Great work

Rating: 9/10 (29 December 2002)

First of all, I'd want to say that I admire most of Spielberg's works, and I consider him one of the best directors there are. He did have some disappointing movies, but most of his "works" were great or even brilliant works, like this here or AI. Examples are many... You should first know a little bit about the story. A man is being chased by the system he trusted, a system based on predictions. These predictions of the so called "Visioneers" help preventing crimes. As the whole operation is about to go nation wide, problems appear. A small study on the characters would be implied in my opinion.
There's Paul Anderton, represented on screen by the one and only Tom Cruise, who does show us good quality acting. His character is one which you do meet through quite a few films, the kind of guy who lost a son, and who tries through his job to help other people which might suffer similar losses, and who usually feels better because of it. It's a kind of thing such characters do to keep living, to give their life a real sense. Paul is a smart guy, self determined and with good intention. Initially he doesn't have any doubts on the system, but that is just because he is not well informed. He believes he is the head of the operation, but it is not truly so. Then, we get to see the humanity in every person, even in him as he finds out he is about to kill someone. He is determined that he was framed, and tries to find out who did it, and why. We then meet an event which is arguable. The fact that there does exist only one future, and that it can not be changed. That is what the Visioneers represent. And the system itself. A future that can not be set under any doubt. Is it really so? I do not believe it is, and it seems that neither does Spielberg. You will see that after viewing the movie.
So there's Anderton. Another important character is Danny Witwer(Colin Farrell), who works for the government. I think he is as smart as Anderton, and he might certainly has more experience in murder cases. He is actually quite alike with him. He wishes justice too, but he has a flaw which is very, very disturbing for some: he is arrogant, and he probably doesn't even know this because he is eager to prove himself. He's a good guy.
Lamar is the so called "bad guy" here, despite the fact that he is just an old, and self obsessed man...he is all that matters, and his system of course. Anyone who stands in the way goes...well, you know. He is old, and the system is all he lives for. The fact that it might be going nation wide is of critical importance, but what I did not clearly understand is if he wants it or if he doesn't want it to go nation wide. Anyway, as a paradox, he will be the one who will prove that the Visioneers can be wrong.

The special effects of the movie are great, and I especially enjoyed the whole idea of the film. The spiders were great too, and I must say the same about the acting of all actors.
This movie is new...and still it is old. Many of the ideas we see here have been used in other movies too, but Spielberg makes them look new, and I believe that the success of this movie is mostly because of Steven Spielberg.
I would consider it for the Oscars too, even for the best picture category, though I doubt it will get there. The movie would have been even better, if the end hadn't been quite disappointing. That's how I consider it, because it would have been just right if things had stayed as they were. The role of the wife had been so meaningless, and now the fact that she frees him just doesn't seem right.
The story also points out a pretty important thing. If you agree or not, that's your decision. The system might be perfect, but the mistakes are made by human hands.
Before I end this, there would be one more thing I'd have in mind. Was the choice of the year 2054 totally coincidental? Or maybe, it wasn't...because 1000 years before the Catholic and Orthodox Churches had separated each other. Maybe it's the same thing in the movie. We can see a conflict between generations, and then the fact that the program might go nation wide...it might make them all safe. But it does not happen so, and again everybody is in danger. How it partially was after 1054, because people had been separated again by "higher" forces. It's just my opinion...might be a coincidence.
As a mark...I'd say somewhere between 8,5 and 9 out of 10. I consider it a certain "must-see".