Spielberg's best film in years.

Rating: Null/10 (22 June 2002)

"Minority Report" is probably one of the most brilliantly crafted films in a long time. It is slick, cohesive, well directed, and unfolds at steady pace that neither rushes or drags. The action and visual effects are masterfully realized, but are not the intended centerpiece of the film. But, by no means is it perfect. I will say this, however; It is Steven Spielberg's best movie in nearly two decades.
The cast does a fantastic job, from main characters to peripheral ones. Yes, Tom Cruise did a good job, but he is surrounded by a plethora of other fine performances that it really would be unfair to single him out. The "pre cog" Agatha is so convincing that you can simply feel her exhaustion and frustration. Max von Sydow is, as always, fantastic. His motivations are just a single example of the complexity and crafting of the script, brought to life by a solid effort from a seasoned and talented actor.

One thing that is striking about the film is how clear it unfolds. It is a science fiction plot, as well as a mystery that grips and compels the characters into action, and resolve itself logically. However, I had a problem with the choice of the way the film ends, which I will discuss later. I was afraid that the story would come under the hammer of pretensious direction, but Spielberg manages to avoid the un-eveness of A. I., allowing for the strengths of all the talent involved to come through.
The best feature of "Minority Report" is the action. It does not overwhelm the film, and reminded me why I used to like Spielberg so much. It was beautifully staged, edited, and was engaging and exciting. I found myself feeling the same enthusiasm that was generated by the action in Raiders of the Lost Ark, which in many respects has some of the greatest action sequences of all time. I was thinking "Aw Cool" while also concerned about what will happen next. This, in union with the impressive visual effects, made for a perfect marriage of visual and narrative elements. These scenes have their place in the story, and do not feel unnatural or disjointed.
While I liked the film, I did have a few problems with it. The most glaring problem for me was the tidy "wrap-up." It just felt out of place, and seemed to bury the darker elements of the film with a sugary resolution. The world goes from a Steel-blue, sterile environment to a Golden paradise, where all the problems of the past 145 minutes are made 'OK' within the span of under two minutes. I am not averse to happy endings, but this was just silly. I expected nothing less from Spielberg, but I was almost impressed that he managed to avoid slipping into sap that when it happens, I could not help but feel disappointment.
In the end, I was impressed with "Minority Report." It has little of the critic-pandering ambiguity of A. I. (not to be confused with ambitious film making, which A. I. most certainly was not!), and manages to be something that is so rare; a good science fiction movie. This one can be classed with "Blade Runner", "Planet of the Apes", and "The Matrix" as what Science Fiction has the potential to be. Entertaining, smart, and beautiful.