Equilibrium
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Movie Reviews of Equilibrium
Movie Review: Underrated science fiction film.
Summary: 5 Stars
Christian Bale stars in this futuristic sci-fi film, the film had a different and intriguing idea that kind of worked yes there are a few flaws but the film seems to overcome these flaws with some great action scenes, the new martial arts move that they use in this film was an interesting idea it basicely looks like samurai sword fighting only with guns. after World war 3 human kind is in a state of severe emotional repression in order to keep things inline and not make anyone attack each other they take mood dapenning pills so everybody seems emotionless and they are all ruled by a totalitarion leader, anyone who is found to have any feelings or emotions they are called sense offenders is imediatly killed by clerics who are like law enforcement or agents, Christian Bale plays Preston the highest ranking cleric we see him kill a bunch of rebels hiding out in an abandoned building with quick percision with out breaking a sweat the only problem now is that his partner played by Sean Bean has now become a sense offender and Preston is sent out to kill him but before he does he is questioned by his partner as what role does he play in life and whether he must continue with his job as a cleric.
None of this effects Preston and he just kills him but then he starts to think of what his purpose in life might be and stops taking the pills and soon has feelings for a captured prisoner played by Emily Watson. You can tell that some parts of the film were inspired by Metropolis and 1984 from the design and sets of the film, Taye Diggs character soon comes along as Preston's new partner but soon finds out that Preston might have joined an undergound orginazation that are planing to destroy the leader of there new world. The film is not your typical big special fx type action film where its just some cheesy oneliners and a crappy storyline no its much different it actualy has a smart storyline with a bit of drama and heart to it. It was written and directed by Kurt Wimmer and I highly recomend this excellent film, Kurt also made Ultraviolet which I might check out soon despite being bashed by critics and having mixed reviews on Amazon oh well.
Movie Review: yes, "Forget the matrix", Bale is the way better than neo
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first watched Equilibrium I was in complete awe. I had never seen anything like it before. The story, characters, and the all important character development makes the viewer care about the rising action in the movie.Thecover of this movie says "Forget the Matrix", and I agree 100%. The matrix was highly predictable, with little to no character development, and is actually, to me worthless to watch. In contrast to Equilibrium, the main character evolves in a world that he can physically change, as opposed to the matrix when Neo "evolves" into the one.. nothing really changes...he simply stops some bullets and makes a phone call, oh and he makes out with Trinity.. which I am sure is highly compelling to some people, but to me, I was looking at the screen (never saw this in the theater) and said... and.. what else?? The action and the emotional development in Equilibrium is very compelling. We have a father, a soldier, and a person, all being torn apart by an emotion-inhibitory drug. The plot is very clear, and very direct. Unlike the matrix whose plot is very thin, very "mysterious" (I didn't seem to think it was), and not based on the characters, but more on the visuals. I will take a good story over special effects any day of the week. The music is also a very good reason to check out equilibrium. It doesn't try to be hip or cool (like the matrix), but adds a sort of strength to the action, instead of an action scene (lobby scene of the matrix in which one is waiting for the main characters to start dancing. Overall, Equilibrium is a completely different movie than the matrix, because it deals with human emotion and character development and it's effect on society, instead of "wow, like whoah.. it's my destiny to be the like second coming of the one....and I choose to do absolutely nothing, but make more sequels with plots that lead absolutely nowhere. If you haven't seen Equilibrium.. Buy it! Watch it! Don't compare it to the matrix, but if you do, remember, Equilibrium deals with characters, and The matrix deals with the special effects that are supposed to replace the characters and their development.Movie Review: Bang for the Buck!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am exhausted of blatant Matrix-style plagiarism. So, when I saw Equilibrium on the shelf and saw the gritty, black-on-black dressed actors scowling at me from under the plastic wrap, I was on my way out of the shop. A fellow consumer heard me scoff at the movie and suggested that I buy it and then judge for myself. He was right.Equilibrium takes you to a post WW3 world where all the inhabitants of "Libria" (very much resembling a rebuilt NYC) are taking a drug to numb their ability to feel. The human qualities of sense and emotion are what allegedly caused the third World War, and consequently the requirement for a sedated populace. To counter the threat of rebels refusing the drug and enjoying the innocuous libations of music, art, and film, the governing body (Father) has created an elite task force to punish the guilty. This is done via two teams; the all-purpose foot soldiers dressed in class III armor and sporting high-end Austrian/German assault rifles, and Clerics. Clerics are the most revolutionary characters in an action movie to date. Clinically unattached to their fellow human beings, they can infiltrate a room full of armed criminals, and dispatch them with automatic Beretta pistols.
What can I say about the action? It's like nothing you've ever seen. There's no bullet time. No Yuen wo Ping coordinating wire-fu. No idiotic diatribes involving obligatory philosophy, and certainly no Keanu-come-lately pondering whether or not he is the one. This movie shares no modicum with Wachowski storytelling or Gaeta vision. It's plausible that some technology was incorporated to garner the visuals, but this movie is quite original in it's implementation of those tools.
Can I tell you that I loved this movie? Yes, and I think of myself as a very critical, jaded movie guy. I've come to expect a better usage of the technology given movie makers since 1999, and I can tell you honestly that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It does start with a crash and a bang, but the faithful watcher will be rewarded with a refreshing concept and awesome action.
Movie Review: Shockingly Good
Summary: 5 Stars
Like many others I knew nothing about this film a few days ago. All I knew was that it stared one of the more talented actors I know, Christian Bale. All I knew about the plot was it was a bit like the books 1984 and Brave New World. Hell, I didn't even know that Taye Diggs (Benny from my favorite musical, RENT) and Sean Bean (Boromir from one of my favorite movies, Lord of the Rings) were in it. I guess that made me even more blown away by this simply amazing movie that is not getting the credit it deserves.The movie is about a man named John Preston (Christian Bale). He is the top fighter in a bleak futuristic society where, as a result to a powerful drug, people have been robbed of the ability to feel. It's his job to burn out every object of the past that might invoke feeling. He can sometimes even tell if someone is feeling by the tone of their voice or facial expressions. But even he cannot prepare himself for what happens when his partner (played by Sean Bean) is found to be a sense offender, he's feeling. Preston kills him, as he's supposed to, but something small inside of him clicks when his partner utters a few lines of poetry before he dies before he dies. That tiny spark of emotion is magnified the next day when he secretly refuses to take the drug that prevents them from feeling. Suddenly everything around him seems wrong, including his job and himself. Preston is being drawn into a new world he's never experienced before where he can feel But if anyone finds out about this he will die for it. What can he do?
It's hard to classify this movie. It's an action movie, a drama, a sci-fi film, and something much more deep and philosophical. It's an amazing film with so many twists and turns that you simply don't know what's going to happen next. I even found myself jumping and gasping in areas. The acting is suburb. I was once again reminded by why I love Christian Bale so much. Most importantly it makes you think. Because as scary as this movie may seem, it's possible. If we're not careful, in the distant future, it could happen here.
Movie Review: Not 1984 or The Matrix
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this movie. Love it. It reminds me of the older sci-fi movies like Soylent Green, Rollerball (the original with James Caan), Logan's Run, Silent Running ... or even the more modern Demolition Man.
Sci-fi with a message. Fortunately for us, this one manages to cram a lot of gunfire in with that message.
Some reviewers have compared this movie to The Matrix. The are, simply, wrong. There are brooding heroes in both. That's about where the similarities stop.
Equilibrium is a pleasant meld of 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. In the future, feelings are considered bad. Feelings lead us to war, crime, and that which we can no longer tolerate.
So, a drug is created: Equilibrium. Taken twice a day, all citizens are required to take it. To not take it is a crime apparently punishable by death.
To go with the drug, all things that might cause one to feel are outlawed, classified EC-10. Our main character, Bale, is part of the police-like force, called Grammaton Clerics, that are tasked with eradicating all things that elicit feelings.
Naturally, there are folks who dislike this. They like to feel. They want to feel. They need to feel. They are the rebels. These rebels hoard items of art, perfumes, music, books.
The movie is about Bale's character, Preston, and his journey from unfeeling, lethal enforcer for a very dull and oppressive government ... to sense criminal and last hope of humanity.
I do see a lot of 1984 in this movie. The imagery is drab, we see children enlisted to spot feelers and turn in their parents, we have a "benevolent" leader known as Father.
This is mixed with the very basic premise of Fahrenheit 451: the Grammaton Clerics are tasked with destroying anything that results in feeling. Unlike their F451 counterparts, the firemen, the Grammaton Clerics are also tasked with killing anyone who feels.
All this, and the movie was done on a tiny budget in Eastern Europe. Great, great fun.