Remarkable action movies : Equilibrium (2002)

Why : I didn't know who Christian Bale was when I watched Equilibrium. Men in black attire made me expect something along the lines of The Matrix. But the absence of stars prompted me to expect something less spectacular. But Equilibrium turned the tables in its favour with one watch.

It's definitely not one for the enthusiast who wants to see cars and buildings blowing up. The movie was made on a modest budget of $20 miillion, but all that money was put to real good use.

Equilibrium had arguably, the best gun wielding scenes and the stunt choreography was flawless. Precision was the catchword. The fictional martial art of Gun Kata was the piece of cake. Guns ruled the frames with the characters using it for everything from shooting to delivering a blow. The whole idea of predicting the line of fire and remaining unhurt in a shower of bullets was difficult to believe. But on screen it looked spectacular.

The storyline revolved around Walter Preston, a man of authority in a future society where feelings and emotions are suppressed. The man who was supposed to uphold that autocratic system turns against the very system which appointed him.

Equilibrium failed at the box office as it wasn't distributed on a wide scale. It grossed a meagre $5 million worldwide. Commendable collections for a small release. Now it has been elevated to the status of a cult classic.