Haha yeah, the matrix did it amazingly (one the first movie) everything was thought out, like before we learn Trinity can fight, they build tension..

"She's just a tiny woman".. "Your men are dead!".

And then she levitates and blows the audience away.

In Equilibrium, you could see that the director couldn't give too shits about the build-up nor the audience for that matter, he just wanted to get quick to what he loves, fight scenes in techno-music.

The story they had to work with was amazing, however.