Rating of
4/4
Minority Report review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 09/18/11
The second viewing of this film have influenced my rating. The setting is 2054 and its main protagonist is the chief of PreCrime in Washington DC, Captain John Anderton (Tom Cruise). Three “precogs” are humans with special gifts who can predict future precrimes. A representative of the Department of Justice Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell) was tasked to audit the operations of the PreCrime unit. One of the pre-cogs envisions John to kill a man named Leo Crow. John asks assistance from one of the lead researchers for PreCrime technology Dr. Iris Hineman (Lois Smith), and abducts the most talented of the 3 precogs, Agatha (Samantha Morton) to help him find the answers. PreCrime's Director Lamar Burgress (Max von Sydow) is being awarded because of the achievements of the PreCrime unit. The wife of John, Lara (Kathryn Morris), will play a huge role in unraveling the mysteries of his husband’s arrest and murder of Anne Lively. A few lines from the movie: John Anderton – “But it didn't fall. You caught it. The fact that you prevented it from happening doesn't change the fact that it was going to happen.” “Except you know your own future, which means you can change it if you want to.” Dr. Iris Hineman – “Well, in my experience, parents often see their children as they want them to be, not as they are.” "Sometimes, in order to see the light, you have to risk the dark.” Lamar Burgess – “We don't choose the things we believe in; they choose us.”
The special effects are truly an exquisite spectacle to see on-screen. Its premise and plot was well-written and pace of the storytelling was never rushed. I felt there were elements of Raiders in the Lost Ark on the film such as the humorous moment where Anderton was trying to catch his rolling eyes, Agatha weaving thru the officers who were after her and John, the scenes where John had to jump over vehicles and fight with Witwer in the car manufacturing company. Just a few eye-popping exciting moments. The screenplay was very engaging with themes of choices (Agatha), hegemony, fate, family (John), deception (Burgess), dealing with the past/future, impartiality (Witwer) and integrity (Crow). Soundtrack of the film fits the velocity of each scene. Tom Cruises stunts and acting from the supporting cast made the film more convincing. The cinematography and camera angles were gorgeous and impressive. Not only was the film entertaining and visually compelling, but also it was cleverly written because of the thought-provoking dialogues. The director is one of the best in terms of character development, to show the quandaries and triumphs of each character without compromising on the visual effects. A story within a story that intertwines between characters. You can pick up so many morale lessons while enjoying the action and numerous futuristic gadgets/settings that have been realized to in this era. Bonus features from the second disc is loaded with very interesting stuff that made the film believable. In the words of the gifted precog Agatha – “You can choose.” I chose Minority Report to be part of my movie collection because it is an exceptional neo-noir, mystery science fiction that is in my opinion, one of the best morally crafted creations of the brilliant mind of Steven Spielberg.
