Review of Equilibrium

every idea in equilibrium is stolen from better films (THX 1138, blade runner, the matrix...) and the one original idea it has ("gunkata") doesn't make any sense. the story is awfully predictable and has the subtlety of a sledgehammer. the twisting plot is more ridiculous than suspenseful. the love story doesn't ring true. the production design is cyber-punk at its most generic. the soundtrack is annoyingly overblown. everybody in this movie seems to be at least a little stupid. the guys were supposed to be rooting for (the "resistance") look like a bunch of junkies. the world the filmmakers show us doesn't really work if you think about it (characters that are supposed to be completely without emotions keep displaying emotions... the dictators who are out to destroy all art have artwork in their headquarters... the citizens just sit around in front of huge screens that explain the plot... the list goes on).

but for its many, many flaws, equilibrium still feels more like an admirable effort rather than a cheap rip-off. easily the best thing about the movie are the carefully choreographed gunfights; as stupid a concept "gunkata" may be, it at least looks pretty. Christian bale gets the most out of a role thats practically identical to keanu reeves' in matrix (also, we see him shirtless). there is an artistic vision behind all this, even if its one that relies heavily on borrowed ideas, and thats what makes equilibrium a reasonably enjoyable film for fans of the genre.