Minority Report (2002)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg | 145 minutes | action, drama, thriller, crime, science fiction | Actors: Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell, Steve Harris, Neal McDonough, Patrick Kilpatrick, Jessica Capshaw, Samantha Morton, Daniel London, Michael Dickman, Matthew Dickman, Lois Smith, Tim Blake Nelson, George Wallace, Ann Ryerson, Kathryn Morris, Tyler Patrick Jones, Dominic Scott Kay, Arye Gross, Ashley Crow, Mike Binder, Joel Gretsch, Jessica Harper, Bertell Lawrence, Jason Antoon

Futuristic action film by Steven Spielberg, which on the surface brings enough entertainment to enjoy, but at the same time broaches ethical themes, raises questions about fighting crime and the limits a society can push when limiting fundamental rights. Three so-called “PreCogs”, clairvoyant children of ex-drug addicts, experience murders before they are committed. The three, named Arthur, Dashiell and Agatha (given names of three well-known crime writers – Conan Doyle, Hammett and Christie) are kept alive in a tank by the government. Their visions are projected on large screens and with these images the PreCrime unit can intervene in time and arrest the perpetrator of a murder that has not yet been committed.

One of the most pressing questions ‘Minority Report’ raises is to what extent people can be convicted of a crime they have not yet committed? The head of the PreCrime unit, John Anderton (Tom Cruise) has no problem with it. As he explains to Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell), a curious Justice Department official, they really did commit their crime and now it’s being prevented without victims. A successful method, because as infomercials tell you: no more murders are committed in Washington DC. The reason Witwer comes to take a look is because of a referendum to be held to introduce PreCrime nationally. Weakness in the storyline here is how can three “PreCogs” predict murders across the country? In any case, Anderton’s boss Lamar Burgess (Von Sydow) is deeply concerned about the interference of Justice.

The three men all deliver good acting. Cruise shows once again that he is more than ‘eye candy’ and can really act, Farrell is the perfect young dog and Von Sydow has a kind of natural dominance with his charisma and sonorous voice.

The plot really takes off when Anderton “witnesses” the PreCogs’ visions of the next murder and pinpoints him as the culprit for the murder of a man he doesn’t know. Anderton is convinced that he is being framed. He goes in search of a deviant stream of thoughts in the visions of one of the PreCogs, a so-called “Minority Report”. This gives Spielberg the opportunity to take a both familiar and frightening look at a possible future where advertisements are personalized, cereal and newspaper cartons use moving images and major highways run horizontally and vertically through the capital. There is also an enormous personal check by means of iris scans, something that naturally affects the fleeing Anderton. Pursued by Witwer and his team, he crosses paths with a deranged (and cold-blooded) surgeon (Stormare’s memorable role), the “mother” of the PreCog system Dr. Hineman (Smith, also very strong) and several other eccentric characters. As he frees Agatha (Samatha Morton) from her tank and takes it with him, he gets closer and closer to the fatal confrontation the “PreCogs” witnessed. Supported by austere gray and blue camera work by Kaminski and the music by Willams (both often permanent staff), Spielberg manages to bring more than a standard film with a lot of visual flair, action and tension.

‘Minority Report’ is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick (also known for other science-fiction films that go deeper than meets the eye, such as ‘Total Recall’ and ‘Blade Runner’). scientists gave their vision for the future of 2054 – and those ideas were incorporated into the film. With Dick’s intelligent and original premise, Spielberg brings his own creative genius and creates a thriller that scores on all fronts.