Anyone seen 'Equilibrium'?

[Ziddy]

How does it compare to The Matrix?

Is it a rip-off? Or completely different?

I was intrigued by the adverts, but never actually saw it.

[Detori]

lol, the advertising makes it look like a Matrix clone, but it's quite not.
It's basically a sci-fi drama about a future where everyone has to take medicine to stop their emotions because man had pretty much messed up the world by war. There are enforcers that hunt down 'sense offenders'- the main character is one of them. One day he accidently loses his medicine, and he begins to feel again.
It's very interesting. But don't go into it thinking it's an action movie- it's not. It's a drama with action in it. And yes, the action is awesome ;)

[spiderman_2k]

I heard there was gun Kung-Fu like a new style or something like that???

[hpk37067]

So basically this "Equilibrium" sounds a lot like FAHRENHEIT(don't know how to spell) 451. Book about where the world is like really messed up and books are banned. Basically everything that can stimulate the mind is illegal and "enforcers" burn everything. Great book. About this guy who is an enforcer and learns the truth about books from a guy suspiciously like Morpheus(telling the truth) and slowly this guy becomes rogue and eventually joins a group of other rogue people.
-hpk37067

[Evilution]

The action sequences are pretty original (i haven't seen anything like it before). I don't know why they didn't release it in theatres as a wide release because the production value is pretty high...don't get me wrong though, there aren't any grand SFX, just great live action sequences. Check it out.

[Van Helsing]

I saw it recently and I think that it is a very good quality movie shoot with a small budget. The gun fights are amazing and Ilike the moral values within the story.It cannot be compared to Matrix as there is no CGI, it is a must watch movie:)

[Fanible]

Its not a Matrix rip off. More like if you liked the Matrix, you probably will like Equilibrium. I would say the same thing for The One with Jet Li.

The movie has some of the best gun battles in it, and an interesting story explaining that after World War 3, it was obvious chances are the human race couldn't survive a fourth. To stop war from happening again, they decided to get rid of the cause for man to be inhumane to man; the ability to have emotion/needs/wants/feeling. It's similiar to other past books and movies including 1984. Anyways in the future there is a highly trained level of security to control people who are feeling, called Clerics. One high ranking Cleric ends up not taking his antidote which controls people from feeling, and he realises how amazing emotion is and how flawed and pointless human life is without it.

The Clerics are trained in a unique style of martial arts mixed with geometry and the use of handguns. It explains with this they can create ultimate accuracy as well putting yourself in following positions that common return fire would miss. The result of this form they made up for the movie creates for some of the best gun/fight scenes.

It's definitly recommended.

And dear lord if you havn't seen The One yet just because people have quoted that its a Matrix rip off (and most havn't seen the movie who say that), I recommend seeing it as well. All these movies have completly different story lines, and unique battle and action sequences. All three are on my top action/sci-fi list.

[Halofan1]

I wrote a review for Equilibrium over on the DVD thread. Apparently, you schmucks missed it.

[hpk37067]

Not being mean or anything Halofan, but you spelled surprised wrong on your after comment thing. That quote from Smith. Just letting you know before some random guy comes and disses you about it.
-hpk37067

[Halofan1]

Originally posted by hpk37067
Not being mean or anything Halofan, but you spelled surprised wrong on your after comment thing. That quote from Smith. Just letting you know before some random guy comes and disses you about it.
-hpk37067

Well now I must take you out back and kill you for pointing out a flaw. I AM FLAWLESS!!!

(Actually, thanks for pointing it out. I will change it ASAP.)

[carnage4u]

i just saw this movie today, and was pleased. Good Acting, Decent story with some twists, some fun action. No reason not to see this movie unless you have something against seeing good movies :)

[darth saruman]

hey i have seen and have Equilibrium, and its a good movie and i think that its completly different from matrix.:alien: :cool:

[Halofan1]

I bet Buena Vista sure feels bad for not releasing this baby wide now.

[Fanible]

Originally posted by Halofan1
I bet Buena Vista sure feels bad for not releasing this baby wide now.

It's bad funding in advertising is what did it in as well. It went in and out of the theatres. Heck, my local theatre didn't even get it. I really wish I had seen it in the theatre.

If im ever rich, im going to open up a double theatre with excellent seating, surround sound, and digital film and show movies that people wish they had seen in the theatre or want to again. Even if I didn't make money off the place sometimes, I would still like having the opportunity to go back and see the movies I wish I had seen =)

Gosh... I wish I had one of those theatres near by, but they don't tend to show movies I want to or need to see anyway.

[Halofan1]

Originally posted by Fanible
It's bad funding in advertising is what did it in as well. It went in and out of the theatres. Heck, my local theatre didn't even get it. I really wish I had seen it in the theatre.



That's because the Mouse House assumed it's "Oscar-hits" were better. That was not the case.

[Master Chief Pr]

Trust us, this movie is the ****!! Got to get it. I never new that that was an actual fighting style. Guncotta is the name. Pretty badass.

http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/iamtheone/Sig_2_for_halo.gif

[TheBatman_9]

this movie was badass. i was very pleased with it. its nothing like THE MATRIX. it's part Farenheit 451, part Big Brother if anything. but christian bale is utterly fantastic as always and if i had any influence in hollywood i would demand that bale be the next Batman. he is perfect for the role. he'd be a kick ass james bond too.

[Halofan1]

**** a damn Bond. Who thinks Bale would be a good SOLID SNAKE?!

[TheBatman_9]

i never could get into the Metal Gear games. just didn't care much for them.

[spiderman_2k]

Metal Gear games rock!!!

[Tee244]

Originally posted by TheBatman_9
i never could get into the Metal Gear games. just didn't care much for them.

Me either.

[Kitty]

i saw Equilibrium on monday (and heck i kept forgetting to post in here earlier this week). it was a great movie, i like how they used the colors and everything in the movie (i think a well done scene in there was the flashback of how his wife was taken away). better than the matrix, i agree it is. i wish i could've seen this movie in theaters.
(btw if people actually think that this was a pure rip-off of the matrix just a little fact for you i heard that it was written, the storyline that is, in the mid 90's or something like that and it was just mere coincidence or something like that that they released it soon after the matrix) =^.^=

[hpk37067]

Was Equilibrium a big hit? Or was it just a flop?

-hpk37067

[Detori]

I only knew about it by word of mouth. I actually had to drive over an hour to see it in a theater.
good stuff

[Mat]

It flopped in theaters due to the fact that whoever released it didn't have the balls to market it.

I actually just saw it tonight. Pretty good movie for being plagerised from Ray Bradbury's great Fahrenheit 451, but who really cares. It's more of a mix of 451 and Orwell's 1984, with more 451 influences. The scenes with the workers on the side walk reminded me of that scene in Metropolis with the workers. It's not a great flick, but it's pretty good.

7/10

[Halofan1]

Originally posted by Mat
It flopped in theaters due to the fact that whoever released it didn't have the balls to market it.

I actually just saw it tonight. Pretty good movie for being plagerised from Ray Bradbury's great Fahrenheit 451, but who really cares. It's more of a mix of 451 and Orwell's 1984, with more 451 influences. The scenes with the workers on the side walk reminded me of that scene in Metropolis with the workers. It's not a great flick, but it's pretty good.

7/10

451 sucked.

[carrja99]

I know this is late, but I must say I found this movie very breath taking. I took a course recently that had us read works like 1984, Fahrenhiet 451, Brave New World, and several others, and studying the concept of trading liberty for security.

This movie took all that and seamlessly embedded it.

Prozium = Soma

Father = Combo of Big Brother in 1984 and World Controller in Brave New World
I noticed that the "Father" had forbidden works of art, etc in his office. Not to mention it was hinted at that he himself was a sense offender. Much like the World Controller of Brave New World.

The Protaganist is easily an adaption of the Protaganist of Fahrenheit 451, who's a fireman but then changes.

So many other scenes paralelled the stories of these books, for example, children spying on thier parants (1984), video screens all over the place constantly displaying propaganda, etc. A more subtle part of the imagery I noticed was the T's that kept appearing (T shaped windows, T shaped openings on helmets, even the flag emblem being made up of 4 T's with a circle around them), which if you've read Brave New World, I am sure you can apperciate it.

Basically, it's a shameless ripoff of Brave New World, 1984, and Faherenheit 451 with some cool action sequences thrown in to impress the brainless who could care less about the underlying ideas of the movie. It's a rip-off... and it works. Impressively. Until Equilibrium, almost no other movie did any of those 3 books justice, except possibly Brazil did for 1984.

The movie is very important in my opinion because it explores that ideal of trading emotion for peace. Trading liberty for security is something that has become a big issue these days, with the Patriot Act and what not. One has to question themselves over what Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who can trade essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security."

[nightbringer]

I just watched this film about a week ago. All I can say is wow. I loved the movie, it will forever go down in my book as one of the best independent films along with Donnie Darko and Boondock Saints. I loved the GunKata, and Christian Bales acting was topnotch, after seeing this I think he'll make a great Batman. He would have been a better Neo also.

[kel thuzad]

It's definitely worth a while...if you don't mind it's a copy of Fahrenheit 451 then you should be pleased...the action is great, especially the final confrontation.
I'd give it 8.5/10