This is a movie that had a really interesting concept behind it, many things that were well done, and also many flaws. I enjoyed the first hour of it the most, when it showed the most promise. The closer it got to the end, the more weak and cliché it became.

It begins as Orwell with a twist. A totalitarian dystopia that, instead of inciting the populace into a rage against a perceived enemy, does the exact opposite, but to equally nasty effect. The mission of the ruling order is to rid humanity of all emotion and everything associated with it. Drugs are administered to everyone which prevent emotions. The touted beneficial effects are that war and strife will no longer be a problem when the human race can completely rid itself of the curse of feelings.

Ironically, in order to achieve this, violent raids are conducted against anyone who harbors art, music, or loving little puppies. Genuine emotion of any kind is thoughtcrime. The thought police (or "clerics" as they are called here) come in with guns blazing and flamethrowers ready for any poetry books that might be discovered.

Though this movie's story is a world apart, whenever a fight or shooting scene begins, you'd think the director was trying to remake The Matrix. Seriously, it's more than just a little homage here or there. You can sit and count up the shots that contain blatent ripoff after blatent ripoff of Matrix cinematography. (Though with an obviously lower effects budget, and little understanding of what it takes to make such action scenes emotionally effective.) Why? We've all seen The Matrix before. Why not do something original -- or something that would make more sense in the context of this movie's world?

In times when it's not trying to be a cheap copy of Wachowski action, the movie does present a very interesting and unique vision of a dystopian future. It follows the story of one cleric (enforcer of the "no emotions ever" policy) who gradually discovers and grapples with his own repressed emotional senses. Along the way, he gets a little help from one of the thought criminals he interrogates, as well as the underground resistance that he is fighting. This is where the movie's most touching and endearing moments occur.

Plot continuity gaps and consistency issues abound. I'm inclined to forgive most of them for the sake of "the symbolic message" (which is good), but there are some parts where it just gets too ridiculous to suspend disbelief. As I said earlier, the ending is the worst.

A brief sidenote on "message". Though it falls into a completely different genre, in terms of philosophy, I couldn't help but think of parallels to Pleasantville while I watched. Both movies feature a dominant order that imposes a bland and emotionless existence on the inhabitants, and both show how it only takes a few small sparks to ignite a forest fire of transformative passion that spreads throughout the entire world. IMO, Pleasantville was far more emotionally effective and had a more cohesive narrative, but that's just me. (But since they are such vastly different types of movies, it's probably silly to try to compare them anyway.)

Equilibrium. Good concept, interesting ideas, and some nicely done scenes; it had its moments. I just wish they would have followed through a bit better. Anyway, I'm glad I watched it.