Get ready to RUN - to the cinema to see a very decent, if flawed, movie

Rating: Null/10 (7 July 2002)

Firstly `Minority Report' is a very decent block buster, and can hold it's head high in the release of mostly disappointing fare in 2002. Tom Cruise plays John Anderton, a Pre-Crime Cop. With the assistant of some genetically engineered pre-cogs him, and his fellow teams, are able to arrest people for murder before they commit the crime (through the visions of the pre-cogs). But it all goes to hell when Anderton is arrested for murder himself - for a crime he has no intention of ever committing.
This movie has an interesting plot. It's quite a neat little thriller with a smart premise (lifted, as such good premises are, from a short story). It's reasonably smart but, relying on the paradoxical nature of time travel stories, is also like a delicate glass structure - looks very good, but prod it a little and it all falls apart. The plot holes can thankfully here be over looked. Other elements of the story seem somewhat contrived to push the story along and, at times, the sheer obviousness of certain pieces is painful to anyone who has any familiarity with the science fiction or thriller genres. Still it's told with enough gusto that I can forgive it.
Cruise is. Cruise. He puts in one of his better performances here, playing the good guy with a hint of darkness (haunted by the memory of his lost son). Still there are shades of his previous roles about him - perhaps due to his acting, perhaps due to the script, or some other element. The man on Cruise's case - Colin Farrell - is more vividly drawn and steals any scene he appears from Cruise. Other roles like Samantha Morton are fairly decent, if a bit one sided in their performance. Overall though there's little to complain about in the acting stakes.
It's the direction and visual style of `Minority Report' that really sells it. It looks wonderful and is sure to be a contender for areas such as SFX when the Oscars come around. The amount of thought that has gone into the style of the movie is incredible - Spielberg, and his cinematographers have invested a lot of energy into creating the world of 2054. Naturally there's some passing resemblance to the bleaker future worlds of `Blade Runner', although the movie doesn't succeed in creating such a memorable atmosphere. There are tons of great inventive touches in the movie and even the much touted product placement is done in a such a manner that it's actually believable and not irritating. Spielberg shows more restraint here, without the need to glamorise every moment. The camera work is spot on, and the action pieces focused and involved. Overall it lends itself into a great cohesive thriller, with a credible sense of setting and time.
Is `Minority Report' superb? For several reasons it is not .The logic flaws are all too apparent at times and there are moments when the movie drags. Still this is one of Spielberg's finest efforts in years, as well as Cruises. It's a smart, gorgeous action thriller that is likely to remain among the best of the blockbuster releases this year. Definitely worth viewing. 8.3/10.