Review of Minority Report (2002) by Lewis E — 19 Jun 2013

The year is 2054 and the American Government have set up a specialised police department that can prevent crimes from occurring through visions of the future seen by three gifted human beings known as 'pre-cogs'. I encourage these types of films which encompass a lot of moral issues and invite viewers to enhance their thinking outside the scope of the movie setting. Can a person guilty of a crime they haven't committed? Does putting many future criminals away justify the possibility of innocent people being arrested when visions are wrongfully interpreted? Does a system of saving numerous lives justify imprisoning these innocent 'pre-cogs'? As you can see, there are plenty of ethical/scientific elements regarding free will and determinism which are up for discussion. The ending may draw its own conclusion but it still leaves much for the audience to ponder over.

The futuristic world they have created is well developed while being grounded in some places so that the fundamental parts of the story can still be related to modern society. Tom Cruise is clearly comfortable with his action man role, having the ability to embody emotion and vulnerability with masculinity and bravery. While recognising his success in of 'Jerry Maguire' and 'Interview with the Vampire', it is becoming harder to imagine anything else he is better suited to. It doesn't require a pre-cog to predict who the antagonist is from the beginning but the villain's reasoning and operation is well concealed which allowed for a very satisfying twist. Minority Report is definitely recommended as it is part of a dying breed of movies which are capable of integrating both action adventure with intelligent fiction.