Equilibrium

            HOW HAVE I NOT YET TOLD THE WORLD HOW MUCH I LOVE EQUILIBRIUM???

            On to the review!

            In 2002 we were introduced to a movie that fulfilled every red-blooded male’s (non-nude) fantasy.  Finally, a film that combined martial arts, gunplay, a dystopian future and a thinly-veiled nod to Fahrenheit 451.  Cleaner and more linear than 1999’s The Boondock Saints, Equilibrium delivered the concept of gun-kata: a mathematically sound martial art used to maximize one’s firing ability.  It also introduced audiences to Christian Bale as an action hero rather than just that crazy guy from American Psycho.

            In the future world that Equilibrium represents, feelings are illegal.  Everyone is on a mandatory dosage of Prozium (because Prozac is under copyright).  To guarantee that nobody ‘accidently’ has feelings, all works of art have also been banned.  Anyone found to be harboring books, artwork, music, etc. is guaranteed the death sentence.  Anyone who does not take their Prozium is labeled a Sense Offender and is guaranteed the death sentence.  Anyone who acts suspiciously is probably guaranteed a death sentence.  Your face is definitely guaranteed the death sentence.

            Christian Bale is John Preston, one of the highest ranking ‘Clerics’ of Libria, one of an unknown number of surviving cities.  Hell, Libria may be the last surviving ‘utopia’ of mankind.  Who knows?  Who cares?  Explosions!

            Anyways, Preston’s job as a Cleric is to hunt down and terminate Sense Offenders as well as burn any banned media, even if it is the original Mona Lisa.  Of course, all is not well as he soon discovers that his partner Partridge (Sean Bean) went off his Prozium quite some time ago.  Guess what?  (SPOILER) Sean Bean dies in this film.  This fits well into my theory that if Sean Bean dies the movie is good. 

            No time for mourning  (since emotions are illegal and all) so Preston gets a new partner right quick.  His new partner, Brandt (Taye Diggs), is a far less pleasant person; willing to do anything in his power to rise up the Clerical ranks as quickly as possible.  As Preston begins to question his role in the world, Brandt may have a very real opportunity to move up very far, very quickly.

            Equilibrium does have a bit of romance shoehorned in, and it’s to the acting credit of Bale and Emily Watson (as Mary O’Brien) that it isn’t laughable.  The rest of the film is dedicated to violence.  Both the gunplay and hand-to-hand combat are smooth, brutal and efficient.  For the most part Equilibrium wants to spend as much time as possible showing off its shiny toys.

            In all reality, Equilibrium tanked at the box office, taking in less than 10% of its estimated budget from the U.S. release.  It recouped a bit more worldwide but I’m honestly not sure if it broke even.

            I don’t care about that.  It is most certainly a cult classic today.  I loved the movie the first time I saw it as a 22 year old, and I loved it when I watched it on Sunday as a 31 year old.  Sometimes you just want to watch one guy shoot 20 men.

Then kick them.