Minority Report
Stars: Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Rated: PG-13 for violence, brief language, some sexuality and drug content.
Parental Notes: This film contains some scenes that children and younger teens will likely find far too intense to watch, in particular a scene in which a character’s eyes are removed surgically (mostly off-screen).
Imagine a world where murder can be prevented, the killers caught before they commit the crime. Countless lives would be saved and the guilty punished without the innocent being harmed. Although it sounds idyllic, the relentless logic of “Minority Report” paints an uneasy picture which evolves into a frightening vision of the future.
John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is the chief of the Precrime division in Washington D.C. When the team of psychics (called precogs) have a vision of murder, what they ‘see’ is recorded and examined for evidence. The precogs are so precise that they can provide an exact time for each death, and along with the evidence gleaned from the visions, Anderton and his team have enough information that they can stop the killings. The would-be killers are put in stasis in the “Hall of Containment” where they cannot threaten society.
When the precogs have a vision of Anderton himself killing a man he’s never even met, however, he is forced to confront the idea that the precogs are not infallible. On the run, Anderton has to prove his innocence even though doing so may well tear down the Precrime division he has worked so hard to create.
“Minority Report” is a top-notch science fiction thriller/mystery, with the kind of casual creativity we have come to expect from director Steven Spielberg and Phillip K. Dick (who wrote the original story the film was based on, as well as one which was the basis for “Blade Runner”). There are tiny bits of technology which are not integral to the plot but make the film’s vision of the future hold together brilliantly. Automated cars, holographic ads, and cereal boxes that sing and play music are just a few.
Although it’s only rated PG-13, “Minority Report” is not for the faint of heart. There are several scenes which can easily turn the stomach, particularly one in which a character gets prepared to have his eyes surgically removed.
It is difficult to discuss much of the acting or the special effects without giving away pieces of the highly intricate plot. The performances and effects are seamless for the most part, impressive without distracting from the story. There are a few shots in which the obviously computer-generated surroundings bring themselves to the audience’s attention, but for the most part, it’s remarkably easy to believe in their reality. It helps that the actors respond very well to what was no doubt for them tennis balls and green screen.
Overall, “Minority Report” is an excellent film for moviegoers who want to use their brains while they watch an action film. Those who like their films full of action without too much to tax the mind should probably turn elsewhere.