Director: Kurt Wimmer
Stars: Christian Bale, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs, Angus MacFadyen, Sean Bean, Matthew Harbour, William Fichtner, Sean Pertwee, Maria Pia Calzon
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 107 minutes

Equilibrium is set after World War 3. As the story goes, man has decided that war is caused by emotion, and emotions are, therefore, deemed to be a bad thing. As a result, the populous are compelled to take emotion-destroying drugs, and abide by laws set out by 'Father'. The 'clerics' enforce the law, and hunt down the members of the public who experience emotions, as they are deemed a threat to society. Following so far?

Christian Bale stars as John Preston, the head cleric, and most dependable of the law enforcers. After the enforcers take his wife away, Preston stops taking the drugs, and slowly begins to realise what is going on in the world. Bale gives a reasonable performance. Considering he's supposed to be someone who does not experience emotions, he probably has the easiest role in the film, as he has to hide his emotions. He also displays a bit of flair for the action sequences, some of which are very impressive. Much of the film revolves around Preston trying to figure out how to contact the underground resistance (those who have stopped taking the drugs), and do the right thing.

Taye Diggs, who recently appeared in Chicago, plays Brandt, an up-and-coming cleric who admires Preston, but ultimately ends up betraying him for the good of his own career. Diggs, like Bale, copes well with the action sequences, and gives a reasonable performance. Unfortunately, as emotions are outlawed, the bad-guy cannot be really nasty, which results in Diggs not having an awful lot to do.

Emily Watson plays Mary O'Brien, a woman who experiences emotions, and who connects with Preston, convincing him more that the laws against emotions are wrong. Watson does not have very much to do at all, and essentially just gives the occasional worried look towards the troubled cleric.

Angus MacFadyen plays Dupont, who is essentially the Chief of Police. He gives instructions out to Preston, and acts as a father figure too. He doesn't have a great deal to do either, but is quite good nonetheless.

Kurt Winner does a decent enough job directing the film, and ensures that some of the action sequences will stick in the memory, mainly due to the inclusion of the rather silly gun-based martial art 'gun-kata'. He has a fairly difficult task directing a film where the majority of characters do not experience emotion, but manages quite well.

There will be obvious comparisons to The Matrix and it's upcoming sequels, but the only similarities are in some of the techniques used in the impressive action scenes. Overall, an enjoyable enough film, providing you leave any rational thought outside the cinema, as some of the ideas in the film are verging on the ridiculous.