Equilibrium (2002)

Not only is the story just a rip-off of several much better dark-visions-of-the-future films (Fahrenheit 451, Matrix, 1984), it's so ineptly handled that it's laughable.

In order to stamp out war, the populace self-injects "Prozium," an emotion-deadening drug. How do we know what the drug's name is and what it does? Why, because huge public address screens have a talking head playing on a loop passionately congratulating everyone for taking their emotion-deadening Prozium. Even if I were willing to overlook the fact that impassioned speeches employ passion, an emotion (and I'm not), that's just one of at least two dozen displays of the script's lazy attitude toward its own premise.

The fight scenes also made me giggle. Christian Bale -- emotion cop who's tasted sweet feelings and just can't go back -- employs a robotic fight technique that we see being taught to others as a matter of course. So why is he able to best a whole group of fellow cops? Don't they know the same tricks?

I really don't get why so many talented people agreed to appear in such a mess of a movie.

D+