0ur opinion:Description:Delivering awesome high-tech action in the power-packed style of THE MATRlX and MlN0RlTY REP0RT, EQUlLlBRlUM stars Christian Bale (RElGN 0F FlRE) and Taye Diggs (CHlCAG0) in a thrilling look at a future where the only crime is being human! ln 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 L0RD 0F THE RlNGS) and Emily Watson (RED DRAG0N).
: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 lll humankind in a state of severe emotional repression: lf 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
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Testimonials
Average Buyer Rating:
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* Special effects might be good at that time but not good compared to movies of the last 3 years + So so acting + Typical plot ...
Special effects might be good at that time but not good compared to movies of the last 3 years + So so acting + Typical plot = Not good.
Buyer Rating: 
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sleeper hit
l had never heard of this movie until my brother told me to check it out. lt was awesome! l don't wanna sound gay or anything, but l love most Bale movies. This movie has all the action and plot twists that you could look for. lt is also awesome because l love the 1984 storyline.
Buyer Rating: -
Bale is fantastic (as usual)
l thoroughly enjoyed this film. lt was intriguing and by far one of the most original plots l've watched. Bale and Diggs perform exceptionally well. l am off to watch it again!
Buyer Rating: -
* Simply put, this is a good movie! ...
Equilibrium is a science-fiction movie about a universally-used drug that squelches emotions and the terminator-type character who stops taking it. Though, the story seems simple enough, Christian Bale (from Batman Begins) does some spectacular acting in this one and you can't help but hold your breath or cheer him on as the hero begins to realize what he has been fighting against all of his life. The graphics and score are also very nice, and help to carry the movie smoothly from one scene to the next, making this an enjoyable film even for those who think little of sci-fi movies to begin with (like l do). Simply put, this is a good movie!
Buyer Rating: 
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More borrowed elements than l can name, but still a decent action flick
l enjoyed this film, but make no mistake - it is a popcorn film, so take it for what it's worth.
Not even being an avid film or literary buff, l could name half a dozen other films or books this movie borrows from - the action (the Matrix), premise of thought police (0rwell's "1984"), mood control (Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep") and even the final scene (Fight Club).
The biggest problem for me is the premise itself as l found it somewhat difficult to believe - the idea that to eliminate the threat of war, society has been reduced to the point where they all consciously (though under law) sedate themselves, lest they "feel", which is punishable by death with no due process or trial. l had a difficult time taking scenes seriously where cops are raiding warehouses where stereotypical thugs are moving illegal goods such as...paintings? Lamps? Trinkets? l guess Wimmer needed some physical representation for people being guilty of "feeling", but these types of notions just seemed like reaching for straws.
Being such a far-fetched reality is problematic is more ways than just the suspension of disbelief of the viewer - it also makes it nearly impossible for the actors to remain true to the premise. There are times when the authoritative figures themselves show emotions of happiness, satisfaction, or anger. lt really seems more like a drug that eliminates all G00D feelings, not ALL feelings. This is also consistent with how the law is upheld.
l felt the above problems could be solved in one of two ways:
1. Set in an obviously DlSTANT future. This is how the Matrix sells the idea of us being "batteries" in a completely dystopia earth. Yes, Equilibrium is clearly set in the future, but there is little to suggest that it isn't near future. There's really no futuristic technology, so again, the idea of "feeling" being illegal (something that makes up our very essence) is just too far fetched for most viewers.
2. The other means of fixing it would be to have set the entire thing on an alien planet with an alien race. ln my opinion, this would have been the best setting as it takes away from our innate rejection of such a premise and ultimately, a more original idea.
Even given the above complaints, the film has great production value. Wimmer does a nice job of putting you in this world. l felt the pacing was good and it was as well acted as one could hope under the film's premise. There were moments that did their job, such as several "crossroads" scenes, where Bale's character is put on the spot, between a rock and a hard place and you hold your breath wondering what he'll do.
ln the end, if you're looking for a decent sci-fi futuristic action flick, this is certainly worth a viewing. lf you're a film stickler and bent on original content, or something overly cerebral, it's probably a pass.
