Fascinating, well-constructed moral thriller

Rating: Null/10 (17 June 2002)

From the advance viewing I saw yesterday, I would say this movie will be the summer blockbuster, not Spider Man. Spielberg's new movie Minority Report delivers the action, suspense and thrills with aplomb.
I laughed at the end when the credits rolled, starting with "Based on a short story by Philip K Dick". This is not a short movie. At two and a half hours, it is pushing into Private Ryan territory, and while it dips slightly in a few places, these lulls are a needed antidote to the astonishing set-pieces.
Short or not, however, the story is terrific. A man heads up a team of hi-tech cops who use three 'pre-cogs' who can determine when a murder will be committed. He pieces together the scraps of information from the brain-scan and works out where the killing will take place.
Great! Unfortunately, it backfires. Cruise is fingered for a murder he has yet to commit, against a man he has never met. The next two hours and twenty minutes see him rushing about trying to prove his innocence.
The slickness with which Spielberg directs this age-old tale of an innocent man on the run is breathtaking. The details are beautifully realised. The acting is low-key and compelling and the script is intelligent for an action film. Minority Report is an exciting, smart thriller with a hefty double twist at the end.
Spend your holiday dollar on this, not Spider Man. You will be rewarded with an intriguing, thought provoking 145 minutes, delivered by the absolute master of adventure movies.