Should have been much better...

Rating: 7/10 (13 January 2003)

This was an enjoyable movie, but ultimately disappointing because it should have been a truly memorable film.
Steven Spielberg should simply steer clear of any story that contains the slightest element of film noir. His directing style is completely unsuited to this type of project. This movie careens wildly between noir imagery and heartstring-tugging sentimentalism, between stylish action sequences and bubble-gum. It never builds any lasting tension. It never takes the time to revel in its glorious futurish sets. The camera rarely steps back from its claustrophobic POV to give us a sense of atmosphere. Spielberg is always more interested in pushing his viewers' emotional buttons than in creating a coherent work of art. This impulse serves him well when making family-oriented movies, but it has haunted him in his recent efforts to make serious adult-minded films.
To the extent that "Minority Report" succeeds in engaging us, it owes a great debt to its source material. Phillip K. Dick's short story, upon which the movie is based, was one of his classic brain-teasers. In the future, murders can be predicted in advance and prevented... but only if people are willing to cede many cherished safeguards of freedom to a creepily totalitarian government agency. It's a thought-provoking concept that the movie fleshes out fairly nicely... until a completely unnecessary and haphazardly tacked-on ending sequence opens up mile-wide plot holes and dilutes the impact of Dick's message.
This film worked best when it stepped away from its narrow storyline and engaged us with its its vision of 2053 America. The billboards which scan people's retinas and deliver individually-tailored ad pitches were a nice Orwellian touch. The oddball side characters (especially Peter Stormare as a creepy black-market eye surgeon) lent a unique character to the movie. The cyberpunkish set design was generally quite good. Unfortunately, the strengths of "Minority Report" were consistently undercut by its uneven direction and the weaknesses in the script.
This is what happens when a good film gets Spielberged.

I think most people will enjoy this movie, just don't set your expectations too high. And don't think too hard about how much better it could have been in the hands of a truly edgy and daring filmmaker.