Choice or Conspiracy?

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2004)

Steven Spielbergs's "Minority Report" is a visual and technical masterpiece, with great action, with an awesome movie star and actor in Tom Cruise at the top of his game, that somehow fails to deliver in the end. Give "Minority Report" it's due, it is a wild ride. However, it is long at 2 1/2 hours. The year is 2054, and Spielberg captures a viable world, specifically Wasington, D.C., where there have been no murders in 6 years due to the efforts of the Pre-Crime Unit headed by Cruise's John Anderton. The screenplay by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen based on the Philip K. Dick short story is fascinating and poses some worthwhile questions.
In 2054, there are "Precogs"-- tech for pre-cognizants-- who foresee premeditated or passionate murders up to 36 hours before they are to happen. So it is the Pre-Crime units job to prevent the murders from happening, by arresting the "murderer". One now asks: If that person does not murder the victim or isn't even aware that he or she intends to, then how can they be guilty, much less punished? We don't get to dwell in the inquiry. However, the question becomes very real for Anderton (Cruise)when he discovers that he is to murder a man he doesn't even know, Leo Crow, within 36 hours. There are 3 Precogs, the most talented of the three is Agatha (a very good Sammantha Morton). Apparently, in the cases where all three do not agree on a foretold murder, a Minority Report is filed. The Report is in Agatha, and Anderton must uncover the truth-- whatever that may be. The chase is on. Meanwhile, a government agent is sent to audit the process to see if the program can go nationwide. This is headed by Danny Witwar, a deceptively competent character, well played by Colin Farrell.
There are some great effects: futuristic car chases, crashing jet packs, and robotic spiders. Though the biggest asset is Tom Cruise. Cruise is so intense, and it is amazing how his Anderton stays so intense. He looks great, and does all the action sequences expertly. With Cruise, one gets a sense of his drive, and also the burnout. He makes Anderton very human and empathetic. It is also refreshing to see Cruise not playing a character who is incomplete with his father, instead he plays an incomplete father. He does it well. Sammantha Morton as Agatha has some excellent scenes-- a solid performance. All this is what makes "Minority Report" disappointing in the end. The movie sets itself as a character play of fate, looking at the nature of true choice. However, what occurs instead of choice is conspiracy in a very long drawn conclusion. This does not give anything away. But the story and movie sells out the efforts of Cruise as Anderton, and perhaps the the value of the inquiry itself which made the movie so compelling from the start.
Cruise and Spielberg have pooled their great talents together, and made a movie well worth seeing. Though ultimately there is no choice. And that is disappointing.