Critical Reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 37% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 83 reviews, with the consensus being "Equilibrium is a reheated mishmash of other sci-fi movies." Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 33 out of 100, based on 22 reviews. The New York Times dismissed Equilibrium for having heavily borrowed from Fahrenheit 451, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Brave New World, and other science-fiction classics. Roger Ebert, however, awarded the film 3 stars out of 4, noting that "Equilibrium would be a mindless action picture, except that it has a mind. It doesn't do a lot of deep thinking, but unlike many futuristic combos of sf and f/x, it does make a statement."
Explaining the apparent rift between critical and fan reaction Wimmer claimed in a Dreamwatch magazine interview that "the paying customers seemed to get it," and in contrast, the critics 'didn't seem to see that the film had a different message than" Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. In a slightly more emotional statement during a Sci Fi Dimensions interview, Wimmer implied that he values fan reaction above critical reception: "Why would I make a movie for someone I wouldn't want to hang out with? Have you ever met a critic who you wanted to party with? I haven't."
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