A disappointing effort.

Rating: Null/10 (10 August 2002)

I hope that Spielberg's collaboration with Kaminski is over, because the cinematography in this film has to be some of the worst I've ever seen. There is no excuse this time for the lousy look as there was with Saving Private Ryan. The excuse then was that they wanted it to look like it was shot with a cheap camera by a battlefield cameraman. This time the cinematographer's limitations come to the surface and we see that bleaching out the color for his bizarre visual style is for no more purpose than bleaching out the color for his bizarre visual style. Kaminski has even made the ridiculous statement in the July 2002 issue of Am. Cinematographer, that, "If you can't see or sense grain in the image, you're not experiencing the magic of movies." What kind of idiotic statement is that? I think it's time he go back to Poland and work over there for awhile. I think Spielberg should sign up a more classical cinematographer for his next film.
Outside of the lousy cinematography, the pacing of the film is rather slow and the movie is rather predictable, and though some of the special effects are good, like the little robotic creatures, several uses are rather bad, such as the blind drug dealers eye sockets, and even the scenes with the cars, they look like computer cartoons! Bring back model work, if that's the best they can do with the vehicles.
Not really too much excitement or action for that matter. The original story by Philip K. Dick is probably better. When will these filmmakers realize that "film noir," is over with not just because the 1940's are over with, but also, because it's not worth bringing back?