no explanation, instead we're left wondering what the reasoning behind all of this is. Another negative point is the characters. None of the characters seemed to catch my attention at all. I personally couldn't care less if Bale died or not, and are we really supposed to feel sorry for Watson's character? I was just glad I didn't have to watch her anymore. As for Bale's character's kids, they were pointless and were out of place with the plot. Especially the son. In fact, when I saw that he was dressed like Bale, I laughed out loud. As for his acting, he sounded like he was reading off a teleprompter. Most of his dialogue was just him giving plot points away. In short, this movie is really a mixed bag. When it's good, it's good, but when it's bad, it's downright awful.