# "Equilibrium" on DVD - See it **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357 "2003-05-15T03:43:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/1 "2003-05-15T03:43:27Z")
The purchase price? I pay it gladly. If you haven’t heard of this movie, don’t feel bad. It made no splash at all. Nobody’s heard of it. But it’s amazing. Since it’s a futuristic sci-fi action flick, there are inevitable comparisons to The Matrix, which I think is unfortunate, because they’re very different films. Equilibrium is set in a future where emotion has been outlawed, as the source of all human misery. Everyone takes regularly scheduled doses of a drug that inhibits all emotions. This is enforced by a group of badasses, including our hero, who goes on to learn important lessons and kill a whole lot of people in the process. The fight scenes - and be warned, there are a lot of them, and they can be gorey - are very well done. The final sequence is, well, I’ve had the DVD for a day now, and I’ve watched it about five times already. The last 10 minutes alone are at least worth the rental price. Not that it’s just a brainless action flick. It’s not. The plot is well thought out, complex, and intelligently executed, complete with actual themes and ideas. If you haven’t seen it, do so. If you have, tell us all what you think of it. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/2 "2003-05-15T04:30:43Z")
Haven’t seen it yet, but I did hear about it months ago. Caught the trailer [here](http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/equilibrium.html). Whenever I find it for rent, I’ll let you know what I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/3 "2003-05-15T06:05:22Z")
One reviewer called it (paraphrasing here) the best-acted, best-looking, most entertaining bad movie you’ll ever see. I guess that fits. The story itself isn’t really anything to write home about, but it is executed to _perfection_. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tom\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_P)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/4 "2003-05-15T10:31:14Z")
I have seen it, and I thought that it was quite good, actually. There were a couple of things that wasn’t explained and I saw the ending coming, but all in all, I found it quite entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/5 "2003-05-15T15:12:48Z")
My friend whom I’m meeting for The Matrix tonight is loaning me his copy of it tonight. He says the first scene looks like anything else you’ve ever seen until Christian Bale pops up and things really go kablooey (in a good way.) Can’t wait to see it. ---
**Author:** ![TigoleBitties](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@TigoleBitties](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TigoleBitties)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/6 "2003-05-15T16:28:23Z")
Trust me kids…you will want to learn “Gunkata” after watchig this movie. ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/7 "2003-05-15T19:22:03Z")
I was actually lucky enough to catch this at that brief time it was showing in theaters. I loved the fight scenes, especially between “clerics”. > [@](#): > > One reviewer called it (paraphrasing here) the best-acted, best-looking, most entertaining bad movie you’ll ever see. You know, that’s almost exactly how I felt the first time I saw it. There’s nothing story-wise that hasn’t been done a million times since “1984” (and probably before), but everything looks so good you forget that until it’s over. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/8 "2003-05-18T07:00:41Z")
I just got this flick tonight. It is always checked out at the viedo stores and all the mega chains are always sold out. Ended up buying it at Blockbuster suprisingly. Anyway, the movie was pretty good. I thought the first 30 minutes or so were somewhat slow, but Gunkata was pretty sweet. I really liked the last fight when they were deflecting each others hands for a while. Pretty sweet. Taye Diggs was only so so though. He had a harder time covering up his facial expressions that Christian Bale did. One thing though, did anyone else notice that all of the helmets that all the “stormtroopers” wore in teh movie had glass face shields? What was with that? All of the face shields shattered on impact. Kinda defeats the purpose dontcha think? ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/9 "2003-05-18T17:05:25Z")
I rented **Equilibrium** the other day and have to agree with the general consensus that it has superb effects, acting, and production design coupled with a hackneyed, dystopian plot. And Christian Bale does not get naked at any point in the film! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sagasumono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Sagasumono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sagasumono)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/10 "2003-05-18T20:15:35Z")
Excellent movie, saw it in the Theatres ot an almost packed house. Those who have read 1984/Farenheight 451 (I know the spelling is off) scoffed at the plot, but loved the action.Those who have never heard of either or, and possibily have not seen the Matrix yet loved it to the fullest. Me hopes there are DVD extras in there,such as “How to do the Gun Kata” 😃 If not,I’m gonna spend a LOT of time rewinding this movie and swinging (unloaded) glocks around my house _L_ Stinkpalm, if by facial expressions, you mean that everlovin smirk on his face,there were rumos from ans of the movie (in the theatres,don’t have a site for it) that Tay’s charcter was gay, and his “glances” at Christian Bale were bedroom eyes if you will. That, mixed with jealousy of some level. owever both are somewhat plausable as “emotions are supposed to be outlawed” Then again…mabye Taye wasin’t taking his prescriptions either… :o ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/11 "2003-05-18T21:14:12Z")
Question for the people that saw it. This is a pretty decent spoiler so don’t read it if you intend on seeing it. Was Taye Diggs a cyborg or something? The reason I ask is because when Preston cut his face off there was no blood and they made a point of showing clear liquid drip off of his sword. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equilibrium-on-dvd-see-it/175357/12 "2003-05-19T03:49:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sagasumono \* > **Me hopes there are DVD extras in there,such as “How to do the Gun Kata” 😃 If not,I’m gonna spend a LOT of time rewinding this movie and swinging (unloaded) glocks around my house _L_** Sadly, no. The only extras are commentaries by the director and producer, and a five minute behind the scenes thingy. I don’t think they have any illusions about how many copies they’re likely to sell. And, Stinkpalm: I have to double check the DVD, but I’m almost positive that was in fact blood dripping off the sword. Plus, right before he slices off the face, he slices up the uniform (heh), and you see blood there.