Review of Minority Report (2002) by Trailesque — 28 Oct 2021

Like so many Hollywood movies, this movie pairs stunning visuals and awesome techniques with a mediocre, unconvincing story. In this case the insistent flash-bang-whiz helps to make up the deficit, as the viewer has no time to reflect on how bizarre and silly much of the story is.

So watch and enjoy the spectacle, but don't worry too much about holes in the plot or cookie-cutter characters. A few barely functioning psychics float in a pool at police headquarters, and occasionally they get a vision of a murder about to take place, which results in a wooden ball rolling down a chute and into the hands of detective John Anderton, who quickly tries to locate and then shut down the crime before it can happen.

John has issues of his own, such as drug use, the disappearance of his young son, and the subsequent collapse of his marriage. Then one day Anderton himself is fingered by the "pre-cogs" and he has to go on the lam and try to figure out who is out to get him and why.

This leads to a few plot twists and an unconvincing wrap-up. But there are enough memorable moments - such as Anderton being followed by video ads in a shopping mall, a scientist and her amazing, moving plants, and mechanical spiders that invade an area on behalf of the police and identify people by shining a beam into their eyes - to make this an exciting ride.