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Post by Trinity on Jun 6, 2003 19:56:31 GMT -5
I also don't think the two movies should be compared. Equilibrium definitely has more of a touching and meaningful plot than the Matrix does, but that's beside the point. I hate it when people always say how much cooler the effects were in the Matrix than in EQ. I mean, for Reloaded and Revolution they had a budget of $300 million. And they had something like $20 million for EQ, right? I mean, if you asked me, I would say I like EQ better, but that is partly because I'm in love with Christian Bale, and I think he's a great actor. Thank you! This was the point I wanted to make. I was...still am a Matrix fanatic. However, after seeing Equilibrium, I am OBSESSED! I enjoyed it more than The Matrix and Reloaded. The point is that the budet the Wachowskis had for The Matrix was $75 million. And for Reloaded and Revolutions, the budget was $300 million. And yet, Kurt Wimmer had a measly $20 million budget for Equilibrium. And look how sharp Equilibrium looks! I look at The Matrix now and I think, that's all they could do with THAT much money? Don't get me wrong. I adore The Matrix, but Kurt Wimmer did a lot more with a lot less, in my opinion. Has anyone watched the Director's Commentary version on the DVD? Fascinating! Not to mention that Keanu Reeves cannot act, in my opinion. The Matrix movies would have been far superior with Christian Bale as Neo. When I told my friends that I had found a movie as good, or even better than, The Matrix, their jaws all dropped in absolute shock, because like I said, I am a huge fan of The Matrix. I am still a fan, but Equilibrium is on its way to becoming my favorite film of all. I cannot watch it enough times. Where I tired of watching The Matrix after ten times or so, I have not tired of watching Equilibrium after that many times. I still go home after work and want to watch it every night. Thanks for reading.  Trinity - Hmmmm...maybe I should change my name to Mary O'Brien.  |
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Post by JenGe on Jun 7, 2003 8:48:45 GMT -5
Hey Trinity, I'm with you!! Matrix was and is one of my biggest obsession films ever but to find a small film by a first time director that could even come close was stunning. I remember sitting there in the theater just after my first viewing of Equilibrium not wanting to move....contemplating all that I had just experienced. It was truly amazing!!
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Post by Trinity on Jun 9, 2003 18:57:07 GMT -5
Hey Trinity, I'm with you!! Matrix was and is one of my biggest obsession films ever but to find a small film by a first time director that could even come close was stunning. I remember sitting there in the theater just after my first viewing of Equilibrium not wanting to move....contemplating all that I had just experienced. It was truly amazing!! Hi, JenGe. Thanks. Ah, you saw Equilibrium in the theatre! Alas, I did not know of EQ until recently. It must have been awesome to see it on the big screen. |
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Post by JenGe on Jun 10, 2003 7:12:32 GMT -5
Ah, you saw Equilibrium in the theatre! Alas, I did not know of EQ until recently. It must have been awesome to see it on the big screen. I hate to brag but ya...seven times... ;D If I could I would have seen EQ even more but it was yanked from the theaters after two weeks.  Awesome is a great way to descripe it. I just sat there stunned in the theater. Not many films can do that to me. |
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Post by truheart on Jun 12, 2003 11:27:43 GMT -5
omg LOL i totally agree with you guys i luv Equiliberium Reloaded was way overhyped and ever rated
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Post by AMD4EVER on Jun 12, 2003 12:35:20 GMT -5
Yeah wouldn't that get under a few peoples skin. "Equilibrium Reloaded" LOL!
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Post by JenGe on Jun 12, 2003 15:22:57 GMT -5
Yeah wouldn't that get under a few peoples skin. "Equilibrium Reloaded" LOL!  BAHAHAHAH!!! That's just toooo funny!!! |
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Post by Balehead on Jun 15, 2003 19:11:42 GMT -5
And then after that they could make "Equilibrium Revolution." lol. |
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warnec
Resistance Member
It is so hard to stop feeling. If only I had prozium...
Posts: 18
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Post by warnec on Jun 15, 2003 20:45:27 GMT -5
No!!!! I don't want to...
But the joke is really funny!!
eh... it's a joke right...
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Post by JenGe on Jun 16, 2003 10:23:50 GMT -5
No!!!! I don't want to... But the joke is really funny!! eh... it's a joke right... Are you holding back?? Let us have it... |
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Post by Waylander on Jul 8, 2003 3:06:37 GMT -5
Personaly Ive never read any of the Matrix forums but have had countless discussions about it with people at school when it first came out and after the second one, which I unfortunatly went to see the night before the official release. The thing I found most disturbing about what people thought about it was that everything was "revolutionary" and "never been done before". They wouldnt take the time to think about what they were saying. The only revolutionary thing about the movie was Bullet Time. Wire work: done before. Slow motion: Done WAY before (John Woo anybody). And if you whant to get technical the plot could be viewed as being ripped off from The Terminator. Machines rule the future: yup. Savior is one dude: yup. But no, you realy cant compare the two because they are truly different films. I heard one person say "that was realy way out there" in regards to this movie who realy liked the Matrix. I asked them why they liked the Matrix and they said it was more believable. They couldnt say why, they just thought that. Just my two cents. Hope this made any kind of sense.
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Post by JenGe on Jul 8, 2003 9:51:59 GMT -5
...The only revolutionary thing about the movie was Bullet Time... In a way this is true and not true. There are many anime's which use a special look very similar to "Bullet Time." The most obvious one I've seen was in Gundum Wing....almost exactly the same as when Morpheus gets shot in the leg. The revolutionary aspect was the fact that it was translated to live action. |
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Post by JenGe on Jul 27, 2003 9:16:36 GMT -5
I just finished watching One Man's Justice (AKA One Tough Bastard) yesterday and all I can say is that if anyone thinks that Wimmer copied the action of Matrix they really need to sit down and watch a few action scenes from this film. (Note this is the movie he was fired from half way through filming.)
There's one segment in a parking garage that has Wimmer's signature all over it and remember this film predates Matrix by several years. Very interesting to watch and note the fight choreography.
Also the ending was so painfully obviously not done by Wimmer because the character stopped fighting like he had during much of the film... lost all precision and became extremely sloppy.
Very fascinating viewing!!
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Post by Trinity on Jul 31, 2003 18:05:48 GMT -5
I just finished watching One Man's Justice (AKA One Tough Bastard) yesterday and all I can say is that if anyone thinks that Wimmer copied the action of Matrix they really need to sit down and watch a few action scenes from this film. (Note this is the movie he was fired from half way through filming.) There's one segment in a parking garage that has Wimmer's signature all over it and remember this film predates Matrix by several years. Very interesting to watch and note the fight choreography. Also the ending was so painfully obviously not done by Wimmer because the character stopped fighting like he had during much of the film... lost all precision and became extremely sloppy. Very fascinating viewing!! Thanks, Jen! I've gotta check this movie out soon! ;D |
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Stellanor
Sense Offender
Darlin' I don't know why I go to extremes
Posts: 5
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Post by Stellanor on Aug 17, 2004 23:17:16 GMT -5
I'm hoping that ressurecting this thread is all right to do... I stumbled upon it while browsing the index, and it seemed my cup of tea. I'm a rather huge matrix fan - used to admin one of the Matrix forums, actually, before shit hit the fan there - and I truly LOVE all three films, despite realizing that yeah, there are some flaws, and that the extreme tightness of the first one is missing from the sequels. When I first saw EQ about a week ago, I was reminded of the Matrix trilogy for two main reasons (that isn't to say that I consider EQ "lesser" in any way to the Matrix, but that my brain is wired to think "MATRIX!" at very slight provocation ). The first, superficial as it may be, was Preston's black coat. Secondly, though, was how this film treats the concept of revolution/epistemological change. Both films have a Resistance, and treat issues like betrayal and loyalty. None of this is *new*, of course, but the similarities are there, and I actually tend to think they run pretty deeply. One man is the instrument of change in both cases, and one WOMAN motivates that change for both of the men. This is a point that could be debated for either movie, I think, but I'd stick to that: Trinity is ESSENTIAL to Neo's understanding of himself as the One, and Mary, much more than the cessation of intervals, is what gets Preston to truly FEEL the outrage he needs to fuel his actions against the system. Moreover, both characters are "duped" in some way about the intrinsic nature of the system: Neo finds out that he's been a part of it all along, and Preston discovers that Father doesn't exist. Both can then use those rather earth-shattering discoveries to their own advantages. I agree with a bunch of you that the Matrix is over-credited, and it certainly has a ton of its OWN sources, which are diverse and kickass in their own rights, just as EQ has ITS own sources. I guess in the end, I just feel that both films have quite a bit of merit... the only thing "missing" from EQ for me is a kickass female character like Trinity, and part of me is angry with myself for missing that kind of presence when Mary's strength and courage are so, so inspirational. Rationally, I know Wimmer did the "love story" part of EQ absolutely right - for Preston to have loved and lost with none of the fulfillment just works so damn well for his character's development. But... yeah. Trinity is the coolest part of the Matrix trilogy, to me, and I would like to have seen a female cleric. Anyway, those are my insights into the relationship between the two films. I love them both. Bullet time = freaking awesome. Gun kata = freaking awesome. They both have made me think and feel so much, and I'm damn thankful for that. |
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Post by Xenia Onatopp- Bale on Aug 18, 2004 8:21:48 GMT -5
omg LOL i totally agree with you guys i luv Equiliberium Reloaded was way overhyped and ever rated That was a cracker. ;D ;D |
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Post by MisterAnderson on Sept 20, 2004 14:22:11 GMT -5
Well after watching the Matrix trilogy in its entireity for the first time ever in one day, I think I have another comparison that may have sparked the link between these 2 movies. (For the record I watched The Matrix....followed by Final Flight of the Osiris....then Reloaded...then Revolutions - and Reloaded/Revolutions work really well when you watch them back-to-back). Previously my thoughts on the similarities between Equilibrium & The Matrix began and ended with simply thinking they both had a "lobby" scene. But it definately much deeper than that. Both films are all about control. About taking away the freedom of human beings & the "removal" of choice. The 2 pics I'm about to post should provide a visual reference to support this: The Matrix Equilibrium Humans essentially have their rights removed in both these films. Their right to exist as a human being the way god intended. And of course as someone has mentioned, they both have a Resistance. So yeah...thats my little revelation for the day - hope you got something out of it. (And for those that don't know me....I love both these franchises ) |
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Post by JenGe on Sept 20, 2004 16:50:26 GMT -5
I fixed it for ya. Personally I get the feeling that Wimmer is a big fan of The Matrix. I could be wrong but I wouldn't be surprised. I've stated this before & I'll do so again. I think the strongest ties between the two films are the style in which they tell their stories...by using countless sources to create a myth. |
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Post by MisterAnderson on Sept 21, 2004 6:12:50 GMT -5
Thanks for finding the image JenGe - you're a legend.
Oh yeah, no doubts here that Wimmer would be a big Matrix fan.
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Post by Richard Hannah on Aug 20, 2005 0:56:05 GMT -5
I didn't like the Matrix, nuff said.
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homyck
Sense Offender
Run ! Die Tired...
Posts: 7
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Post by homyck on Dec 23, 2005 15:39:50 GMT -5
Personally I say that EQ and Matrix 1 (And ONLY the first) can be on the same level despite the CG gfx on M1. EQ is more of a story told than " kill here , slow-mo there , shot there , blow that here " etc. Of course EQ needed some fighting but I think that if it had CG gfx like The MadTrix it would be only a copy... Nothing more.
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Post by dark609 on Dec 28, 2005 8:27:55 GMT -5
i think equilibrium has less but better gun fights and the story is ALOT more interesting than 'The One must save us!'....lol....the only thing the matrix has more than equilibrium is the excessive number of gunfights...and personnaly...the matrix's gun fights aren't really good...the camera views and stuff....but hey, its still a remarquable movie....i have tha 10 dvd set...and of course, equilibrium dvd  |
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Amie
Resistance Member
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Post by Amie on Jan 10, 2006 11:28:09 GMT -5
OK, here's my 2 cents... I think that it's inevitable that there will be comparisons, since most films borrow to some degree from other films, I think. I'm trying to remember my reaction when first seeing EQ... maybe I did think the coat seemed similar to Neo's in style, and the aura of the Grammaton clerics certainly had that austerity that reminded me of Neo. But after going further into the movie... all thoughts of Matrix were forgotten. The movie EQ, to me, stands very much on its own.
I watched Blade Trinity last week and there was a scene that reminded me very much of that scene in Batman Begins where Batman yo-yos that cop up and down, upside down. Then it occurred to me that Blade Trinity came out first, so the Batman scene might have been borrowed from Blade. ;D
There will always be emulation, which is a sign that a movie has made an impact somehow.
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Post by MisterAnderson on Jan 10, 2006 22:57:04 GMT -5
I watched Blade Trinity last week and there was a scene that reminded me very much of that scene in Batman Begins where Batman yo-yos that cop up and down, upside down. Then it occurred to me that Blade Trinity came out first, so the Batman scene might have been borrowed from Blade. ;D I think that you'll find that was probably because David S Goyer wrote the screenplays for both those films (and directed B.T. - although the less said about that the better). So its probably not a coincidence that there are similar scenes in the 2 films. |
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Amie
Resistance Member
Posts: 32
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Post by Amie on Jan 10, 2006 23:32:28 GMT -5
I thought the name looked familiar.... Thanks for straightening that out, Mr. A. ;D
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Post by Wraith on Jan 22, 2006 15:34:40 GMT -5
The big difference between the two is that Matrix is a cyberpunk movie, and more like a live-action anime. Equilibrium is based more on political dystopian novels.
The visual styles and settings are completely different. Matrix's world has a messy, overtly technological appearance, like blader runner (and has a lot of green). Eq doesn't have much technological involvement, and the world has a cleaner appearance with cooler colors.
Matrix has a more Buddhist/philosophical theme while Eq is more political and comes off as pretty libertarian to me.
Of course, there's no wire-fu, not as mush slower motion and camera panning and eq. There is Karate and Guns in both, but Eq combined them in a more revolutionary way, with karate moves using guns' line of fire as extensions of the hands.
The only thing I think they have in common is that they both take place in the future, and involve really good action scenes where people in black clothes dodge bullets.
For the record, I loved the first Matrix, but I prefer Equilibrium
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Post by frivolity on Feb 9, 2006 8:16:06 GMT -5
For the record, I loved the first Matrix, but I prefer Equilibrium Me too. |
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Agent Scully
Resistance Member
Science only teaches us how, not why.
Posts: 15
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Post by Agent Scully on Feb 13, 2006 3:05:25 GMT -5
I love both films. They're about the future and how we should give careful thought (and action) about its direction. They have obviously different treatments of the idea, different in art direction, even in genre, I think. They have similar adoption of a variety of martial arts. The other (matrix trilogy) has a great handsome lead who can somewhat act, the other (EQ) has a great handsome lead who can really act. ;D Both men are charismatic, both men kick ass!!! ;D |
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Post by Greyflower on May 20, 2006 10:48:57 GMT -5
I doubt if stunts likeness is a reason for in-depth comparison of two movies (especially if they have absolutely nothing to do with each other). |
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BAHAHAHAH!!! That's just toooo funny!!! 
