devilof76
Super Freak
That's like saying Star Wars is a stupid movie because the Force doesn't exist.
Fair enough. I just didn't like AI because it comes from a much more wrong headed philosophic tradition than something like The Force does.
If that didn't have an effect on how the story played out, it would be one thing, but it actually dictated exactly how The Matrix trilogy ended. The hero sacrificed himself to affect a compromise between the two opposing sides. It was morally neutral, pacifistically grey, and pure altruist mush from one end to the other. Made me want to gag.
On the complete other hand...
Agreed, the whole Orwellean, big brother backdrop..
...Equilibrium came from a philosophically accurate point of view (something that even Star Wars lacked, although Star Wars used its flaws much better than The Matrix; Luke Skywalker atleast did something heroic in the story's climax).
On top (or because) of that, John Preston won. He sacrificed nothing, and had both the power and will to end those who he was fighting against. He was unapologetically heroic.
Bottom line, I think the biggest difference was that Equilibrium had far more emotional content than The Matrix. It meant more to me because it made sense. Deep, significant, and metaphysically potent sense. The Matrix was gibberish.
But to each their own.