Review of Equilibrium (2002) by Michaelm. — 16 Nov 2007

For a surprisingly large group of talented actors, this was pretty much a steaming pile. The premise behind the movie was beyond juvenile and rife with inconsistencies. Why would a repressive future society need to so clearly mimic the aesthetics of Nazi Germany? Why is art equated with emotion? Is emotion what REALLY defines humanity, is emotion REALLY what is the source of conflict in our society, rather than calculated rational decisions in the struggle for power? Is the movie self aware enough to realize the irony inherent in the actions of the principle actors in regards to the premise of an emotionless fascist society? Conceptually flawed, is the action enough to redeem this movie? In the end the answer to all these questions is no, as the action is mediocre and the acting transparent, the plot predictable and the conclusion forgone within the first few minutes of the film.

I'm a big fan of SF movies, and will champion any movie that truly reveals something about the human condition, extrapolates an interesting society or scenario, or can engross me to the extent that I will suspend my disbelief and accept the premise that is being presented to me.

That a movie like this gets such high marks from viewers profoundly disturbs me.