Good Adaptation of Philip K. Dick's Nightmarish World

Rating: 7/10 (18 March 2004)

SPOILERS INCLUDED
Philip K. Dick's sci-fi novels essentially reflect the contemporary world, no matter what futuristic gadgets he uses. As if his characters were living in our era, we can easily relate ourselves to them who struggle to fix what is going wrong. For the realization of the Dick world as a mirror of the contemporary society, Minority Report did a better job than glossy Blade Runner did.
There seems to be a logical contradiction in the plot, but it is usual for Dick's setting and the filmmakers must have been aware of it. It is impossible for Director Lamar Burgess (Max von Sydow) to design a murder that Detective John Anderton (Tom Cruise) will commit in the future, while the only reason Anderton will commit is that he witnesses his own future murder and is driven to discover why he will. This chicken-and-egg problem suggests the fragility of reality, one of Dick's long-lasting themes.
With craftsmanship Steven Spielberg seamlessly takes in Hollywood cinema's package requirements, such as elements of action flicks and flashy sci-fi movies. Stoicism might have worked better to respect P. K. Dick, but it may be too much to ask Hollywood. Spielberg has a strange habit to mysteriously leave some avoidable blemishes. For example, why do Dr. Iris Hineman (Lois Smith) and Anderton kiss, when she informs him of the minority report? It is completely out of the blue. Also, why does Dr. Solomon Eddie (Peter Stormare), who replaces Anderton's eyes, have to be a jerk like a stereotypical underground doctor in a comic book?
The picture with blue-ish hard tone and intense brightness contrast, which is probably manipulated through the postproduction, is appropriately futuristic and unforgettably unique.