 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Equilibrium
- Review Date: May 13, 2003
- R
- Genre: Science Fiction
- 2002
Common Sense Media says
Violent post-nuclear sci-fi is Orwellian.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this film is violent. The opening scenes show a sense police raid, involving much shooting and death. The closing scenes are of greater violence, big explosions and more death. In between there is intermittent violence and death. Despite this, the film isn't unusually violent for this kind of movie, and the deaths aren't gory. Some younger children might be upset by the sense police's arrest and abduction of Preston's wife in front of her young family.
What's the story?
Equilibrium is set in the joyless state of Libria, a post-nuclear apocalypse, early 21st-century society where all human emotions are outlawed in order to prevent war. Any materials, such as books or artworks, that might cause people to feel sensations are destroyed, as are those who engage in their production, dissemination or appreciation. Human instincts are kept in check through the mind-numbing drug Prozium. The protectors of this violent peace are the "clerics." They are highly trained to detect anyone failing to take Prozium doses and destroy members of the underground. John Preston (Christian Bale) is a leading cleric, ruthless in his tracking down and eradicating of sense criminals, even those closest to him. However, after a potent meeting with underground member, Mary (Emily Watson), and a missed dose of Prozium, Preston begins to have feelings, and decides to bring down the system from the inside, a dangerous mission indeed.
Is it any good?
Equilibrium draws heavily from George Orwell's classic, 1984. Writer/director Kurt Wimmer substitutes "Big Brother" for "Father," whose voice and features are projected across Libria on enormous television screens, constantly reminding people of the dangers of the natural human state and the devastation it had led to in earlier, less sophisticated societies. Where Orwell has "thought police," Wimmer has "sense police." States in Orwell's world subdue their populations by the need to maintain their war efforts, while Libria's justifies the abuse of its people through the notion of sustaining peace.
There are a number of interesting issues that Equilibrium sets up to address. In discussions with children these could easily be drawn out, but the film itself descends into a predictable and formulaic shoot-em-up sci-fi action movie. The ninja-based gun fighting style used by the clerics verges on the balletic, but for any admirer of this film genre, they will have witnessed almost identical scenes in The Matrix.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about how Preston, emotion and beauty win over the dour, controlling Librian state, yet rather than straightforward tales of good over evil, the film leads one to question these opposing concepts. Peace is surely good, but in this case evil derives from an all-consuming quest for peace, which itself breeds violence. Familes can also talk about how the importance of love, loyalty and joy abound in this film, but glory is associated with violence and destruction
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Kid, 12 years old
November 18, 2010
AGE
My emotion is... Wait... What IS my emotion? Curse those pills...
This movie was pretty decent given the plot. I... AH! Whew, almost stepped into one of the infamous plot holes! Believe me, this film has several. Still, this movie is very violent. I would say any kid who is ok with that should be able to view.
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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Good
I had no clue what this was about, I just rented it, and it was very good!
The only reason I said off for violence is because there are many close-combat hand fights where people get smashed in the head and chest with fists, guns, and katanas. Other than that there were maybe 5 swear words in the whole movie, everything else was clean. Very good, similar to The Matrix.
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Teen, 15 years old
August 27, 2011
AGE
Acceptable sci-fi movie is dark and disturbing.
"Equilibrium" is a dark science fiction drama, that is surely thought-provoking and artier than most average movies, but still not a masterpiece.
Some aspects of the script are great, but sometimes there are unnecessary combat sequences that somehow take away the great athmosphere that prior scenes built up. However, it is defintely no waste of time.
The movie can be very unsettling and disturbing at some points. Especially the scenes where they shoot the dogs and the main character is forced to watch (the shootings are off-screen). Most of the characters have got no feelings, and the main character is forced to pretend that he also has got no feelings.
The movie is not bloody and does not have any gruesome details (even when a character's face is sliced off, you see it from the very side, so you don't see any detail), but can be quite emotional and disturbing at some parts. Not recommended for teenagers under the age of 16.
The movie itself is not a masterpiece.
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Adult
April 27, 2009
AGE
Not a problem, except for the hokey face sliding off
Violence-7/10
Sex/Nudity-1/10
Language-4/10
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Kid, 11 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Pretty Violent, But that's it.
There is a lot of violence. That very true. At one point, the main character beats SWAT team members to death with the back of his gun. Also, in one scene they do not show it, but you hear dogs yelping and gunshots. There is a lot more violence than that, too. And many disturbing scenes. I think it is appropriate for some kids my age, but not most of them.
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Teen, 17 years old
September 11, 2012
AGE
An underrated thoughtful and entertaining dystopian that should be appreciated more
Considering the violence present in this film, it is fair to say that the psychological aspects that are illustrated from the violence can be quite disturbing, because of the circumstances where this violence against people is justified by the joyless dystopia. It can also be psychologically disturbing in itself which is possibly the main element of why it is not for young children, and maybe even the early stages of teenagers. Besides that, it is not a mindless science fiction action flick, because that would be ignoring the thoughtful depth of what this film could represent and the reasons behind the behaviour present in the film. Christian Bale is excellent as the lead character, showing both a mix of action and violence with vivid emotion and depth that doesn't cancel out the other, or make the film become cliched and clunky. It is easy to reflect after the film that this is merely a copy of novels such as 1984 and Farenheit 451, but I think that the way this alternate world is crafted, it could be a closer, more accurate and modern interpretation and representation of the particular elements of society, which is disassociating with the elements of the well-known novels and entering something much more real. I think we should also understand why emotions make us human and question the absence of particular emotions such as love and joy, and the importance of family. An entertaining, misunderstood masterpiece of modern society.
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Teen, 17 years old
March 8, 2013
AGE
Fahrenheit 451 for emotion and feeling
Wow. One of Christian Bale's finest works. Set in the future (after the 4th world war) it has become illegal to have emotions and feelings. Kind of like Fahrenheit 451, but with emotion and anything that conveys emotion. A lot of people die, but there is little blood. During the end fight, one guy gets his face cut off... But you still need to see it!
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| Studio: | Dimension |
| Director: | Kurt Wimmer |
| Cast: | Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Taye Diggs |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Run time: | 107 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 6, 2002 |
| DVD release date: | May 13, 2003 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | violence |
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