Review of Minority Report (2002) by Stuart K — 16 Jan 2012
Steven Spielberg did schmaltzy, sentimental sci-fi with A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), this adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1956 short story is the opposite end of the spectrum, a dark, dirty sci-fi film, and the result is the closest thing to a film-noir Spielberg has made, and also one of his best films of the 2000's, and also one of his most unusual.
Washington, D.C. in 2054, and murders in the city have been stopped by a trio of psychics called Precogs, who are kept in an isolation tank. Captain John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is chief of the Precrime Police Force, who arrest people about to commit murders.
However, when Anderton is identified as a murderer that's to happen in 36 hours, killing a man he's never heard of. He suspects he's been set up by government auditor Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell), who has always been skeptical of what Precrime does.
Anderton intends to stay one step ahead of the Precrime Police, and is determined to discover who is behind it and how it ends that way, and even ends up kidnapping Precog Agatha (Samantha Morton) when he learns that the precogs precogs sometimes see different visions of the future.
It's an intelligent sci-fi film, with some great action sequences and moments of true suspense, the technology they have in 2054 is amazing and amusing, from adverts that identify you to robotic spiders.
Cruise is on fine form as the wrong man, and Spielberg has great fun with this material, and the result is a fun film that makes you go away and think and talk. That's what great films do.
This review of Minority Report (2002) was written by Stuart K on 16 Jan 2012.
Minority Report has generally received very positive reviews.
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