Equilibrium
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Movie Reviews of Equilibrium
Movie Review: Only Made One Million At The Box Office???
Summary: 5 Stars
"I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly..."
I'm a few years too late on this review, but I've just seen it for the first time, as recommended to me by a friend. I don't normally let movies this cool slip under my radar, but I'm glad I got to it eventually. It's a great film.
This is a futuristic, however loose, retelling of the Bradbury novel Farenheit 451. In that story, in order to keep humanity's knowledge and ambition on a leash so limited that - long story short, we're too dumb to eradicate each other - all books are outlawed by a specialized order of Firemen. These firemen BURN things though, instead of stopping fires. Equilibrium is the same story. The only differences are that in lieu of knowledge, the human failing to be done away with is emotion. The firemen are a highly trained order of clerics who kick ass and take the names of the world's most emo criminals: People who feel.
After WWIII, the government says that if we can't get mad, we can't have war. So a serum was concocted to ebb the pangs of desire. That includes the desire to love, to hate, to want, whatever. Humans are reduced to nigh-automatons in order to survive. And the primary enforcers are the Grammaton Clerics, a Jedi knight sort of order who have mastered the art of gunplay. They outrank the police who also work to uphold the ideal of "feel nothing." The serum is to be taken twice a day in order to keep the urges under control. And, of course, with the pressence of authority comes the pressence of resistence. There's an underground network of players who refuse to abide by the rules and, if found, are exterminated. More "Star Wars" references there with the Empire vs. the Rebel Alliance.
Christian Bale plays Preston, the head cleric who is as emotionless as the Terminator. He goes by the book at all times, even if it means killing his partner who was emoting on the sly. He's a widower with two kids, his pre-teen son also learning to be a cleric. And this kid doesn't mess around. He's worse than his dad, often to the point where he's keeping Bale in check. He scared me.
One day, Preston drops and breaks his morning dose of "Vulcan" serum and when he tries to get a new vial at the Equilibrium complex, they're closed down because of terrorist activity. That means he has to go the whole day without shutting down his emotions. And that's when all hell breaks loose. Slowly, ever slowly, we're shown his inner struggle with having to be true to himself or adhering to the rules of society. Soon, he is all out refusing to use the serum in favor of enjoying the sunrise...the delight in touching things...music...etc. It's all beautifully played out by Bale and perfectly directed by whatshisname. And Preston is usually successful with going to work and faking his robo-attitude, except for the suspicions of his new ambitious partner, Brandt - played by Taye Diggs - a man who can detect when people are "feeling."
The direction is pretty well done as this film's meager budget was stretched thin. The intricate matte designs and claustrophobic camerawork keep things dark and ominous. The cinematography and A.D.D. friendly editing reminds one of "Underworld" with consistently blue lighting and quick-cuts action. There's so much talent in this film that it doesn't look low budget at all. The script is tight and to-the-point and anything left out is covered perfectly by the highly expressive cast. The obvious references to stories of the past, i.e. "Citizen Kane," "The Matrix," "Return of the Jedi," "Out of the Past," "Blade Runner," "Terminator," "Dark City," et al. are really fun to pick out too.
The action scenes are top notch, melding martial arts with magnums in a specifically designed style of fighting called "gun katas." And Bale delivers beautifully, foreshadowing himself as the obvious choice for our modern day Batman. Also, the "gun katas" are a very cool concept. They are based on statistical research of return fire, making sure that your body is not in the way of enemy gunplay. Scientifically numbers-based, it's their way of guessing how your foes are going to shoot. There's a great scene where a grossly outnumbered Bale takes out his foes who have him completely at point-blank range. He's just dodging the bullets before they're shot. And the last 20 minutes are so filled with firepower that you might want to think twice before letting your kid watch with you.
The story is well-crafted, complete with interesting twists as the O'brien character fights to survive as he sleeps with the enemy day in and day out. And Taye Diggs just delivers, flirting with stealing every scene he's in. There's nothing really wrong with this movie. But I can't, just CAN'T put it up there with Casablanca for some reason. Why? I can't say. There's just something missing. Something I'm just not..."feeling?" Whatever the case, it's a damn good movie. And that's all I asked for when I pressed PLAY.
Movie Review: Two Words: Gun Kata
Summary: 5 Stars
"Equilibrium" is a visually and psychologically stunning film that nearly puts "the Matrix" (which came out around the same time) to shame. Alas, due to a low-brow marketing campaign (no doubt stemming from lack of studio faith in the movie), Equilibrium is a sadly under-appreciated work.
Equilibrium can be enjoyed on two completely independent levels, as either a fascinating, dystopian look at the future, or as an exquisite piece of action par-excellence. And it is this duality which allows the film to transcend both the standard sci-fi and action movie fare. Equilibrium combines the very best of both genres, whilst avoiding many of the stereotypes and pitfalls of either.
Even the laziest viewers who are most unwilling to work their brains will thoroughly enjoy this movie at its "basest level", due to two words: "Gun Kata". Quite simply, Gun Kata is mesmerising and unbelievable. I cannot describe it to you in words; you have to see it for yourself. I don't know how the budget of this movie compares to the Matrix, but the special effects of this film compare favourably, and in some ways put Neo to shame. According to the film, super law-enforcers known as "clerics" have perfected a deadly, nearly invincible art of combat called "Gun Kata", which essentially does for guns what martial arts did for other more traditional weapons such as swords. Think of these clerics as Jedi-enforcers, but for an evil "Empire".
By using statistical analysis of likely bullet trajectories, combined with full integration of the gun as a martial arts weapon, a gun kata master is able to take down dozens of armed opponents unscathed whilst seeming to not move from his original standing spot. Onscreen, gun kata will unavoidably earn comparison with bullet time from the Matrix. However, gun kata is presented in real-time, and that is its strength; it is far faster, more furious, and visceral than bullet-time could ever hope to be. Prepare to be amazed.
Viewers with a bit more brain fluid to spare can ponder on the film's intriguing sci-fi premise and taut, well-paced plot. After the Third World War, most of civilisation was apparently destroyed, and the surviving government decided that humanity could not possibly survive a fourth. It was determined that emotion is the root of all evil and war. Thus, to eliminate war, humanity must eliminate emotion; by sacrificing the "good" emotions of love and euphoria, we gain peace and order because we have also eliminated hate, anger, and intolerance along with them. This starts to sound like a perverted version of the teachings of the Jedi Council from Star Wars. The citizens of this city state of "Libria" are thus forced to take an emotion-suppressing drug called Prozium. All works of art, literature, etc. (including the Mona Lisa, incinerated in the opening scene of the movie) which could potentially encite emotion are judiciously destroyed, and all "sense-offenders", those who either traffick these illicit items, or refuse to take their medicine, are hunted down by the clerics and "processed" (executed).
Enter a pre-Batman Christian Bale, who portrays the top-ranking cleric of this police-state, whose Prozium capsule breaks one morning, and decides to skip a dose. This of course changes his life, and determines the plot for the rest of the film. Bale is perfect in this role, starting out as an (understandably) wooden "tin man" who slowly regains his "heart" through the course of the movie. Emily Watson, Bale's "obligatory" love interest, is likewise a strong addition to the cast. Their love story is done in a very subtle and undercut way, one that furthers both the plot and character development, which is more than I can say for most movies these days. Bale's partner is played by Taye Diggs, who is brilliant in this film, if for no other reason than his enigmatic, Cheshire-cat grin which makes you wonder how much he knows, and what he's up to. Diggs' arrogance grows throughout the film, until he too, like Bale's character, becomes "feeling", but with very different results. Character development is exceedingly strong in this film, and all of it is exceedingly delicious to watch.
The world of "Equilibrium" is one filled with hypocrisy, lies, and dirtiness. However, like most dystopian scifi films, there is also hope behind the grime. In the end, the human spirit triumphs, and that is what gives this movie its heart and appeal. That and Gun Kata.
Movie Review: Forget the first "Matrix" film, "Equilibrium" is way better!
Summary: 5 Stars
When "Equilibrium" came to theaters on a limited release status on December of last year, I knew that I had to see it, but I never had the time, and it was gone before I even had a chance to see it. Now, fast forward to May 13, 2003. "Equilibrium" was released on DVD that day. I went out and bought it and when I got back home, I put the movie in my DVD player, and I sat back and watched what was to be expected in this film, and man, I was not disappointed at all! "Equilibrium" is, hands down, the best sci-fi action thriller ever made (even if it was on a limited budget) since "The Matrix" back in 1999! The direction by Kurt Wimmer (writer for "The Recruit") was top-notch and unforgettable! The performances by Christian Bale ("Reign of Fire"), Taye Diggs ("Basic"), Emily Watson ("Red Dragon"), Angus MacFadyen ("Warriors of Virtue"), Sean Pertwee ("Soldier"), William Fichtner ("Black Hawk Down"), and Sean Bean ("The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring") were outstanding and flawless!"Equilibrium" takes place in a future which has gone through a third World War. When the war happened, people from all around the world joined together to create Libria, a society that outlawed emotions, simply because emotions are what caused the war in the first place, and that they have let emotion and feeling control them for way too long. In order for people to not experience any emotions whatsoever, they take a day-in, day-out daily dose of an emotion-altering drug called Prozium. Anyone who triggers an emotion within themselves (they are called "sense offenders"), had to be confronted with extreme prejudice. In order to keep the peace in Libria, these sense offenders are monitored and eradicated by a special breed of law enforcement called the Tetragrammaton Clerics. The main character of the film is John Preston (Bale), the nation's highest-ranking Cleric whose sole purpose is to seek out and destroy all those who refuse to submit to the will of Libria. Preston is the prodigal child of Libria's system of unfeeling. Since childhood, he has been trained in the ways of the gun-martial arts that has made him a tool of destruction. Where he goes, death is never far behind. During the film, Preston finds out that his own partner, Partridge (Bean), has been secretly reading books which, on the other hand, triggered an emotion inside of him. So, Preston dealt with Partridge with the only way of justice for Libria...death. After Partridge's death, Preston is assigned a new partner named Brandt (Diggs), a fellow Cleric who is looking to make a career for himself with Preston, etc. During the film, Preston becomes intrigued of both his way of life and of his victims (not to mention that his own wife was a sense offender). So, one day, Preston decides to skip one of his daily Prozium doses and he begins to see clearly that all is not right with the world as it is, especially when he falls for a fellow sense offender named Mary O'Brien (Watson). Before anyone realized that Preston was "off the interval" (stopped taking his drugs and could feel again), he was chosen for a mission of total importance, to seek out and destroy a movement called the Underground, led by its leader, Jurgen (Fichtner), which is the only organized opposition to the State rule. When they are destroyed, Libria will finally be victorious. But what happens next is a personal struggle that will make us all think a little on what makes us human. As the story goes, the audience is witness to a spectacular form of martial arts called "Gun-Kata" that is as entertaining as it is violent, and you'll see what I mean when you watch this movie!
The DVD of "Equilibrium" features two commentaries, one by director Kurt Wimmer and the other by Wimmer and producer Lucas Foster, as well as "Finding Equilibrium", a behind-the-scenes documentary, and some sneak peek trailers. In conclusion, "Equilibrium" is a DVD must-have for your action collection. If you did not have a chance to see "Equilibrium" in theaters, then you must pick up this killer DVD, it will blow you away! I haven't liked an action film this much since "The Matrix", and with "Equilibrium"'s powerful storyline and high-energy action, it will keep you entertained from start to finish! If you love action, suspense, Matrix-like special effects, or just an all-out, rockin' good time, then look no further than "Equilibrium"!!
Movie Review: Equilibrium: Derivative Does Not Mean Inferior
Summary: 5 Stars
Usually when a film is released that borrows its theme, plot, and special effects from others, I tend to degrade its quality even before I view it. However, in the case of EQUILIBRIUM, director Kurt Wimmer gives us a film that may have begun in familiar territory, but soon enough stakes out its own original niche. In FAHRENHEIT 451, a fireman who burns books soon enough turns to reading them. In THE MATRIX, spectacular aerial dueling scenes punctuate a tale of a future, dystopic society. In 1984, a figurehead Big Brother is the symbol by which the Inner Party rules society. In EQUILIBRIUM, all three motifes combine to produce an engrossing film that suggests our society is not all that far from the one pictured here.Christian Bale is John Preston, a policeman called a "Cleric", one whose job it is to ensure that all of society is rendered unemotional via daily injections of a drug that sounds suspiciously like our own Prozac. The opening credits tell us that after World War III, the surviving political states decided that hyperemotion was to blame for the widespread nuclear destruction. Thus was born the need for the Clerics, a martial arts trained political police force whose function was to track down and eliminate all those who refused this drug. At this point, a number of subtexts arise, enough in any case to suggest an allegory that has meaning for us. To begin with, director Wimmer implies that the forced repression of emotion, while eliminating the negative excesses of that emotion--like war and street crime--nevertheless have unintended consequences. Unlike Spock's planet Vulcan, where a similar de-emotionalizing goes on, in this society, such a repression of all emotion leads invariably to a concommitant repression of civil rights. All sense criminals are killed upon capture without recourse to a trial, a point not lost upon Cleric Preston, who complains of much the same thing to his superiors. As Preston gradually learns that his support of his superior, called the "Father" is based on the false belief that the nonemotional ends justify a similar nonemotional means, he begins to associate psychologically with the very people he is sworn to apprehend. His conversion proceeds slowly, beginning with his killing of his own Cleric partner who has already been infected with the lure of emotions. Several reviewers have complained of what they see as a maudlin scene of emotional growth when Preston risks his life merely to save a cute puppy dog from extinction. Yet, such seeming trivial scenes of conversion are need to establish a coherent and convincing segue of a man from emotionless killer to one who now feels such a wide range of emotions that he finds it impossible to hide them. Part of the joy of this film is the plot twists that evolve into a cat and dog game in which both cat and dog exchange places more than once. True, there are logical lapses, such as having an untaped police interrogation or not having a 1984-style ubiquitous television camera in every home. Yet, these lapses do not do more than intrude for the moment. The incredible "Gun-Kata" fight scenes between a Cleric like Preston and untrained police officers have to be seen to be believed. There is also the surprisingly effective acting of Sean Bean and Taye Diggs, both of whom provide the evil counterpoint to the emotional growth of Cleric Preston.
EQUILIBRIUM promises to be an untrumpeted current day version of BLADE RUNNER, a similar dystopic future vision. I cannot recall that EQUILIBRIUM was released to theaters to any great extent. But after having seen the video, I can see that in this nightmare version of a future prozac state, the ability to remain human is far more than a function of computerized actions. What is further required is the profound contemplation of all actions that are forced upon one by a Father who is paternal only in the visual sense. Cleric Preston learns this by the closing credits. So must we.
Movie Review: Equilibrium - Sci-Fi Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
Never even heard of this in 2002 when this was released, and 2002 was a great year itself for sci-fi. We had Star Wars Ep2, Solaris and my favourite sci-fi film up to that point ... Minority Report. Then only a couple of weeks ago, went down to my local HMV store and saw this on the shelves on sale.
My expectations wasnt very high, but I am a big fan of C. Bale and to me, he was always engaging. After putting this on, and 107 minutes later, I was hooked. Not the way I was utterly impressed like Minority Report when I first watched it, but somehow, it certainly had me thinking of the movie's theme, the gunkata fight sequences, which were so awesomely jaw-dropping it outdid anything Matrix ever had at a fraction of its budget.
Then I watched it again with the commentary, and I caught all the details I missed out the first time. Then it hit me, this was a great film. No, make it a supreme film. 2nd time around, I noticed the cinemtography and the production design, which were in a word, beautiful. And the story, which whilst not original, is definitely very engaging. 1984, Fahrenheit 451 are movies that come to mind, but they were never this entertanining.
Make this the 1984 for this millennium, a movie that moves with the ultra slick pace of a Matrix, but with a more deep rooted theme of dystopia and control that is worlds apart from the philosophies and twists of the Walchowski bros. In a way, it is a simple story, but simple stories told well and acted well can also be profound and long lasting.
And the acting, I believe Bale's role is his best. It's not easy to notice at first as he plays a cold, ruthless cleric and despatches the resistance with hardly a blink. But his physical abilities and fluid movements shows off Bale's capabilities as an action hero that can give Keanu's Neo a run for his money. But what augments this immeasurably is his ability to act ... and to slowly emote over the length of the film.
Catch the scene where he awakes to a sunrise and for the first time, is able to feel and appreciate it even for this simple act. And Emily Watson's short but very effective role as the woman who first instigate him to think about turning. Their scenes are not the easiest, yet the tension and eventual connection they make through just looks and the slightest of dialogue. Sean Bean is always equally memorable in his very brief role as Bale's partner.
Round it up with good performances by Taye Diggs and Angus McFadden and this movie surpasses the usual sci-fi stilted acting that we are so often bombarded with. Kurt Wimmer, the director is also a smart director. Instead of giving us cliches, he gives us situations which you might not necessarily expect, short but stunning fight sequences instead of prolonged fights and explosions/stunts which only hampers the story and pace.
Ultimately, it's a movie that rewards with subsequent viewings, and may explain why this has turned into such a cult classic among its devoted followers, myself included. Fan fiction and fan videos have already extended the world of Libria and pay homage to the movie and its characters. While it may never reach the dizzying heights of Matrix, it doesnt need to.
This film is not for the masses, but for those who can really appreciate its intentions and its strong visuals (despite its lack of budget) and eventually, the theme behind it. As Kurt himself says, its more about numbness towards everything and how one man reacts to it and finds himself liberated by the simplest of things that we take for granted.
For myself, I will enjoy rewatching this as only the best in sci-fi movies can compel me to do so. It is simply not just a sci-fi cult classic, it is a geniune masterpiece in a genre that rarely produces one.