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Your Learning Zone - Equilibrium
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List Price: $14.99
Our Price: $7.14
Your Save: $ 7.85 ( 52% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Dimension
Starring: Christian Bale, David Barrash, Sean Bean, Francesco Cabras, Maria Pia Calzone
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0786936181081
Format: Closed-captioned
Label: Dimension
Manufacturer: Dimension
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Dimension
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2003-05-13
Running Time: 107
Studio: Dimension
Theatrical Release Date: 2002
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Special effects might be good at that time but not good compared to movies of the last 3 years + So so acting + Typical plot
Comment: Special effects might be good at that time but not good compared to movies of the last 3 years + So so acting + Typical plot = Not good.
Customer Rating:
Summary: sleeper hit
Comment: I had never heard of this movie until my brother told me to check it out. It was awesome! I don't wanna sound gay or anything, but I love most Bale movies. This movie has all the action and plot twists that you could look for. It is also awesome because I love the 1984 storyline.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Bale is fantastic (as usual)
Comment: I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It was intriguing and by far one of the most original plots I've watched. Bale and Diggs perform exceptionally well. I am off to watch it again!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Simply put, this is a good movie!
Comment: Equilibrium is a science-fiction movie about a universally-used drug that squelches emotions and the terminator-type character who stops taking it. Though, the story seems simple enough, Christian Bale (from Batman Begins) does some spectacular acting in this one and you can't help but hold your breath or cheer him on as the hero begins to realize what he has been fighting against all of his life. The graphics and score are also very nice, and help to carry the movie smoothly from one scene to the next, making this an enjoyable film even for those who think little of sci-fi movies to begin with (like I do). Simply put, this is a good movie!
Customer Rating:
Summary: More borrowed elements than I can name, but still a decent action flick
Comment: I enjoyed this film, but make no mistake - it is a popcorn film, so take it for what it's worth.
Not even being an avid film or literary buff, I could name half a dozen other films or books this movie borrows from - the action (the Matrix), premise of thought police (Orwell's "1984"), mood control (Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep") and even the final scene (Fight Club).
The biggest problem for me is the premise itself as I found it somewhat difficult to believe - the idea that to eliminate the threat of war, society has been reduced to the point where they all consciously (though under law) sedate themselves, lest they "feel", which is punishable by death with no due process or trial. I had a difficult time taking scenes seriously where cops are raiding warehouses where stereotypical thugs are moving illegal goods such as...paintings? Lamps? Trinkets? I guess Wimmer needed some physical representation for people being guilty of "feeling", but these types of notions just seemed like reaching for straws.
Being such a far-fetched reality is problematic is more ways than just the suspension of disbelief of the viewer - it also makes it nearly impossible for the actors to remain true to the premise. There are times when the authoritative figures themselves show emotions of happiness, satisfaction, or anger. It really seems more like a drug that eliminates all GOOD feelings, not ALL feelings. This is also consistent with how the law is upheld.
I felt the above problems could be solved in one of two ways:
1. Set in an obviously DISTANT future. This is how the Matrix sells the idea of us being "batteries" in a completely dystopia earth. Yes, Equilibrium is clearly set in the future, but there is little to suggest that it isn't near future. There's really no futuristic technology, so again, the idea of "feeling" being illegal (something that makes up our very essence) is just too far fetched for most viewers.
2. The other means of fixing it would be to have set the entire thing on an alien planet with an alien race. In my opinion, this would have been the best setting as it takes away from our innate rejection of such a premise and ultimately, a more original idea.
Even given the above complaints, the film has great production value. Wimmer does a nice job of putting you in this world. I felt the pacing was good and it was as well acted as one could hope under the film's premise. There were moments that did their job, such as several "crossroads" scenes, where Bale's character is put on the spot, between a rock and a hard place and you hold your breath wondering what he'll do.
In the end, if you're looking for a decent sci-fi futuristic action flick, this is certainly worth a viewing. If you're a film stickler and bent on original content, or something overly cerebral, it's probably a pass.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Delivering awesome high-tech action in the power-packed style of THE MATRIX and MINORITY REPORT, EQUILIBRIUM stars Christian Bale (REIGN OF FIRE) and Taye Diggs (CHICAGO) in a thrilling look at a future where the only crime is being human! In an attempt to end wars and maintain peace, humankind has outlawed the things that trigger emotion -- literature, music, and art. To uphold the law, a special breed of police is assigned to eliminate all transgressors. But when the top enforcer (Bale) misses a dose of an emotion-blocking drug, he begins to realize that things are not as they seem! Also starring Sean Bean (THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and Emily Watson (RED DRAGON).
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