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Minority Report (Widescreen Edition)

Minority Report (Widescreen Edition)

List Price: $14.99
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Tom Cruise does it again
Review: Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell and Max Von-Sydow make great performances in this sci-fi thriller. Excellent action sequences, great story line, exciting chases and DTS digital surround sound. This looks and sounds great (for us Hi-Fi junkies).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: I'm So Entertained! I'm So Frustrated!
Review: Never have I come away from a film feeling so torn between aggravation and exhilaration. Brilliant idea for a story by Mr. Dick but stretched into something it wasn't. If you want plot read the other reviews; I'm cutting to the good and the bad.

The Good:

-- The look of the movie works for me. Bleach-bypass, whatever that means, is not a process I hope to see more than occasionally, but for this movie it works.

-- The effects were awesome. I didn't find them cheesy in the least. Love the vertical highways and spyders.

-- The judicious use of gross-out gags worked too, believe it or not. I understand others' objections, but for me they injected a bit of goofiness into an otherwise grim-faced film noir.

-- The performances were exactly what they needed to be (though Farrell was a bit too smug). And this may render my opinions obsolete with many of you, but I like Tom Cruise. Sorry I can't be part of your club now.

The Bad:

-- Much ado has been made about plot holes, and for good reason. Much as I tried to just go with it, the movie's logic doesn't even make sense in terms of it's own reality.

Anderton's crime was not premeditated and thus should have been predicted via red ball only minutes before it happened. Yet, conveniently for the plot, it comes down as a brown ball, giving our hero 36 hours to figure out what's going down.

The need for wooden balls is briefly (but only semi-satisfyingly) addressed, and he eyeball-access I could grudgingly excuse. Maybe no-one thought he'd be dumb enough to come back to Precrime HQ, and after he was haloed who would possibly have any need to use his eyes to access anything. Yeah, it's a stretch, but I can go there. BUT ask yourself this:

Exactly how did the "bad guy" set up Anderton? I mean, try to walk yourself through what he would have had to do to make this work, even granting that the future is predictable. It can't be done. The precogs vision of the Crow murder sets off the events that lead to the murder itself. I haven't read all 500 reviews, but can someone help me with this? No murder was in motion until the "killer" saw himself killing someone.

-- Lastly, the last 45 minutes of the film were a big come-down. Here I'm expecting some type of philosophical or moral dilemma to drive the resolution, but instead we get some standard b-grade catch-the-killer scenes. This starts with a scene ripped right from LA Confidential and is propelled forward by the old killer-blurts-out-information-he-shouldn't-have-known cliche. Lost a star right there, with one line. Finally, when our boy knows he's caught, a room full of suits sees Samantha's vision of his crime on their wall-screen. Fine and good, except that up until that point she hadn't seen the killer's face. Why was she suddenly able to see it other than to maximize the drama?

That's my list of complaints, but believe it or not I still enjoy watching this one. Dripping snot, moldy sandwiches and all it was a five-star classic through the first 90 minutes. Sadly, Spielberg's writers didn't have the chops or the patience to end it with substance. I suppose one man's cliche is another man's homage.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Dark Vision of MINORITY REPORT
Review: Those who choose to give up their freedom to gain security often find that having done so, they have sacrificed the former in vain not to gain the latter. The dark world of MINORITY REPORT explores this theme in both visuals and in a vision of justice that leaves the term bereft of the meaning with which we usually associate it. Director Steven Spielberg abandons the sense of wonder that usually accompanies his epics. In JURASSIC PARK and ET, Spielberg allows his inner child to present a vision of humanity that allows his cast to face danger knowing full well that the danger has a wonder indelibly etched within. In MINORITY REPORT, however, he harkens back to one of his earliest efforts in DUEL to show how one man can be beset by a sneaky violence totally beyond his power to control or to predict.

Tom Cruise, as policeman John Anderton, is a composite of many roles that he has done over a long career. He is dedicated, action-oriented, smart--and flawed. When his child is kidnapped and killed, he takes to drugs to forget the pain and guilt that he carries for allowing it to happen. Immediately after his son's death, a scientist discovers a way to use human precognitive abilities to spot a murder before it happens, thus allowing policemen like him to arrest them, but before the crime actually occurs. This police state power of course comes into conflict with the ACLU, who in one all too brief scene, argues that it is simply wrong to do that. During the course of his investigation, Cruise as Anderton, comes too close to the hidden flaw in the entire setup--that the ability of the precogs is not as infallible as trumpeted, and he is set up as one who plans his own murder and thus must be apprehended by his own men.

Now there is nothing inherently wrong with taking the basic premise from the story by Philip K. Dick, but Spielberg, in his attempts to imbue his film with a gloominess not present in the story presents a movie that is at once a darkly spectacular treat for the eyes if not a test for the patience of a viewer who soon enough recognizes the oldest of tricks in a detective thriller: the placing of false clues and even more false clues to keep the viewer involved. As I watched, I tended to overlook the grimness of the photography. Much of the film seems to have been shot with a filter that screened out any color brighter than light tan. The spectacular car scenes that show Anderton plunging from one vertically placed vehicle to another while at supersonic speeds are a sight to behold. Then there is the acting of both Cruise and Max von Sydow as the police chief, both of whom bounce off each other at all the right moments. There is a father-son subtext between them that gives their relationship a resonance not seen since Dustin Hoffman had his molars examined by Sir Lawrence Olivier in MARATHAN MAN. MINORITY REPORT is the sort of fine science fiction film that thrills the first time one sees it, but I suspect that its witheringly dark grubby underside will prevent one from wishing repeated viewings.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: BOR-ING!
Review: Meant to be a copy of The Matrix and similar "sci fi" movies, i guess. To me, not much is dumber than a special effects movie in which the special effects are totally unconvincing -- like this. Very little plot, just an intro used as an excuse for another chase movie. Everything is blue, for some reason (another irritating affectation). No daylight ever appears, everyone and everything is blue. WHY? also, the "futuristic" cars and street scenes look hokier than Star Trek of 1968. Could not sit through it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I dislike the "Bleach-Bypass" color processing of the film.
Review: Why is Steven Speilberg so insistant in using the "Bleach-Bypass" color processing in his films. Minority Report would have been alot better with just normal colors. The use of dark shadows can be very effective to create a cold and dampy feeling, and it can be done with normal colors and rich black & white, i.e. The Godfather (1972) and Citizen Kane (1941). I am not a Tom Cruise fan at all, bit I sure do enjoy Colin Farrell being in this film. Thanks to this DVD company for offering this DVD in Full Screen and Wide Screen. I will watch and buy full-screen anytime. I wish film makers would stop using the "Bleach-Bypass" color in films.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A solid and surprising Sci Fi thriller!
Review: After Vanilla Sky I was skeptical about the hype surrounding a Tom Cruise movie however Minority Report proved me wrong. I knew little about this movie going in and it was a very entertaining movie. It gets 5 stars from me simply because it was so entertaining not because it has some great message or should be considered a classic of American film. It was however one of the best action films I have seen in a while. The plot is gripping as events and evidence unfold and you progress with the main character. There were some solid actors in the film and I like to see so many lesser known supporting players. They did a terrific job. The effects were very well done. The technology was great in the film and very believable. The storyline itself was fresh and had nice twists. There was also a bit of humor in the film which was a nice touch. I think Tom Cruise is a good actor who sticks to what he knows best. his character here is a strong willed man great at his job who meets some conspiracy or hardship and has to overcome it while dealing with his personal demons. This movie is along the lines of Mission Impossible yet I found it to be much better. There isn't really much more to say and I won't get into the plot because you can read the synopsis. The only downside to this film I would say is that it is very predictable. But if you like action thrillers this film is probably one of the best on DVD now.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The Minority Report
Review: My son received this DVD for Christmas and I recently reviewed it. The movie was exciting enough, with good 'ole Tom doing his thing, but the basic premise turned out to be totally false! There was no Minority Report! Really, people, how far down the garden path do you intend to lead us?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A bold new classic for the genre
Review: Based on a short story from Philip K. Dick (whose other short stories had inspired Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Imposter), Steven Spielberg brings us a dark (but not too dark) vision of an all too real future world. In the year 2054 in Washington, D.C., there is a new police force called PreCrime which apprehends murderers before they commit the crime. For this method, three "PreCogs" are used to predict the crime thanks to drug induced mutation combined with psychic ability. PreCrime leader John Anderton (Tom Cruise) believes heavily in the system and is the best officer on the force, until the PreCogs predict him as a murderer. Now, Anderton is on the run while trying to unraval a vast conspiracy that will change everything he believes in. First off I want to say that this vision of the future is very believeable, and the visual effects are incredible as well. Spielberg's direction is some of his best here, and next to Schindler's List this is his best directorial effort. Tom Cruise gives one of his best performances as Anderton, and his character development is paced along well. Great, memorable roles for Max von Sydow, Colin Farrel (who steals many of his scenes with Cruise), and Samantha Morton (who is heartbreakingly tragic as a PreCog Cruise kidnaps) are among many highpoints of Minority Report, and this is without a doubt a new sci-fi classic that will be revered for years.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: My Report on Minority Report
Review: Steven Spielberg made one of his best films since The Lost World. Minority Report is a great suspenseful story that pulls you in until the very last frame. When I grow up I want to become a director. I have been watching Spielbergs work since Jurassic Park ,and Minority Report reminds me of why I like Steven Spielberg. The film is by far Spielbergs most darkest film. It does'nt look like a Speilberg film the first time you watch it but then later you start to see bits and pieces. It's a great thrill ride but not what most people think and that's due to the trailer.

The trailer makes the film look like a big action movie, but If you count them up there's only four or five action scenes. The film is mainly a drama. And there is great character development. For me this is almost a pefect film. Tom Cruise character is an amazing character. This is the first Tom Cruise movie I've ever seen and he was pretty good. Colin Farrel plays an amazing FBI agent out to catch Tom Cruise.

The lighting is amazing. The score is unforgettable. The only down side is the DVD they don't have has many behind the scenes fottage as one might expect. And once again no commentary.This is one of the best crime films since who knows when. I like it so much that I hope that the Academy of Arts and Science think about it for an Oscar especially for Best Cinematography( Januzs Kaminski), Best Musical Score ( John Williams) Best Supporting Actor (Colin Farrel/ Max Von Sydow ), Best Director (Steven Spielberg), and best Picture Minority Report. I highly recommend this picture especially if your a Spielberg fan.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Minority Report delivers...
Review: The movie itself is a feast for the eyes, with many futuristic and imaginative things thrown in by Spielberg, my favorite being the spiders. Despite several plot holes, the movie gave me a sense that this could actually happen.
The DVD itself is great, the extra features are interesting and enjoyable and I would recommend this to anyone who'd like a glimpse of the future, from the mind of Spielberg of course.


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