Equilibrium 2002

A conceptual Christian Bale sci-fi vehicle that can't quite commit to its one primary plot point. It's the future, and we're living in a totalitarian regime thanks to a government-mandated drug that saps humanity of its ability to feel. Bale plays the cold, emotionless head of the gestapo, responsible for tracking and exterminating the few remaining shreds of liberal thought in the wild. Curiously, after incinerating every shred of artwork, poetry and literature he can find, this super-cop then retires to his ornately decorated office where a big show is made of the beautiful architecture and lavish sculptural decorations.

The story's failure to comply with its own focal point doesn't end there, as Bale's coworkers and bosses are surprisingly animated and emotive for men supposedly removed from their own feelings. The plot offers no revelations, with the protagonist stomping through a shallow character arc and an overly simple, black-and-white evaluation of the grand scheme. There's fruit to be harvested here, but Equilibrium is either too short or too lazy to reach for it. A few very good action scenes (leading to an unusually high body count) are its only saving grace.