Apparently a minority report

Rating: 6/10 (22 June 2002)

The look, the feel, the tension and action in the early, exposition part of the movie are great, that is, while we are being given the incident which tells us how "pre-crime" works. It's down hill after that, way too long, with a somewhat predictable, almost cliché denouement (the bit of dialogue where the "truth" is revealed ... no I'm not going to spoil it.... is really a tired device ... a villain self-incriminating as if on the stand of a Perry Mason courtroom, for those who remember Perry Mason.... and it was already a cliché device by then... Spielberg should be embarrassed if not ashamed). It falls far short as thriller and certainly in no way can it pretend to be a thought provoking piece..... well, it pretends..... there just isn't any there there. Spielberg has had a long splendid career. At the beginning he was pooh-pooed by the critics. Since Schindler's list he's regarded as walking on water. I think he's a splendid director in a checkered sort of way. I don't think "Minority Report" will be remembered as one of his better movies. It certainly doesn't measure up to some of the more effective summer thriller/blockbusters like Bourne Identity or Spiderman. I truly was expecting a more intelligent treatment of an intriguing topic, a more exciting thriller, in short, a much better movie.