A beautiful, intelligent science fiction film, and certainly one of Spielberg's best

Rating: Null/10 (20 August 2008)

Although Spielberg has made several genre films, none of them have approached the intelligence and sophistication of his two successive sci-fi masterworks, "Artificial Intelligence: AI" and "Minority Report". Although "AI" is certainly an impressive film, "Minority Report" was the film which simply wowed me in theaters and did so every time I saw it after that. This stunningly tense and thrilling look at the judicial system in the near future could have been a simple action thriller but ends up a spectacular, unique mesh of genres. If I had to I'd label it I'd say it was a futuristic sci-fi mystery noir with hints of the sort of social drama Norman Jewison and Sidney Lumet would pull off occasionally. Then there's the whole humor angle too. The bottom line is that "Minority Report" is wonderfully unique. There's films similar to it, but nothing will give you quite the same feeling you'll get from watching this.
This decade has been simply tremendous for Spielberg. With the possible exception of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (a fun summer film, perhaps, but one obviously made without any real artistic purpose), Spielberg has made nothing but extraordinary, wonderful films this decade, with "Catch Me if You Can" seeing the light-hearted Spielberg at his absolute best and "Munich", "AI", and "Minority Report" all being astonishingly strong and important films. What's most refreshing about his work this decade is that little of it seems lazy. There's real inspiration here, a real sense of enthusiasm and devotion.
The screenplay is wonderful, combining intense drama, some action, a serious examination of some real social issues, and even a little bit of humor. This is the sort of science fiction we ought to see more of, the sort that leaves one thinking well after they have finished viewing the film. The characters are well-developed and interesting, the plot (all you should know before seeing the film is that it involves pre-crime, a crime-fighting system which allows the authorities to see murders before they occur and stop them) is well thought-out, involving, and unique, the dialogue is sharp, the world well-developed and just quirky enough to be both tremendously entertaining and believable.
A film that juggles so many elements, such a complicated storyline and mythology, and so many characters as gracefully and skillfully as "Minority Report" does is rare, and it is proof of Spielberg's immense skill as director that he manages to do this, especially given how radically different not only the material but also the technical aspect of the film is to most of his earlier films. There's some stuff in this film that Spielberg probably hadn't even thought of doing before, and I don't doubt that this is partly a result of his partnership with cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. "Minority Report" looks like nothing Spielberg's done before (except for "AI", perhaps), and it's remarkable how well-realized this future world is and how stunning the visuals are. It is, quite simply, brilliant.
A technical and visual masterpiece, "Minority Report" also boasts a brilliant screenplay, making it an outstanding, unforgettable science fiction masterpiece that will almost certainly continue to inspire and enchant audiences for many, many years to come. If not, it will still always be one of my personal favorite films.
10/10