Analysis
If you were a particularly skeptical person, you could be forgiven for thinking that this film is nothing more than a Matrix wannabe attempting to cash in on the year 2003 which just happens to be one of the biggest times for the Matrix series. I am not in total agreement with this theory however and whilst parallel can always be drawn between the two movie styles, Equilibrium has more in common with the 1976 sci-fi movie 'Logan's Run' than anything else.

Christian Bale plays the cities most successful and deadliest 'Cleric', dealing harshly with all 'sense' offenders. Bale's last movie role as Quinn in 'Reign of Fire' was a little disappointing, but he makes up for his previous crime by pulling off a fine performance that fans of 'American Psycho' will remember well. Credit also goes to Taye Diggs who dilliberatly portrays a career hungry back-stabber lurking in the shadows just waiting for an opportunity for Bale's character to slip up. It was strange to see British 'entertainer' Brian Connelly in amongst's the films star names even though it was only a bit part. As a familiar face on the UK small screen, his presence here was a shock, but as he gets beaten up by Christian Bale I can finally believe that there is a god after all.

The first twenty minutes of the film consist of the usual scene setting that the action hungry fan will find frustrating but it is necessary so bear with it as the fruits of their labor are about to blossom. The new martial art created for this film called 'Gun-Kata' makes for absolutely sensational fight scenes that are both frantic and brutal. The main aim is to use any part of ones weapon to debilitate the enemy, so apart from the conventional bullet holes they also use the metal butt and use the assailant weapons against themselves and others. The use of Samaria swords adds to the variety of lethal weapons and these are wielded with mind numbing speed. The action really is of a very high standard and is the main selling point of the film.

Key Area	Rating (out of 5)	Comment
Action		A smattering of action in the first 20 minutes leads you to believe that this is a little sleepy, but stick with it and you are treated to some excellently choreographed fight scenes. The ballistic ballet that is performed holds its own well against the similar styled fights used in the Matrix.
Thrills/ Tension		Not much in the way of heart pounding tension but the adrenalin boost sure makes up for it.
Violence/ Gore		A lot of people get to taste lead either in the form of a bullet or the butt of a gun, either way the result is the same, broken faces. The gore factor is not off the scale but the occasional smattering of claret does grace the screen. A couple of stand out scenes include an agonising arm break and a scene towards the end that gives a literal meaning to the phrase 'Face-Off'.
Bare Flesh	NONE	If feelings are taboo in Libria, how does anybody have children. Naked ladies make sure make me want to feel ;-) Unfortunately the clerics are too busy killing people to care about sex.
Plot		Take 'Logan's Run' and shake it up with 'The Matrix' and 'Metropolis', that pretty much covers Equilibrium. The story is just interesting enough to make you feel for the plight of the characters but never do you make that vital connection with them.

Verdict Kurt Wimmer is relatively new to the Director's chair but he does have a couple of outstanding writing credits including 'Sphere' and 'The Recruit'. What he has created here is a mix of blinding action melded with an interesting but ultimately average story. Although this film has been given a luke warm reception elsewhere, it is still entertaining enough for sci-fi and action fans a like and makes a great stop gap until 'The Matrix' comes along.