I have wanted to see Equilibrium for some time now but have always been put off by so many negative comments. It arrived from my DVD rental site last week and so I finally got around to it, and was really rather surprised at how good it was. Yes, it isn't perfect, what film is, and yes it borrowed ideas from other sources, but name me one that hasn't? But I don't think it's the utter tripe some have been saying. There were great performances all around, but most especially from Christian Bale who totally convinces as an unfeeling, soulless assassin who works for a totalitarian government intent on suppressing peoples emotions in order to prevent another catastrophic war, who then at first accidentally does not take his emotion suppressing drug, then deliberately doesn't. Your eyes are riveted to him as it slowly dawns on him just what sort of world he is living in. The fight scenes are highly stylised, but unlike The Matrix, actually have a point and purpose to them, instead of just being for show; one grumble I do have is how the soldiers just seemed to line up to be shot – I wouldn't fancy them defending me, thanks! I hesitate to bring up The Matrix as I feel this film suffers unfairly in comparison; it would have done so much better if it had been released first, as, and I know I am likely to be shot down in flames for this, I prefer it to The Matrix, which I think is an overblown, self important, very good looking piece of tosh, which is so far up its own backside, it could play tonsil hockey with itself!
Ignore criticisms and view Equilibrium with an open mind.
Ignore criticisms and view Equilibrium with an open mind.