Writer: Kurt Wimmer (Screenplay)
Starring: Christian Bale, Dominic Purcell, Sean Bean, Sean Pertwee, William Fichtner, Taye Diggs, Emily Watson
Plot: In a Fascist future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Emotionless Action
Story: Equilibrium starts by telling us that we will have a third world war and to stop a fourth man has lost its humanity taking the idea that we can feel away from us. We meet elite team John Preston (Bale) and Partridge (Bean) who eliminate anyone caught with any items that could cause emotions. We see how they take out a whole hideout of ‘criminals’ (known as sense offenders) in an all guns blazing, picture burning style. We enter into what is a cult like city run by Father (Pertwee) who keeps the people on their drug Prozium which will cut out any emotion the people will ever have.
Discovering that his partner might have turned into a sense offender Preston has to locate and find out why he has changed and to give him a mercy killing rather than letting the leaders do it. (Yes Sean Bean does die again) this introduces Preston’s new partner Brandt (Diggs), we know have the rookie joining up with the experienced officer cliché. Preston haunted by the loss of his wife to sense offending. The latest bust finds involved a mysterious lady Mary (Watson) who starts to push Preston while he tries to discover who she is working with. After missing a dose of his medicine Preston starts to understand why everyone he was killing didn’t care because they were actually living but can he survive in a world where everyone knows when you are feeling and bring it down from the inside?
Equilibrium was doing the futuristic revolutions before any of the teenage ones we get flooded with now. I do feel the story has plenty of plot holes like how everyone seems to be on the plan for Preston and not a single person gives it away. I also do have an issue with the end, with the leader taken out and revolution happened why they saw it fit to butcher everyone who is only stuck on mind control rather than show that they had the mercy side to the humanity which they were fighting for. I also found the idea that Preston started doing everything that his partner did like he was the backup plan. On the positive I found the costumes very good with Preston starting in all black before turning to full white once he goes through the change. In the end it does lack certain storyline issues but is a simple action film. (6/10)
Actor Review
Christian Bale: John Preston at first the best agent against sense offenders who fast turns into the very person they are hunting. He ends up fighting for the resistance against the very people he has worked for. Christian gives a good performance and shows the basic emotionless performance before he starts turning to emotions. (7/10)
Taye Diggs: Brandt rookie who is assigned to work with Preston but soon picks up on the emotions he has started to feel and leads the offensive against Preston and the resistance. Taye gives a good performance but fails to match Bale’s performance. (6/10)
Support Cast: Equilibrium has a group of supporting members who all have few scene that seem to help the story unfold.
Director Review: Kurt Wimmer – Kurt does a good job directing to make a new style of combat but the story telling falls flat. (7/10)
Action: Equilibrium has jaw dropping action with fight scenes, gun battling that comes thick and fast. (9/10)
Sci-Fi: Equilibrium paints a future that we have seen before just with slightly different motives and crimes. (7/10)
Settings: Equilibrium settings are all well created to show the uniformity on wide side and the freedom on the other. (9/10)
Suggestion: Equilibrium is one for the action fans to enjoy, it has plenty going on but don’t think about enjoy any major story. (Action Fans Watch)
Best Part: Final Showdown battle.
Worst Part: Brutal killing of the innocent, but I know it was needed to show how villainous they are.
Action Scene Of The Film: Final battle.
Kill Of The Film: The sword finale
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Ultraviolet
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $5 Million
Budget: $20 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 47 Minutes
Tagline: Two men. One battle. No compromise
Overall: The Matrix Knight Rises
Rating