Equilibrium

Sci-fi stories about our civilization becoming more enlightened, and peace loving in the future are a dime a dozen. Here the blending of four different story ideas comes together in an enjoyable, fast paced and thought provoking movie starring Christian Bale. With the society issues and ideas from Logan's Run, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451, then add in the moves and action from The Matrix films, you end up with a movie that grabs you in the beginning scenes and never lets go until the very end.
In a not so distant future, society has suppressed all emotions by a mood-limiting drug, and has done away with war and crime, but when one of the elite Cleric misses his daily dose he begins to see how wrong the world has become. The stunt work that is done here is quite amazing, some of the moves are reminiscent of martial arts films and then there are parts that look like they could have come right out of the Matrix films. The swordplay and gunfights that are throughout the film are in some cases the best action sequences that have been done in years. Bale as the top government Cleric shows how disciplined he can be in an action role and still exhibit the struggle that the character is going through with the flood of emotions.
From the moment that the movie starts you're drawn into this world that doesn't seem to far off from our own, and that is where some of the tension that feel comes from, knowing that this could possibly happen. But as far as the human race becoming completely submissive to one ruler, and willingly taking a drug to suppress our emotions, not a chance, we're to free minded to be lead by the nose. This is definitely one of those films that should be watched years down the road in film classes to examine the change in society's mannerisms.