I saw jacket on this movie saying it was better than the matix. It was total crap. The story line was nearly identical, martial arts was involved, and they even wore black leather dusters. The whole thing seemed like low grade plagerism. Anyone else see it and think I'm wrong?

:cool:

Anyone else see it and think I'm wrong?
Yes, and yes. The movie was not total crap; it managed to be an entertaining, low-budget film.
I saw jacket on this movie saying it was better than the matix. From a philosophical aspect, it greatly exceeded The Matrix in getting a meaningful message across. But for all intents and purposes, The Matrix smacks this movie around.
The story line was nearly identical
You've lost me already with your faulty reasoning...
martial arts was involved
Oh geez, better get over to Hong Kong and tell them to stop making movies because including martial arts in a science-fiction or fantasy movie is blatant plagiarism!
and they even wore black leather dusters.
Actually, if you'd seen both films, that is not the case.

The blundering masses liked 'The Matrix' for its explosions and cinematography, and there was a lack of gratification from this lower budget film. The plot in both is derivative of countless other fantasy stories (OMGZ!!11!! Plagiarism!), the dialogue in both films is corny, but who really cares because The Matrix had higher production value, right?

Most people don't connect with independent films, and that is why they are independent.

If they said it was better than The Matrix they had to be right. The Matrix sucked, big time.

The movie was not total crap; it managed to be an entertaining, low-budget film.

Correct, it was entertaining or I wouldn't have watched it to the end. I have loved low budget pictures in the past that the box office let die. Who or how much was spent producing a film has no bearing in my liking the film.

From a philosophical aspect, it greatly exceeded The Matrix in getting a meaningful message across.

I should rephrase the original statement about being crap, it wasn't, it just wasn't original. Both movies feature an oppressive regime controlling a populance. In each case the regime was controlling the minds of people to make the situtation into what they felt was best. A small band of rebel work against said oppressors and in the end succeed in an unsurmountable task. It did not exceed, it repeated.

Oh geez, better get over to Hong Kong and tell them to stop making movies because including martial arts in a science-fiction or fantasy movie is blatant plagiarism!

Of couse that's not what I meant and I know you to be smarter than to think that:rolleyes:. That is only one facet that both these movies have. They did a fine job of the action, even got the voices to match the mouths moving.:matrix:

and they even wore black leather dusters.
Actually, if you'd seen both films, that is not the case.

What film did you watch? The cleric in Equilibrium could have been Neo's brother stealing his clothes, the resemblance was very strong.

The blundering masses liked 'The Matrix' for its explosions and cinematography, and there was a lack of gratification from this lower budget film. The plot in both is derivative of countless other fantasy stories (OMGZ!!11!! Plagiarism!), the dialogue in both films is corny, but who really cares because The Matrix had higher production value, right?

The 'blundering masses' may have indeed had those reasons. However, those of us who do generally look for something more than a fireworks display did find redeeming qualities to the matrix. The plots of many movies contain the same basic principles, but they aren't different enough, Equilibrium looks like outtakes of the other movie. The whole point I was trying to make is that Equilibrium producers had the gall to put the Matrix right on their movie jacket, and then put most of the ideas, principles, and likenesses of the Matrix right in their production. Production value, as I already stated, means nothing. It's content, process, and ideas that wins fans, right?

007.

I for one enjoyed Equilibrium. Hell, I OWN it. Christian Bale delivered a rock solid performance, and the rest of the characters did a respectable job as well. While some like to claim it to be a rip off The Matrix, this isn't true at all. It simply has the same tone. Equilibrium takes place in the "real world", while the Matrix does not. Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus achieve impossible feats... it's more derivative. Equilibrium actually uses a real form of martial arts and does so with respect to the source. It's more about a message than explosions... and I for one found that refreshing.

The Matrix is better in the long run. But Equilbrium is a very good movie in its own right.

I for one enjoyed Equilibrium. Hell, I OWN it. Christian Bale delivered a rock solid performance, and the rest of the characters did a respectable job as well. While some like to claim it to be a rip off The Matrix, this isn't true at all. It simply has the same tone. Equilibrium takes place in the "real world", while the Matrix does not. Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus achieve impossible feats... it's more derivative. Equilibrium actually uses a real form of martial arts and does so with respect to the source. It's more about a message than explosions... and I for one found that refreshing.

The Matrix is better in the long run. But Equilbrium is a very good movie in its own right.
nice post, and i could not agree more with you :)