“You clean, we’ll sweep.“
After re-watching “Minority Report” (while putting off “Total Recall”), I was in the mood for some more guys with guns. Of course, this meant rifling through Christian Bale’s near-perfect filmography. Yes, I have removed “Terminator Salvation” from the contents of my brain.
“Equilibrium” is such an underrated gem of action flick. It has more than its fair share of detractors; critics and the box office included. But the fervent support of its fans leaves that negativity in the dust. Baleheads are as intense and intimidating as their padrone, Mr. Bale. And you cannot deny the caped crusader’s charms. I know the film is terribly contrived at points, but the cheese is endearing. C’mon, he puts his life on the line for a puppy. I don’t know if “Equilibrium” is in that “so bad it’s good” category because the film does have its moments of brilliance. For this post, I could have picked out any of the “Equilibrium”‘s many action scenes, and I know you’d be hooked.
But I think the film’s quietest scene is it’s most memorable. This is the moment where John Preston (Christian Bale) sheds his cold exterior, revealing the humanity within — and this is usually where I start grieving the lost potential of “Terminator Salvation” all over again.
Notes: Directed by Kurt Wimmer; Produced by Jan de Bont, Lucas Foster; Written by Kurt Wimmer; Starring Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, Emily Watson, Sean Bean, Angus MacFadyen, William Fichtner, Sean Pertwee, David Hemmings; Music by Klaus Badelt; Cinematography by Dion Beebe.
Sasha James, otherwise known as The Final Girl Project, is a twenty-something Torontonian with an unhealthy amount of her week reserved for film and television. She also moonlights as The Doctor's companion on Saturdays. 
I’m in the “too smart to be idiotic; to asinine to be thought-provoking” camp with this film. Its action scenes are some of the best of the post-Matrix rip-off-aplooza, but the story is so thick-headed and incessantly contradictory that even the plot holes of the heady action movie it’s routinely stealing from don’t look so bad. Still, it’s a fun enough rainy day film.
@Jake I completely understand the middle-ground standpoint with this film. There’s so much potential in this movie, it could have been spectacular. But, it’s still a great enough concept and film to watch over and over again. I may just have a soft spot for Christian Bale, however.