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Terry Howard Orlando, Florida |
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Equilibrium DVD Review |
Posted by Terry Howard @ 8/12/2003 
Equilibrium is a sci-fi thriller that seems to have slipped through the cracks in 2002 amongst what I can only assume was a flurry of advertising for the usual hyped up hits. It's a shame, because this sci-fi action thriller has a thoughtful enough story line and premise that rides on the back of a string of action sequences that put The Matrix to shame.Set in the proverbial "not so distant future", after a third world war has ravaged mankind, society has taken drastic measures to survive their own murderous tendencies and concocted a medical solution to a social ill: Feeling. Emotion has been determined to be the root of all problems; hate, jealousy, prejudice, pride and all the devastation they have spawned. The drug is called "Prozium" and I couldn't help but laugh at the obvious reference to Prozac. The scenes of the populace walking almost mindlessly about their daily tasks stopping only to take their scheduled doses, simultaneously, paints the backdrop well for the world in which the story takes place.
In order to maintain the great society, which has now found total peace, Draconian rules are applied. Death is the only sentence for possessing books, music or adornments and the judge, jury and executioners are the Clerics, a sort of FBI agent-Jedi hybrid. Christian Bale plays a head Cleric whose dedication to the cause seems unshakable. As the movie progresses his "faith" begin to falter when he misses a dose of Prozium and slowly begins to feel. The concept of feeling for the first time is interesting and Bale portrays it well enough. Predictably he comes under suspicion and some light intrigue follows.
Granted, the story is not entirely new, and writer and director Kurt Wimmer (Sphere, The Recruit) makes no bones about it, conspicuously tipping his hat to Orwell's 1984 with the ever present disembodied head named "Father" dictating the edicts of the society throughout the movie via oversized television screens. I halfway expected some triathelete to come running out and toss a hammer and start selling people Macs at one point. The real draw of this movie is the action. If you're like me you're tired of the stop-action-swivel-the-camera-angle doldrums of the Matrix. It was a great effect when new and original, but after seeing it over and over again in everything from Fred Durst videos to snack food commercials it's time to put that old mare down. Equilibrium instead offers a ground breaking revolutionary idea, "live-action". A well choreographed fight scene at full speed gives you way more than stretching a 10 second cartwheel out 5 minutes, and the change is refreshing. You get everything from akimbo handguns to samurai swords and just plain blunt instrument beatings. Okay, sounds pretty violent but the guy just starting feeling emotions, so cut him some slack. One of the first scenes is very cool, and makes good use of what I could only describe as "negative space". It's not so much about what you can see, but about what you can't.
The DVD extras are nothing too great, just making ofs and director commentary, not exactly up to the level of most sci-fi themed titles. Overall, this movie may not be too terrible new in story concept, but it pays its homage to where it gets its ideas from well enough. The action is definitely worth the trip and well worth the price of admission.
Labels: dvd, equilibrium, movie, review, sci fi
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