Saw Equilibrium - WTH were you guys smoking when you watched this?

[Beav]

Not a perfect film, yes it has a few flaws, but overall I liked it enough to buy the DVD.

Some of the action scenes could have been done better or re-done, but some were flat out incredible.

The point of the film was really good and the scene that played it out was well done (Preston killing Partridge).

I also thought that the progression of the story was a little too typical/predictable.

Bale, though, was great.

 

[kernal_panic]

i loved it. great flick. it was 5 times the movie the last 2 peices o' crap that were called "the matrix" it was definatley better than than the last 2 star wars flicks and it was better than anything thats got jr tolkiens name on it.

 

[gbelleh]

The worst part of the movie was at the end after he cuts that dude's face off. Take a look at the scene a couple minutes later when there is an overhead shot of the room and you can see the face on the ground. It just looks silly!

I liked the movie though.

 

[Logan5]

Some people like "so bad it's good" movies, and some people think there is no such thing. What can I say? I'm a big old geek. I get all excited when Bad Cinema Diary puts out new entries every month. I have a Banzai Institute T-shirt, and I wear it! I will tell you with a straight face that Equilibrium can't hold a candle to Versus, because Versus has kung fu gunfights with zombies. And the zombies? The zombies have guns! The plot is... well, there isn't one.
I happen to like guns, and I also happen to like trashy movies. Often, the two areas of interest intersect in bizzare ways. The crazier it is, the more it amuses me. I also like movies with more real world accuracy in depicting firearms and gunhandling, but I wouldn't be watching many movies if those were all I watched...

 

[azrael]

Logan,
Your right Versus is an awesome movie...However I do think that Equilibrium was better...I am kinda surprised that you have seen it...Most movies like that are very hard to get in this country..

Eventually I am going to review it on my website...Yea I make and sell holsters for a living but I LOVE horror movies

thats why I have the Lucio Fulici's Brains link...I can sell my stuff and review hard to find horror movies at the same time


Want a sick movie that has over the top Gore and violence?? Track down a movie called Ichi the Killer

 

[Logan5]

I've had good luck with media-blasters.com, although some of their stuff looks too wierd even for me. I'll definitely have to check out Ichi.

Nice to see someone else has seen Versus! That cop towards the end? Absolutely the best mall ninja ever, Japanese detective with a Barrett Light 50. I wish I could remember his dialogue, it's hilarious.

 

[BarnsBeware]

Not to deliberately start a fight, but I'd say that on a b-movie scale, Equilibrium was better than Matrix 1. And it was made for less money than was wasted on the Matrix video game.

Although the "gun-fu" was a lame premise, it was just a great shoot-em-up. There really wasn't much to it. It was a great watch any way you slice it. Matrix took itself waaaay too seriously, and lets not pretend that the first one was "an underground success" deserving of cult status. It was just very pretty.

Too bad you didn't like it. All Sci-Fi has to be taken with a HUGE grain of salt...

Versus - also good, worthy of its own thread.

 

[azrael]

Logan,
I think you are referring to the "I have reflexes 5 times faster than Mike Tyson!" and then tries to dodge the Barrett .50...Hehehahahahaahah funny part

He doesnt succedd very well

 

[cratz2]

On the common scale of one to four, I'd give it a two.

On my scale of one to ten, I'd give it a six.

Watchable, looks good, sounds good... wasn't tempted to turn it off during the first viewing. A little uninspired and rehashing common subject matter with the twist on lots of guns. I liked it.

You want to see a really bad movie, rent 'The Remnant.'

 

[ctdonath]

Saw it, liked it, occasionally pick out a few action scenes to watch again.

It's a modern update of Farenheit 451 (a must-see). Governments really don't want their subjects to feel passion, just be contented sheeple.
While not quite as good as that and 1984 storywise, it's still a good story.

Upon that cautionary plot is the action. One form of suspending disbelief is understanding what the author is trying to do even if the method is a bit shaky. The "gun-fu" style is described badly as based on "statistical likelyhood of threat/target presence", but one still gets the point of an elite soldier trained in strict dynamic ancient martial-arts fasion updated with modern arms, and delivers that idea well. This is practically no different than good oriental martial-arts flicks.

I liked it. The discovery of feeling/passion, both in self and in lost culture, was moving. The drama went beyond most movies (watch the subtleties). The action was something new. Maybe not optimally done, but certainly better than most pointless flicks.

 

[Rocko]

Heh - seems this thread generated alot of interest! Apologies if I sounded like I was mad at folks for recommending this - wasn't what was intended. I was just a bit surprised that it seemingly got rave reviews here - especially since it came up in several "best gun movie" threads.

And don't get me wrong - I love sci-fi, including the B movie flicks. I think I'm the only one I know who thought that Battlefield Earth was a decent flick (even if it didn't do the book justice), mostly because of the premise of the movie. I can appreciate the premise of Equilibrium as well, although it was a bit simplistic.

I guess my main beef was going into it thinking of it as a "gun movie" and then have the silly "gun-fu", "gun katas" thing, and I couldn't get over that. As mentioned, suspension of disbelief is critical for any movie, especially fantasy/scifi. I think the movie screwed up by attempting to ground such superhuman feats in reality through the hokey gun-fu premise. It would have been better off leaving it to our imagination or the other sci-fi fare - implants, etc.

Rocko

 

[Chupacabra]

I picked it up at Best Buy after hearing about it here on THR.

Oh man! I was pleasantly surprised. How the heck did this one get past my radar? Sure it's over-the-top and not very realistic, but it has style and some great acting. For a $20 million budget action flick, it is Excellent. Definately one of the best action films I have in my collection.

 

[Gordon Fink]

I guess my main beef was going into it thinking of it as a “gun movie†and then have the silly “gun-fu,†“gun katas†thing, and I couldn’t get over that.… I think the movie screwed up by attempting to ground such superhuman feats in reality through the hokey gun-fu premise.…

It makes about as much sense as any other point-shooting technique.

~G. Fink

“Stop wasting ammo and start aiming!â€

 

[Treylis]

It's not perfect, but I rather liked it.

pistol technique is a little over the top but remember what "modern" pistol technique looked like around WWII (recall excerpts from training films with people ackwardly hunched over and shooting one-handed).

That's rather interesting; I had no idea it's changed like that. Anywhere I could perhaps see these training films online or the like?

 

[LawDog]

Equilibrium is one of my all-time favorite movies.

I've done some trapping drills in kick-boxing, which may be why the final gun-fight is so blasted cool! I've watched that scene so many times, I'm going to wear out that track on my DVD.

Yeah, the plot is simplistic. So what? I've never seen the law that says a movie can't be good unless the plot is complex.

LawDog

 

[gbelleh]

Speaking of other bad movies...
My all time favorite bad movie is: The Stuff

Worst movie I've ever seen: R.O.T.O.R.
Anyone else see that one??? It's about a futuristic robotic police officer who goes on a rampage. Some very amusing (bad) acting and dialogue.

 

[Treylis]

My all time favorite bad movie is: The Stuff

Wow, I remember watching that a looooong time ago.

"Can't get enough... of The Stuff!!!"

Now I want to see it again, heh.

 

[cidirkona]

I really like equilibrium.

-Colin

 

[Trebor]

Anybody see "Bloodsucking Pharohs from Pittsburgh?" It's an Alan Smithee movie, if that tells you anything....

 

[Amish]

Christian Bale is a great actor. He's going to be the best Batman.

I'm practicing Gun Kata.

 

[Jeff]

I like Equilibrium. It's a fun movie. It's definitely a dvd keeper.


I actually enjoy the story and the subtle character developments (and acting)-- like stated earlier-- more than the acccomplished and exciting gun/action scenes.

 

[atek3]

For real, the last two fights, the 'very close pistol fight' and the sword fight, I mean come on, how could you diss that!

atek3

 

[Dr.Rob]

Don't make me start a "Bowcaster vs. Light Repeat Blaster.. tactical match up" thread.

Just don't.

Cuz I Will.

Equilibrium was over the top. More Farenheit 451 than action pic.

Message I got from it? Lay off the prozac, read a book, love somebody.

 

[BamBam-31]

Wookie weapon, all the way!

 

[Gabe]

I saw this porn flick the other day. This one guy was doing 6 girls for 2 hours straight. Are we supposed to believe this crap? How's a guy realistically supposed to convince 6 girls to go down on him anyways? And 2 hours? That's just silly. Anyway I totally couldn't get into it, and I didn't learn a darn thing. Two hours of my life wasted.