Wednesday
Jan272010
38 - The Gun Kata Requires 'Equilibrium' and Balance
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 8:15AM So we kinda ragged on Christian Bale in our review of Run Lola Run, so to make it up to him (because I'm sure he was very upset about it) we took a look through his catalog to find a movie to talk about.
We also realized that we'd yet to cover a guilty pleasure over the top action flick.
Kismet.
This 2002 flick was the first in a series of films for Bale which would make him a bankable action star, and he doesn't even need to use his Batman voice! Let's take a look at 'Equilibrium'!
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Reader Comments (8)
Gun Kata + puppies -- you guys are both fun + great!
I LOVE your vodcast. I LOVE it! You are so funny and smart and professional.
I'm impressed not only by the high number of episodes you have produced at a very fast pace (like a clock!) but also by the high and even quality. Every episode is a treat. Good editing, good sound, good lighting. Everything is good! And I thank you! I thank you for entertaining me every week and for teasing (and treating) some movie I may have missed!
All the best wishes to EVERYONE in the production team at MYMHM!
PS.
Anyone who missed "Hero" ("Ying xiong") directed by Zhang Yimou should check it out: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/
"Dark City" by Alex Proyas is also a Gem: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118929/
Gotta disagree with you guys on this one. Motorcycle helmets? Really?
If you want the granddaddy of dystopian, watch THX 1138. If you want great mindless I-shoot-things action, watch Shoot 'Em Up. Mix dystopian with action with a pinch of late 90's Sci-Fi channel production budget and you will get a stinker (a.k.a. Equilibrium).
Hey Lonelypond! We aim for a balance of adorable and badass for each episode. This week's movie made it pretty easy ;-)
Hey Fan #1 Wow! Thank you! We have a lot of fun producing the show, so we're glad people are enjoying it! Also, thank you for the recommendations! Dark City is one of my all time favorite Sci-Fi flicks, and Roger Ebert's commentary track on the DVD was a huge inspiration for the work we're doing on MYMHM. I haven't seen Hero, so I'll have to add that to the list!
Hey Lyle!
I would LOVE to cover THX, but I can't on principle. The only version of the film I like is the original theatrical, and the last time you've been able to see it was on Laserdisc. Lucas has done a horrible disservice to the film with his "special" editions, with revisionist editing and lackluster cg additions. Ham fisted, poorly finished/rendered/inserted and largely unasked for (the masturbation machine? really?).
It's such a shame, because THX is remarkable example of low budget/student/independent film making, and should be heralded, but I guess Lucas doesn't have faith in his storytelling, and I really feel his changes ruin the film.
It's kind of funny though, because I think you kind of nail why we DID want to cover Equilibrium, not because it's a "good" anti-utopian (the story is a little pedestrian and the Brave New World elements a bit ham-fisted), but because it's a surprisingly decent action flick that didn't blow up at the box office (that was really the big challenge for us, what crazy action flick have people missed, you know). The cast is really solid, the stunts are pretty decent, and it's really just a series of excuses to give Bale "badass" moments. Pop some popcorn!
We totally acknowledge though that this flick wont be for everyone LOL, so thanks for the feedback!
The "Gun Kata", ............. Holy crap that is badass! I actually had planned to rent this a few times, but never really picked it up for whatever reason........ Actually now that I think about it "gun kata" sounds like something John Woo uses(assuming you've seen Hardboiled or The Killer)
Oh my goodness, I remember seeing this on TV now; what amazingly over the top action with a terribly silly and pointless plot (which as pointed out makes no sense in of itself, hilarious!).
I just love the smirks Taye Diggs does throughout the film and the sheer audacity of having such a really ridiculous martial art to justify it all :)
The moment with the dog was just so amazing sucker punchingly silly too :) I had many moments of laughter at this film.
Not quite one I re-watch (I have The Fifth Element and others for that), but certainly was a fun experience.
Though it seems like a combination of Farenheit 451, 1984, and Brave New World, it's ACTUALLY closer to a rip-off of dystopian classic "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin. Like... VERY ham-fistedly so. REALLY.
Either way, I loved this silly-awesome movie. One of my favourite action films.