Modern Masterpiece!

Rating: 6/10 (20 June 2002)

When you see a film based on any literature by Philip K. Dick you can rest assured it will be something worth watching. Steven Spielberg has crafted a very realistic vision of our future and the questions it may raise. He has not lost his tendency to put a positive spin on even the darkest of questions, but he manages to keep you on the edge of your seat up until the final breath.
The futuristic thriller/mystery is based on the concept of precognitive visions of the future, specifically murder. Three Twins have acquired the gift of seeing a murder before it happens allowing a controversial program called Precrime to emerge. Precrime is about to go national and has been placed under review to find any possible flaws in the system. Tom Cruise plays Chief Detective John Anderton, who is caught up in a conspiracy to ensure that Precrime fails, however all is not what it seems. John sees a vision supplied by the twins of himself killing a man he does not know, it is now a race against time for John to find out what is really going on before Precrime catch up with him and put him away.
The film is perfect in its conception, exploring futuristic law enforcement techniques, weapons, entertainment, modes of transportations and possible moral dilemmas. It puts a spin on the innocent until proven guilty principal and the criminal is arrested before they even commit the crime and even become a criminal. It asks the big question, "Just because you believe something is going to happen and you stop it, would it of really happened?' Even better than that is the film actually answers the question and doesn't leave you hanging.
It is also a perfect example of how well computer technology can enhance a production. The special effects are only evident because you know technology like that does not exist; however the image itself is flawless and very real. The "Think Tank" behind this production must of spent a great deal of time coming up with plausible technology and realistic effects to make the production seem that much more real. Ultimately it works and the film looks and feels like a possible future.
Unfortunately the film has no great standout performances and Tom Cruise is his normal self (same as always), but everything is very sold and certainly makes the pass mark. There are also a number of questions about certain details in the film, like why are the prisoners held in the manner that they are? It seems in a film about moral questions, some of the details are important, but they receive nothing in the script. It does however not seem to matter in the end.
This film is another Spielberg masterpiece and will not fail to entertain most tastes. It would of been nice to have a darker and thought provoking ending, but the film still works. 8/10!