Very impressive. Spielberg and Cruise's first collaboration is an awesome sci-fi thrill ride!

Rating: 9/10 (12 September 2005)

Minority Report is an interesting blend of sci-fi and thriller. With a combination like Stephen Spielberg and Tom Cruise, you know it's going to be awesome without even hearing what the movie is about. But of course, it is my job to tell you these kind of things, so here I go.
Minority Report takes place in the near future of 2054. Now before you scoff at some of the seemingly too-advanced technology they seem to have, you should know that before production, Spielberg gathered some of the world's greatest scientists and had them brainstorm on what the world would be like in fifty years and he mostly used what they came up with. Of course he did add some stuff, but they're cool additions so I'll let it slide.
The plot revolves around John Anderton (Tom Cruise). He is the chief of an experimental program called "Pre-Crime". Pre-Crime uses the Pre-Cogs' ability to see when and who is going to commit murder to stop them from ever happening. The Pre-Cogs are three people actually, who can precict the aforementioned murders. They keep them drugged and isolated so they can predict these murders better. This is really my only big problem with Minority Report, the Pre-Cogs. For some reason I just can't buy the fact that they gained this "ability" from a combination of different drugs and medicines. That really is the only part of the plot that is a little too far-fetched. Anyway, eventually the Pre-Cogs predict that Anderton himself will kill a man named Leo Crow, whom John has never heard of before.
This leads Anderton into a wild flight for his life as he tries to discover whether he had been set up, or the system is imperfect, contrary to what everyone believes. Or, worst of all, maybe he really is destined to kill Leo Crow. The chase leads him to many different places and people, which leads us to what I think is the best part of Minority Report, the diverse characters. The Supporting Cast that you rarely see at all are fantastic in themselves. From the peculiar Dr. Iris Heneman (Louis Smith), to the shady Dr. Solomon Eddie (Peter Stormare), to the eccentric Rufu T Riley (Jason Anton), all of these characters are fascinating in themselves and it's a shame we don't get to see more of them.
With a great supporting cast, the main cast is even better. Colin Farrell plays Danny Witwer, an FBI agent who is trying to take control of PreCrime and leads the hunt for John. He does a very impressive job and I was amazed to later find out he was Irish! Everyone should definitely keep an eye on him. Max von Sydow plays Lamar Burgess, the Director and creator of PreCrime. He is something of a father figure to John and will do anything to keep PreCrime alive. Kathryn Morris also plays Lara, Anderton's ex-wife. They all perform spectacularly as they interact with each other and move the plot along at a good pace.
Then there is John himself. Although appearing successful at first, you quickly realize he is a shell of a man. His life has fallen apart following the kidnapping of his son. His wife left him and he is reduced to getting high and watching home videos during the evenings.
The film is filled with a very gritty feel to it and the coloring is filled with the cooler colors of the spectrum, especially blues and whites. It's also surprisingly packed with questions that most sci-fi movies don't bother with. It's filled with questions like "Are the lives saved by PreCrime worth it if the system is imperfect and some innocent people are imprisoned for murders they actually wouldn't have committed?" It's surprisingly deep for it's genre and leaves you thinking after the movie. As for the action sequences, they are all top-notch. Especially this one very impressive scene in which John is fleeing his former squad who are armed with all kinds of cool thins, most notably jet packs. I bet that was a pain to shoot.
Minority report is a high quality sci-fi thriller. With it's impressive stunts, inventive but believable (except for the PreCogs) plot, the vast range of characters, and the intelligent presentation, I give this movie a 9 out of 10.